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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖., m8 T6 f' V4 [6 X6 }/ D- \
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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# Y3 ]9 P. P3 ^3 fOTTAWA - 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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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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* I$ W2 a& Y% f2 [4 _Why might it be a good time to sell?% i8 @7 n/ c% b
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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M9 h2 @7 G4 ]' ?/ w% g( D9 D! A"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.$ B5 i) ^; } S+ L4 s8 O5 O, T2 f
, B$ ^2 ~7 m* P" C |"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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/ {* C" D! U' K- }2 d" VOf 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.# A. W: j! k$ f7 X4 h+ Y+ m0 e
9 O4 i2 F: P, w+ M- W. ?Burleton knows how they feel.
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/ k8 \* O9 z$ c: Z- E! H- q8 ~"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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; O; U0 A: d2 F+ a) \ ZWhile 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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1 L- p2 c; Y* z' b: w- E3 @1 {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.% }- C# ~5 S' V! g7 i0 ]
; c+ v: G, @0 m- YAnd 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% J, N. q7 Q# |
; a+ f4 {9 U7 g- M& U1 JIn 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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7 ]7 y0 O' T% D G' f2 a6 v1 tMeanwhile, 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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.: B% c9 g: t- _2 W. _
; f) Q" ?) |# X d- H% }2 g+ fDavid 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. x3 l7 [2 J/ m& T2 W- O, t
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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.
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3 b. f, H9 e4 }! [0 B: Y5 c3 f9 z4 t"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."( E' W8 l8 N2 w6 o2 C( S
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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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- n! L6 N' f- o5 |1 ?! oBut 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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