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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" e8 s* j* J; x0 K# n7 V; @ G
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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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5 @, \' O- S; s6 tPeople 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. I8 [5 Z5 j0 D' B0 @
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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, `$ h# q( a e3 j9 w, H. JAt 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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! a3 D7 T# H* d; w1 u' 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.6 o* M- _& I. a+ i% x( Z. k
8 s+ O# l' [! `5 D, y0 e% \) z# x( O, `"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. h/ X3 e! w6 U( M: o
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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.
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Burleton knows how they feel.3 r8 B. h g n0 j- F9 R* b
, l S' D/ B8 B& v- R/ Z"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.; `# Q* d$ ?( a @! F0 e/ [( g( G7 {
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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./ Q/ H: H# U$ ~1 g3 p2 ^
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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., G2 d# T! l$ ]1 F. s! f4 t
" _- _, P V* qThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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! P0 R5 N' `( c! n9 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.9 v! t( W! J6 v8 M
1 U' s/ z3 b6 x, O"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 g/ i9 L# _7 q
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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."/ L/ h0 e' o3 j; j# n$ h# x
2 o2 o u9 g `+ W6 z: E [The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.- _0 {5 L* |1 ?( F m1 t. [
& U, K1 a6 H) H- h' qBut 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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