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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.( G/ [9 ~! s5 [1 g6 H9 u/ p1 u
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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.) Z; `1 v: j4 j; m. L* O( v$ o
0 x$ _& ]% }+ A: _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.
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/ K6 x2 m4 i, H+ `9 c8 \; u+ K$ cWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets." {) Q7 t8 ]1 c5 O! d3 Q7 j
4 d- a! m# g0 w' I3 {8 t' d, t* D"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.! _2 d; t' G* N! E. h9 d
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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) t& t- o0 R" w$ D# uOf 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 t# X0 w" y; z5 T1 v7 P/ F
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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6 A( p& E' L, v& K# ?"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.( M. h( p/ v# \( w8 s& t
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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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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.
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8 B: V0 s" j4 R( B+ ^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.+ t4 g4 P2 n$ B9 ^3 c0 |
+ H' I# {$ m. W0 k! I, cIn 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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" }" T+ C) V- aMeanwhile, 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.; F, o8 d7 m* Q$ ~8 p
4 [+ A! b1 y) H1 @2 T0 w' }0 r1 dThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying./ M) Q. D. F3 v+ s! e4 o: |! {
; X# K9 [2 L3 m7 D. J& R; [7 h) b2 o! ODavid 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 l( R* R L1 G"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.# p7 ?) q7 W( m
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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." j* |$ D4 u6 R8 v; t* o; r
% d8 E& p1 I W6 rThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( b. O3 {# O G8 v( N
3 ~, y3 {- p0 ` K: H ?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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