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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.html0 w3 [ }4 n) T; L- c; s$ \; u
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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.3 b6 M) @, |; m& M( I* Z$ r1 V
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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.0 z: X# r8 G r, M: s( o. H4 o
3 M! X3 s) |* tIn 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.; J, Q8 s: C+ C6 A. d
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Why might it be a good time to sell?3 M4 ^) S! Q, j0 l4 ]
- q% X0 M5 x9 f1 [At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.6 s* x. z# f) q9 H
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.0 t6 k9 k, @ F) G. M
% c7 `' Y* t9 k7 W# z! EBurleton knows how they feel.
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# ^" h2 M" m' Q1 N+ ?"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.$ V- D4 u) O3 b) P M- J
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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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- q7 _/ q, `' W9 aIn 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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4 ^) O( Z) H# V- M: e. O* T. [ OMeanwhile, 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.1 @* N' {# O& H/ I2 i6 Q+ f
^/ `+ Q, d# q6 _# KThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.- m z2 C) u0 l/ p) b1 v0 R
/ Y/ Q. j$ D0 F7 z; \9 xDavid 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.- t5 p) F/ M/ M3 U. x2 O* z; W$ E
1 N8 T% r9 Z( ]& j* k3 i"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."9 }. I2 b) c1 E7 }: Z
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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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