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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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7 e3 N" a4 p5 g( uOTTAWA - 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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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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[+ w; ^3 m! T* pIn 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.; H1 ]$ \ {2 n" I
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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$ P( h& W6 f# D5 e# LAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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- w4 u. v+ d- [2 J2 T- J"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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1 ?1 ?$ m# _# f# K/ d! @"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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* i$ {5 J$ p" w- o; \6 x0 cThe 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.# j& i1 l6 M4 N) P! [
& d$ j9 H4 T9 q+ U4 p5 j I3 {Burleton knows how they feel.
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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.) e, g. Q6 Z, F% I) W
2 c( }8 |/ T8 @6 P3 X$ ~+ z7 sWhile 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.$ }3 J$ O# p. A0 J
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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.; v) r( {: x1 ^+ V
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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.
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. x4 Y1 l# O8 i) v) L) ~! XThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.& V& @. {5 P q4 c% Z: U
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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.
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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 B$ B6 B$ i1 q/ h" P# ]! N+ t5 a
! K" Q; \# ]$ d, Y" Z! A$ D* @"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."+ W4 Z2 v; n# K$ _
) T3 O* \+ r7 @1 H r* W0 i. RThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.$ f) N( ^$ l' Z) U [
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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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