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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.html1 S8 x( H$ N0 ~: S9 l
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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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# L7 t* V9 `7 f' G0 kPeople 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., _" r! j0 i. Y6 [/ v
) R( `' t0 N* e2 V( [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.( G: S% d/ k9 U% l) A
! x7 v0 Q3 d/ J2 z1 t1 AWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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2 L- @5 `; J. @0 B* g& _2 ~& l9 XAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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& j5 h- x+ g; C% S6 `"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.( {- N7 s2 s6 {7 b$ f: P7 T7 [1 r/ V
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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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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.
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' o. _% D4 L$ C0 ~1 {4 f- \7 wBurleton knows how they feel.
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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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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.& \# W: _4 `9 q, U
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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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4 j& q: l' q0 `1 c1 LAnd 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 l! `; e2 i2 r
0 Y9 Q5 n/ h: u) K( a$ L) A0 IIn 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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M! p' e+ D& W& cMeanwhile, 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.$ h5 N. {* n9 _5 a: W% V3 z
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.6 c4 ~ _' B' Q: y1 @
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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.# T: T& T' u- N/ n7 e% D
3 z$ k: d6 ?& A5 [, @9 Y5 F"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.5 ~" F; `' E- ~ \8 ^0 `, {2 }& O
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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."* d. ~5 T7 [( U D9 v- E
- [% W- K% n6 \& q( [7 {( BThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.' Z* H: d3 `2 Q3 I6 n4 J
* I* N" x7 t5 Q$ lBut 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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