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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.$ H! n' x. ?) [1 o+ v' v
/ n4 V% `8 ?1 l9 p! `! @$ D1 N2 ~http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.+ u! u6 q! R/ ?1 _
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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.
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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?4 _6 d. o. j# D6 z
z# ]8 { y/ T0 FAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.* B# T% v& ?# f/ G
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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6 c' w [# @% s6 |: c% @+ v- p/ g. |"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.1 E l/ z" G9 z" o( A; o! o
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.7 b8 L3 |2 t" `/ y5 t* j8 y4 q
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.6 y9 { x: e7 g- R3 K8 I. K
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.- Q2 C+ z) l) @. O1 n# W
: J9 }( m2 c- D/ M- C- rWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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! @( j2 u) w3 B7 L: ^7 g9 ^- L( |$ IAnd 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.! S( [5 d$ i- a
$ z: g4 c6 Z- R8 e% f- C& bIn 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.. n% B" f" |$ o% s
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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.! ]# ~7 W- |( Q, ?
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.# X3 J8 a" F1 f
- o4 F l& }* @% H. e8 VDavid 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.# U4 |4 Q* F' y1 y
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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."
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act." ?" c" v' B! l$ s) D( A- r1 G6 U
2 ~% J# x+ H! ]* iBut 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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