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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.6 r7 a" N# t, R
! J. {. ?/ b! u" W) }" t- e$ c8 ?http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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1 r& O! u% b9 @2 H$ iOTTAWA - 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., ?. `+ ~. M' }, ~ R2 n$ {8 m
/ A; } [4 E1 b& @7 CPeople 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." v2 U! s* f7 u+ Q& V8 Z& @
( n. w& j: T/ p7 Y9 T7 BWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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# j6 C$ l+ G) \; d/ q9 j* X \& \At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.1 D8 h# S" O- y! }: F& u
' ?4 b) |' R' O& g$ 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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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.* {9 R9 C; g! ]. E* P* a Z
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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./ s1 m' P- n$ v- z# e. f5 [3 z
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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; ]8 s7 f& P: t: x" `/ ?"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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, M% I. I2 h" d0 h! m" ZWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.! k8 K0 S1 d' m }
! q& p2 d, [; JWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.3 o( J4 C- H4 m
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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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: P6 |, D) s+ n; L$ [# U1 OIn 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.) s1 A0 [- V* V+ }/ f8 j' U
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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! v% h) c5 b( c; q' B3 bDavid 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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* t+ r# J% S6 N! A5 l. O6 \The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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* ^- c: m. D- F: DBut 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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