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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.# ?3 p7 ?6 K [2 t3 ~1 J0 x# ~: {1 p- u
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html% W! w) o% G' B9 h
! C# a% f+ `7 R% O. n" OOTTAWA - 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 q# z% Y3 i0 P" z
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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.& H4 w/ U4 |* a( C# a9 S
6 v" _' }; Y; U" Z1 n8 bIn 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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8 v# V0 O. e0 d# d( x" [: WWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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! ?% r2 R& [0 Y- e: zAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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2 @5 D5 q% R5 s5 V! g"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.3 B1 \" u: _' g
6 }% \' y* u9 e) v; Q v3 a: a, mThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower." [3 ]$ w5 q* J' s7 a% Q2 _( m
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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.; p8 c$ N; [& l8 a1 ?, b+ V
}7 v% ], p1 M+ H) GBurleton knows how they feel.+ Z8 \+ l, q8 S, R
" X( s- a L; { M"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.$ E$ O( D: ^& x; j
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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.
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) j/ q' E% j# e8 O. SAnd 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.& B; R3 | ?: m- }( e) b8 \6 ~
3 M' w& w9 w. ~" ~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., x! S* w! g* g1 I* s% ~) N6 ^' U
% T$ Z( O* _( d) XThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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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"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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) Q+ n1 A& }$ J1 e( \"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."& o8 S* a( _% p% B, y9 s' r, M
( Q8 C) T' T, uThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.0 g6 s8 p: [: J# ]* k- d: b$ G
9 X# ?* D7 M* YBut 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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