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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.5 c9 M: }4 {, P4 T. y" p
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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.
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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.& l$ }' |$ X g5 |) y7 D& L
/ U( a- J7 _# d' N5 NIn 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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$ e6 q+ z- v0 L4 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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- F# N4 H- X; X' R3 w8 T"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.7 e4 ]# ?- a* A6 c+ x5 |
' I c# N5 L7 _7 s# U# X"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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5 A& z) U2 \. z% O5 D2 g, }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.- {/ W0 e7 u' G* c8 y9 o
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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.
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/ J7 o8 Y" j# V2 m4 i+ OBurleton knows how they feel.
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"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.1 Z0 f7 C" S+ s- J
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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.! D4 {' |, A" S* y5 _6 U4 D
) I' x# ~0 C' M; J1 v( `& n# ~- LWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.) ^" C# V" s& o: \+ n8 B( ]8 o5 w
# x @& a9 |" Z, @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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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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.7 U1 h# W3 h2 r) H0 n$ i" o
1 S* `# o- F/ H+ E" C" ZDavid 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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"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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, A8 X# Q; V3 ?6 CBut 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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