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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.: w5 A- [6 @- i5 q2 I0 [* Z) r
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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1 i2 {+ d3 }8 u3 W! q" e* f2 \6 _OTTAWA - For most Canadians their home is the biggest investment they'll ever make — but they might be surprised to learn you can use if for more than just sleeping.
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7 n: M; t( D. b5 B$ Z# FPeople generally don't think of their homes as a potential pile of cash in the bank, but experts say it's something worth pondering now that home prices in Canada may have hit their peak.4 @( s& e0 {# B! E& O1 U
5 l) i/ j/ R+ K% ?In fact, analysts say if finance is the only consideration, conditions now and into next year or so form a seldom seen sweet spot for using home equity as a type of asset for investment.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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! g9 t/ N9 i4 ?/ N: x, QAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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, k6 N1 c% P2 R) K. X+ |3 U"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.1 e2 e8 X: @/ v$ b
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.9 m4 H- r6 q- b* t
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.3 K* t9 n/ p: y' `% b2 v& w
0 q5 |( u& Z; z- O& R" wWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.0 h" L p- z8 P/ V: p! G6 c' Y& a
M. s& s' E( s9 k# }) p% PWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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And Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney warned last month he was preparing to hike rates, which along with tighter lending rules being applied by federal authorities could trigger a flight from real estate.0 k7 B3 b# V( T; R" h
& y4 o9 o% i- {+ s' W$ pIn market terms, selling a home at the peak is a way of "locking in" profits accumulated over the past decade of price appreciation — and tax free if it's the principal home.
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: Q$ c/ {; L7 {% @/ EMeanwhile, home valuations have been rising far faster than the rent they would fetch since at least 2000. Canada's home price-to-rent ratio is well above historic norms and among the highest in the advanced world.
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5 r! J, Y- W5 M1 d4 z& yThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.% _6 {1 v+ c/ @9 ]
$ d1 j D* D0 nDavid Madani of Capital Economics, who anticipates a 25 per cent price crash over the next few years, cautions that like selling stock shares, timing is always tricky.
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# u2 Q; t! x& |- @' z"We're dealing with irrational exuberance. We've been treating housing like some magical financial asset that is going to solve all our problems because prices are always going up," he said.
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( V0 U& N9 f- d% @7 l' J d" e( ^. Q"Of course, when the turn comes, the over-confidence that drove the market up can turn to fear. You are dealing with emotion ... so I don't believe in a soft landing."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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But then again he felt that way a year ago, he points out, and if households had acted on his advice they might not have gotten all the value they could from the premature sale. |
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