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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html( i: G7 @) Y x1 s0 j: y0 H$ X
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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.; }0 t5 u% w# G% A& `. r% K
1 K+ Z& [% _0 u. aPeople 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.
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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?' ^9 N' ~/ j3 K) Q. q' o5 v B
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.1 Y* w9 w; W% Y. r; p3 v) P v- D+ g6 S
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.8 }) S; d- K+ F) p3 U. i5 L2 {
& D7 D$ ]1 I3 H: ` y5 j"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.
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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.
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Burleton knows how they feel., C3 B, {( N. P1 j; B
, N' k5 E2 z9 o5 O4 M) t"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.
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* Q( K/ x/ x: m$ w3 f( c3 a6 h! xWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.) A. l9 P1 i4 x$ j/ L0 N- n
! R: @2 i) p* t5 `- O1 Z% }2 `With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.9 a7 m Y3 k5 Y
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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." W0 M: q) J$ l: E+ i" A- o, Q
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In 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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. _. w4 ~. X$ E( ~( q6 @Meanwhile, 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 Z, Q- g) @ E) A+ v' WThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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/ [" _! O! _# I) oDavid 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.4 {, h% N$ n4 K' X2 a8 `; i
: d& |* ^! M! A"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., D2 D$ \( p' k) b0 ~/ h+ I5 g7 ^
$ L* q- o/ ]1 W& ^3 F"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."8 s3 E! e. Z- Y6 t8 j2 z( t! m
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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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