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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
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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# Y/ i! G, i% Q/ J
0 q* \$ t3 B9 P4 BPeople 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./ i7 w' X( _" @" V& |( t
; i4 m" r7 ?$ T1 zIn 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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& | H$ D: P8 D; FWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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4 _ e" P5 s, y, U9 Y( v% A7 p, c" }At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.2 g5 h+ v( ~' {- r0 K( H8 R
4 N% s# |* y" x% V"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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+ T7 S* N9 }5 L/ R' v% V, _; |5 e7 b"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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, b3 m0 p$ z! ]3 r: \& E. eThe 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.7 s- m8 `$ t+ k* ^* f9 B
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Burleton knows how they feel.+ f- {) }. B/ \! r) B
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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.8 {$ q% U3 Y- @9 C# w
2 Z9 ]( v/ A0 P7 DWhile 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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) D& E8 C: @" b6 P* T& A+ S2 mWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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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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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.) f9 r4 {- p: o' Z1 i( R9 {
4 c. c& r$ ` d8 {( |& BThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.( F9 W% `0 A% P- S4 h1 Y
: ~6 t3 J& P7 q E: u4 u/ Z3 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./ }% b, l0 y1 x0 U) s
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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.9 K6 b. ?5 p$ `+ s3 [. v
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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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