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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.2 r3 u' Y, \! I# T7 @1 f
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html) b p. r: z9 M( ^ F. ?8 B
. F8 T. O5 |1 S7 V G: HOTTAWA - 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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b" P1 P! S T8 \% tPeople 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.% r9 T/ b5 G, R6 m3 G( \- T
2 m% K0 }/ d) ~0 K2 J$ {: ?' }Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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9 R+ N: l' W$ ?4 p. ^; E4 n) H3 n"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.5 i" ^4 @7 E* S$ H: v; U
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"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.7 H8 r( ^) f/ A! n( ]* B: H
! m& t% z3 C3 |( zBurleton knows how they feel.0 F3 e6 }2 G7 @6 C, o( D# h( @/ W0 j
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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.
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; S. `1 B' H2 n z7 JWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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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.
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% f" Z0 M" _! h3 o( jAnd 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.: c) y/ i) S# j+ Q) ^: r' M9 c0 O
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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.5 e& z) t8 Z) v$ K; m
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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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+ _- W z# L1 r) ?" A, ~9 `That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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: r* c( R, g0 i* RDavid 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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! l4 G* R: @8 h"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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"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."* z5 z" X+ f+ c" |! V2 D' Z$ b
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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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