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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.html8 z! K, d2 L+ U, D6 v; q
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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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2 C w. G# |3 G/ }! M7 qPeople 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.- \2 P8 K D0 J5 B. M
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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?- t9 r5 c1 o% Z' S% v; l3 v
+ h' R2 @, O( d8 h/ N7 SAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank. ?, r, B& G/ { j! ]0 o
# P, H: L/ r% ?( e$ j! x5 E"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.4 y8 P8 F' ^) P6 n: D2 p- 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. S1 t, s' B) k! k
; z" f2 P; ?4 ]: O2 X- V/ z. ]) F( COf 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.
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% j5 N, R4 n) ]/ Y5 P. mBurleton knows how they feel.' N) I: l# ~4 T8 w. v
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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.
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5 u/ @" O6 e5 Y3 gWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.* q. w6 ^9 f- M: W
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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.$ P& d4 p' c$ y t9 V! Y
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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.' b8 X/ k% i7 q* H
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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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David 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.: H3 y- `7 f7 ^" L* v. u
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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.! [1 e# C" a& I" J3 ?7 W
* o9 j6 D9 M& `# Z: `, ^"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."0 K" f2 t& b9 J
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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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