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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.9 {* V2 A3 {) o0 ?
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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.. T2 K6 a- A5 c& i: L
7 F2 W( m0 H7 fPeople 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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) R/ J8 e& E( ]3 u5 z* l0 hIn 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.& Q+ _3 r) p5 m* r. e3 [$ Z
$ X$ N, |) d: s3 u# V# V o4 W5 ]Why might it be a good time to sell?/ O9 t7 U" J6 X9 C) a* A; ]
. }) R) U" g" h9 M7 ^At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.7 |2 D- n$ W8 F" X4 s# h; i
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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.* b# B0 u/ d4 t* \
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop./ ]; D: e! M. J4 w+ `: E! X7 f1 h
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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.3 X% M0 q9 P5 A& ]6 |
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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.$ @$ Z# C% x2 g* C
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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7 p* d+ m* A9 d2 w"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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' m# ^( t+ j2 r/ yWhile 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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: p: i& N6 O0 u' AWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.5 B; D1 z* a' C" n( B7 [
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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.
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+ N4 l2 i- ^2 ]* {4 S( 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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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.- D" [. ~, f7 |
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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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/ b7 Z0 v2 L* RDavid 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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* r% Z7 |- y. n2 C+ 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.
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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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# y5 f4 I0 a4 w/ c3 }9 e3 a o+ c8 [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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