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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.! n2 r- N; |7 J0 I9 I
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html: I2 N7 b/ _' y$ K" B9 t
% d5 |- }& _' R' ?# _) VOTTAWA - 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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0 x% l! I( ?0 _* c6 m, pPeople 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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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.* S1 Z7 g/ R9 Z( z
; x ~' ]" f/ \4 T |9 r2 mWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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7 |# K" D( k9 d* Y5 }- V"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.. {/ o7 i, j$ }0 E
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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2 U% G/ w7 h; Z1 nThe 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.2 P$ M# N+ y" Y/ e; e* P
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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.# R8 }3 X% u/ ]: x
! ^$ ?) Q5 B6 F+ ZBurleton knows how they feel.
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+ L& ` E+ c7 N6 `4 L8 A. J5 s"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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, x+ Z0 e |' jWhile 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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( J9 a. A! _0 ^, 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.
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1 M; j9 M1 f' ^2 x8 W6 C& _$ L# 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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8 \5 E$ O7 h( G: [1 N3 qIn 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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' G2 i; o# z' _9 C- b! LMeanwhile, 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./ d5 G, Q3 a7 O W& e/ H$ o2 l
! r' [( p% a4 o8 _1 v" o" IThat 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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, }4 C, d6 H( F7 Z0 E# [' v& ~"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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" g" e9 H3 ]6 Z"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."7 b o4 V1 W$ |6 k! B L
/ v7 ~8 H6 u8 W4 }! nThe 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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