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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.html7 k! M5 E# a5 Y% 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.
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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.& {5 [' [. T; m& W$ b/ \; i
5 W0 c- R H; a' F) iIn 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.& ~; K2 f+ ]+ i/ S! }) v
/ ^# J4 b% R1 y+ R) A# WWhy might it be a good time to sell?4 H& x3 H- E: i: a5 ^- f
! o l- l1 \ E; _At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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6 [; g" H* w# b. e; K"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.# r5 b. o, c, Q t6 Q
/ `8 d( o- [! D"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.# x' @( z% F! V8 |/ i
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.$ u! |: A0 ]. q4 s! l0 k
" p3 p2 Z" a- g2 c- `3 R y, ]Burleton knows how they feel.: Y' s% ^/ R/ p/ ?5 V) {$ _
8 [4 ^0 e. t$ u1 ~9 R! [3 S5 d$ l/ X6 e5 e"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.0 J5 {! P( K' P6 V, s, w+ @
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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. @: \ _! l/ u6 [
) L, |. o( K) d/ {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., A8 K0 {1 v! c. @6 e
/ b/ Z2 H5 _: {1 iAnd 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.) i) D V2 l6 N3 F* \$ q
) _% S* |( g6 X8 Y/ e' A* V- ?- AIn 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.% D5 K+ X: x" ~' m2 @
! Q3 P5 Z" e8 N; |! n r) SMeanwhile, 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.+ r! I; W1 F# g$ @) C$ e- B
: G" @2 U+ |; p5 Q& d+ U/ \. fDavid 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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5 j) e! t" T4 v: B5 v# }; P, E"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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/ x5 o( g" r X9 B4 e+ R) KThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.4 j+ J" E; E( G1 C2 S% S
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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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