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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.html5 K2 F: X9 {) D; l& j# U
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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./ q" y* ?+ _ H( g' S* b3 v& i
" @ a. T( _" {' \+ U& `3 d1 I) IPeople 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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, S9 {; E5 Z$ L( C3 Y E; S# ZIn 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.9 m8 Y* ]) Z. p
8 Z, Q* Q& ~9 |# C( _Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets./ `5 U6 h/ A* |, C3 z3 T: Q
( ] f1 D& O' r; l( k"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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+ [. ^1 ~% A1 p( V( t9 |* z- Z) w"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop., z2 V9 L4 O! y1 {
0 Z8 k/ q0 k. t- b$ S: M1 YThe 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.# V6 t' T( s% G8 _
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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.2 @3 F7 Y) `. j3 X& L8 U
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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4 v, e9 E' S- B S( E) A' Z$ ~"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., B0 p% R/ a* T! Z" I
( N$ f9 ^6 o# Z/ F4 \# @% s% m3 XWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.9 F7 ^& I, g/ b* x- B) _
0 O9 ^: z; l, a, D8 V. h. XWith 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.( f1 h8 I m- ~, ]; e. d
8 r/ ~" X& [( u! A3 ]6 ^. nIn 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.* [0 H8 o& i" ?( k% o) j) T
$ |& U9 ^" g" t) D- ?% n( NMeanwhile, 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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) @: c ]" b, z2 g% |7 zThat 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.5 d4 P% m9 ^& i. k/ ~: z$ V6 t
5 |/ V' a) |- w+ [- 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.
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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."
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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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5 j9 D4 D! F7 m: x" zBut 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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