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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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& Y. ~6 L5 L# ^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." R3 T5 A# X7 T" T; r4 W
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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./ L: Y& S# g+ L. h
( H9 y" I* e' }" x% M V; EIn 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.* R/ y5 Q$ _1 L1 d0 S
2 P: {1 g# X Y9 N6 gWhy might it be a good time to sell?" Q* e, f) r* b/ ~; U: s8 h$ {
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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.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.- o h& v. a2 ]( B( r( Z9 E6 ?
/ s2 X. i9 }1 ?# fThe 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.' l( O5 J& t- J& ~
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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.% H+ P: Q; ~ x. p0 i
9 z! k* g/ b. Y% w) fBurleton knows how they feel.1 J4 {0 c0 S4 g6 j7 H
$ P) a6 _7 I& R2 `2 J- ?1 T"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.4 P% R, j5 _3 P8 n
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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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5 J$ D( ?. J: HWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.4 u, j2 o6 [; g% T& j# M
/ l1 d4 N2 j! H3 ~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.4 W6 J" d+ J) w, a6 M; O
3 W4 O9 N+ l9 Z! n" lIn 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.# u& G! b j; i7 Q+ k$ V
; p2 B7 |. H$ c! R: Y0 d& |0 a2 xMeanwhile, 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.4 ~' X b. a: s) y+ o3 Y
8 _* G% B' [7 P1 H0 h, qDavid 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., L7 U7 a' d' x2 b+ H" l
# R6 b; }* X0 I G5 |& ^4 S"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./ w7 o+ b" k+ s3 R# C4 _( f0 q
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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."0 e% x! d, ]" i( \/ 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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