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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( ?" A Z( D3 K$ r! K) _
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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.
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( F$ T' t. r& ^) U1 `4 T# W- rPeople 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.6 L& |% ?* A. U: ~5 O
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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./ C7 g) J* \3 S# ]
9 ]- V j% d s6 ^" nWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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7 j5 N! n) H* W, j6 tAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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9 T/ G Q/ {) [+ E" ~( E# q"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.9 U8 z: [6 ^+ l. ]' R: P+ L
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.6 W. f* K) c1 @$ k+ d
7 e4 g7 Y3 N* ?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.3 v$ t: N3 W3 _7 ~
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Burleton knows how they feel.- I& R. }: l- S. i
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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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. ]; c) m% l$ J+ F2 s7 M8 x. x8 N3 OWhile 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.! F8 F1 m) t* Q) X9 g; C: [
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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." _; Y$ I5 A7 i1 D! e
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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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0 _3 T$ j9 m% t% u+ lMeanwhile, 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.! j! \; b1 K+ O" V% C
# |5 C- p* w$ Z8 |/ G4 j% lThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying." E! B! q/ C8 s" g# f$ n" c2 `8 L
! _/ D: U$ U) @7 Z* U7 KDavid 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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"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.) ?$ s1 d6 e; q" n$ o$ @9 Z& ]
( f. r! a N7 J; h"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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7 G( n a8 |6 i9 `The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 ?+ f: [' R% a1 x: `1 r
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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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