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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.- U. Q* e2 m4 v8 T) B
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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.( @0 z( U7 c' L2 H+ h2 G: D9 h' k9 q
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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.+ h' u1 y& U0 u/ }& Y
- N3 b Y, D% K. p, rWhy might it be a good time to sell?+ { s b5 ~/ F$ ~; @; y8 ]& k! ]
& A5 V# ?+ k9 M0 S$ N. t' ^At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.8 \0 q5 L3 x- l- s; ]" ?3 ]
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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' x/ F" L2 k) i8 ~ c$ K( O2 UThe 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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& f6 G9 q0 p g% @1 y# L2 YOf 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.* X* E/ X7 Z. ?# G
1 A2 e. N* r7 P/ {Burleton knows how they feel.
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9 V% ~# L; s. L) T1 C, ?$ X"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.' d& v, x0 B1 g+ _. Z! b4 C
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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.8 z0 m- o9 S7 V
: A" s, C$ @- p& ^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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& M) \ g9 q* P! V: r' ^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.2 g5 Q5 h2 {0 i7 ` ~/ H( I
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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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, N1 g. u" G, W$ p6 @. X y- i3 U, PMeanwhile, 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.7 v- C6 P7 Q6 m7 y* |: I- ^5 e" G! L
' ~: `8 V7 o4 ^3 DThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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# j3 L+ \4 Z& w% {6 n1 K( dDavid 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.- f4 Q. c# B3 t
* J, K% q4 r$ H! M8 Q"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., \" h/ _! `1 H; ]: V
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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."
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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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4 v. Z) f. G+ z5 @. nBut 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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