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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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+ B% |2 G- Q& k/ c) l" N+ Dhttp://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.
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- y8 B9 {4 D2 F* y5 a- ]9 ?6 fPeople 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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) `% j) \% b9 y0 dWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank. m; C. X. l% ?( Q
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.. I1 ~- |7 h# t, G1 a
9 \8 r; }! b; rThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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+ {- C- [8 _1 a2 {1 DOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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. F3 y. d. h5 U0 f, WBurleton knows how they feel.( [. Y& s7 c* H4 y( B( }
/ h- ~' v& v- J"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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) F, u, {( ?) u( oWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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7 L6 S, ^$ a6 A$ c3 \ nAnd 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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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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3 L6 ~8 C/ U/ G; JMeanwhile, 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 b7 q/ U- b1 d* U' _0 A
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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5 o$ E9 ]; `) W7 P- H9 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.! @$ h. l0 I% H4 K+ l
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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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"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."8 \, m; {$ Z4 D# }6 h! `
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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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# h( V0 g& Y. |+ J; F6 U- t' TBut 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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