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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.html9 T3 H! |4 x, X* \1 M4 R* J8 D6 a6 l' f
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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.8 _ F! A% R6 i( k6 {$ c) ^
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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.$ t+ j5 \: k+ @6 d* z
5 i9 D L$ v& R, G2 \2 Z8 cIn 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./ J( ^* ?" O: U" y4 A
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.$ n+ R# [! j5 w9 K
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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.
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1 S4 U) r9 b1 ]0 m" { U"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop." ~& G; i4 x: a/ M% [7 v
}7 X. ]) r P% `& v$ 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.: p( w. t* Q; B( b6 M
9 O7 g1 X: y2 a3 S2 l# eOf 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.: Y* ?! U* a) C L% h
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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$ g" G3 J4 \4 M% } ^7 O+ U"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.3 _* i1 n' F3 k; I# m7 {
& x6 O6 e' `3 s8 o% n7 i5 s6 sWhile 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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8 R7 U8 D$ B. [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. n- q+ c4 Q5 B8 A$ ^
# W9 n% J [7 [9 b! v3 Z7 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." o/ h, w' N" A0 U. p3 x |
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In 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.
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! N) i1 p! k4 [% S4 |That 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.; Q; w* i! j1 e# c6 r( o
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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.3 O! K* s6 N9 w; k( b# ^) r* x3 O2 ~
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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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2 s6 z z5 u$ o- W6 xBut 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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