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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.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.1 V+ N& ~8 J! M# E: @
. H0 y1 j" d0 W" o% s/ `3 _0 hPeople 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.* c9 N9 {: A3 S6 V: n
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Why might it be a good time to sell?# f- S1 }6 F' d
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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. Q5 ~5 [* |2 v"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.0 h# \5 C y& C+ m/ k' y: V
! E* S; d% Z% ~7 G2 KThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.) t( M. V4 F& L2 N3 L
- |( }6 m' H, J; n$ m; \Burleton knows how they feel.4 J+ i3 I7 ]8 i
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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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/ ?6 N$ |0 c" R9 V5 Z: p, r9 }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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1 i% m9 v9 G) a, x$ R9 ]0 |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.
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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.: L1 h3 Z2 C8 C& L k
/ U! Q+ i8 y. F5 @6 G2 uIn 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.) q1 J* w/ b" z
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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.
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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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% |0 r" }; y2 ~# l% ~David 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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; E' `4 Q$ h# X" ]% X0 ?! Q"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.) _. j3 d2 z# C8 \' c. `4 M) X8 I1 f
, {2 Z# V. \ v& L"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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% u9 H3 Y/ g, X8 @The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.5 o. ^, M9 u. X
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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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