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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. z) T1 Q# ?; c$ T3 O6 A2 z B2 W
2 {* b F% O) W) T! Y6 RPeople 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.' H' M1 u6 W& \
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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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' U% x/ |8 X7 _/ I4 n7 mAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.! O1 L% c5 l5 P% s3 ^" E
! i+ d5 ]* `( C H- m' {# B; N+ f% }"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.0 u$ P4 y0 O1 G: {2 f. u! T
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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.& C+ m# K! [$ Z) x4 ]. Y
7 Y r. M0 c4 Q4 @* E/ L9 [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." _( } G8 s/ c- I
& G6 Q' G: f7 e# C3 n* O9 xBurleton knows how they feel.9 ?9 I1 d, r7 [/ W3 F
- m8 S0 H' B3 k$ p; u; G9 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.
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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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/ z( k; b! y1 [6 Q7 I 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.
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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.4 w9 p2 h6 `$ \, ?9 G. b
5 e# k* L: w4 x s9 i3 FMeanwhile, 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. I9 x, b: t8 O0 ]) U% P% B, 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.( U' R1 s5 N* S1 X( y
2 v2 F; W2 N! X- v, w" hDavid 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.5 O, j/ L4 X1 y( c
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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.8 D8 d+ y, _2 w2 Z3 I( I
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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."* ?+ a3 U/ V" S& C
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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