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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.html. K4 O( P f" ]% I L
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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./ n; I9 I4 {) P6 o w0 M" s
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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.! ~! f9 Q( f. }6 J7 s' D X3 u6 i/ I
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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.
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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 $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.8 s( [, G" }/ J; H
) F/ T" `8 [2 I7 {/ r: P: n"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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5 `/ x* Z. f7 R% w4 `0 S, g# w"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.% J. a7 I+ A! B' W- }- [( ~
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.. g5 ], L/ u! [: b6 J: ^
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.: F( G3 C, \. g [$ @" Z9 J
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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' B; w' U0 B6 E' D. ?% V"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.6 ]7 l' S; ^3 \+ j
, w. k9 a: ^% T/ x5 J+ M4 H+ U0 g/ @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.1 z7 N5 a3 ?, }+ o. @; n2 ^5 i
5 G6 @3 _: N! u) @( eAnd 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.7 j$ ?, W! D3 I4 R3 L
, d! Z4 t! G. ^# G& PIn 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.; h2 e$ [- A+ _4 k4 @ |5 d
6 g. m8 @8 P3 k* J% J0 _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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& K; ^0 R$ u, m7 ~That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.- b, W$ h+ u5 C( X" W1 I5 g. B
, k8 V: G) Z& T8 t3 CDavid 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.: G/ J. J( r% t9 g/ C! c
9 m" `( r! J2 Q8 ^# V, @6 \"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."1 }2 S! T3 t/ L- i E& d
; b R; W( r/ T" I0 `% CThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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* d) `- [: i: S' m7 }/ K! \) d6 KBut 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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