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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.* x# u/ j- ]( S6 E% ^
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html* W5 v+ G9 c& I7 B
. ~1 H5 d4 H( {7 n' WOTTAWA - 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.7 ]+ W" T) r5 g
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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.
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' R; z5 c" ]/ y7 OIn 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?) U: r3 o" w6 n! {% }; A# g
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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- [' I5 [8 M, n& V"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank. F0 s$ N9 F# _5 f0 V& u
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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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4 g1 K2 N8 R' H% t; z! H; LThe 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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* j, {1 N3 w$ H7 j! a; bOf 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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Burleton knows how they feel.1 b: z- F" q# ?/ I# o) X. ?5 ]
) d, C2 L% R6 {9 r1 w# w! O"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.
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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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! U1 b9 T4 v7 G2 X; NAnd 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.6 U/ d6 Y% r$ ~8 Q& z! O2 @/ r
% {4 A0 V, J+ P6 v1 mIn 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., v6 l: C D1 E/ s
/ H2 m1 E; G7 B) Y% [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.) b, x; V0 E6 u
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.) u/ G6 W' }0 ]3 n, M
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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.( B! M( a- l; \2 j) H) q
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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., O# a2 L! Y2 @) r2 G/ x' y
: a! w# k$ P% c2 l/ x"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."! q6 T8 P }0 z6 R
9 h; H0 t2 b0 R5 |" ]& NThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.' M2 N0 B2 Y4 D5 ^- v1 V$ U$ b' b
) F6 X: R/ d/ p6 c& C0 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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