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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.# t/ E4 a' m4 {- A
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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.6 e9 Z* y. D: u; f3 o
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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.6 }0 }, {$ }% [0 U) K# |- ~- v8 B, T
3 }- L0 v9 {9 K, D6 aWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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4 H. H5 W- @6 }% ^3 mAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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$ x! K" g2 a. q"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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S9 ^. z% M" G/ o0 ? w6 U$ l"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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1 w/ k9 `% ^2 L) G* mThe 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.- y; Z2 A$ N# Z! B
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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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! q5 \+ K w/ f4 N& m3 XBurleton 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.( M, F0 c( V, k% p1 l
- e' S. c, f( b; _. nWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.! s" W, S7 }% Q0 k2 h( x: u3 B& a
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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.
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' Q) q3 L5 ` F3 V7 gAnd 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., B5 Q$ O" M( @8 N
# o5 [! Q+ X V" S( a' rMeanwhile, 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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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- T7 Q' t2 k8 [# _- p1 x0 b {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.7 T. h) w+ C% g0 Q2 A
6 e8 v& Y/ k4 w$ B"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.- O5 a; h( V0 E, |: \, P
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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."4 l1 D% ?* O% O
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.: E8 T( P9 x; t3 \8 p
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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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