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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.* g8 x" `4 g& }
# Q) h2 Q' z. y1 K, [http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html' `# ^; Q$ i; u o, ]1 Y
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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.) p9 g. T8 Y# Q$ d6 T, K# j
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People 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./ d$ E) L, W7 {1 x
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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.0 o' ^4 l' m; f# K* u
: y3 a) K3 I! S, P/ I0 f9 m VWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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, _- T0 `3 _0 ?. N! A7 m! y9 H: O4 j"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank. O1 j! k. K3 x
: \% _5 X; m. ~% x2 }; r"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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5 j; f! I/ S" |+ L( ?Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.- C& e) B J3 n6 C! S! k
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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* H U+ G* X( O g1 A! s4 A6 F"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.1 `! _ V9 M0 l( G/ r- l" ]& j# h/ ~# C$ b
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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.
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. y. d1 M$ U0 W) NIn 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.& `1 q e! r$ w0 w0 B) |8 h
# ]( p0 U# P; D- h* r- xMeanwhile, 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." W& ]$ O) \8 w* h) h1 }
7 v( \, s# G# J1 |3 u) GThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.7 O% l7 ~- u) O& f% B) J
4 X" g3 s) G, hDavid 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./ e7 h* G% H: g8 A( ?4 g* z
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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."$ S) b: t/ D( [4 e+ c
' O! ]2 d: i5 L3 ?9 Q, O4 v. g: gThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act. q1 ~+ V7 A! k7 l
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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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