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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.; a' u5 K+ w! @) Q
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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( V1 i+ |# ?4 [! [: n2 vOTTAWA - 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.4 j5 X" C- L% p6 \- b- y2 c/ l
( d2 s9 w7 Z' i" b& ePeople 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.* G2 o1 d& P$ ?9 p
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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?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.' e7 \/ T; \* G3 a" m
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.$ x5 p: C; i% G% `2 E8 e
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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./ @9 d1 e! y) A5 g" i8 X, i
/ X0 _4 j$ E" Q1 r2 Q0 c0 ?) oOf 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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$ k! D* E0 O! P3 p" I) XBurleton knows how they feel.
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5 k9 q U5 T1 B3 }, O, v& i"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.( `7 V& w" D3 L
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While 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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/ R8 Q* o, ~5 `! f$ G1 G7 N B+ k2 P: |5 FWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.; j- r% p1 J8 N) Q
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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.5 F' X" i- E' y, W, r8 o
: }0 Q9 p5 A' W2 l9 M& L) UIn 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./ e' x/ U) d, @. N' ~# c+ [6 z
5 [1 [5 \: ]" cMeanwhile, 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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7 T0 M8 I* Q& B" u( b, YThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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1 e6 c# e7 S- S, i7 Y1 TDavid 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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Y7 ]7 b: \/ R) q( t5 I4 E"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./ X! p$ n' R+ G# T# x/ \* q
$ [ V4 [! [; k. s"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.& G" M4 Y8 ~6 T* |0 e. O' l6 ~
' X% d, ^7 t2 F, s2 n8 v" }& VBut 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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