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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.. s3 a, k1 s' R6 p% d
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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( i) L: ` S/ @- x5 qOTTAWA - 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.
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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.# F, i K, @% E% I/ L8 ^: W
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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9 j2 N& G0 ?3 [) g# |5 }At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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$ j6 G+ X1 R) i8 U( ?8 s) Q! p"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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8 v$ K9 @2 l& Y% ~"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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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.8 l" U4 S! b* K! Y7 \
6 ^$ \5 f7 Z* P5 M4 TOf 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.9 ~- A! B7 P+ x6 _# {
0 O( S8 }# x- j: y& @ ZBurleton knows how they feel.; n" _) Y% K. q9 v
; `( u1 I0 m& X" v3 W) g"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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+ Y% V3 b+ D' @( t) Y3 n9 {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.9 m8 T; u% u3 R0 O6 W; D* C/ v4 J
( U4 n# l. `( H% rAnd 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., y! ]$ p4 W# E. V3 g) _6 |
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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.2 s0 l E/ O8 a3 _' a% Y
+ M5 F) H' j1 K* GMeanwhile, 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.8 c4 L0 ]- [3 R: T0 v
2 ]6 |$ N% l2 v+ K% U$ DThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying." D9 j6 ], \4 _6 M9 ] k6 v5 {
6 E' z# r. ~1 s5 W3 m9 PDavid 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. r. `( z" ~) @: Y1 Y" e6 p2 Y" Z) m
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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./ \. @/ }0 T( c
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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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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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