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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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& k0 l2 r D( T: POTTAWA - 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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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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9 x/ C2 q% }+ dWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.& c3 h C' @7 Y$ |: {
5 C1 o+ O. L' Q; e8 ~' z"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.$ m& U2 V- W6 j) d1 q
9 }& |9 c! J1 B5 `"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop." j/ H& S0 _8 e2 R1 p
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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.
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! D9 q; ^8 [: _% JOf 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.4 a0 e, f: n! D% \' J% [2 O
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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.% l5 q6 |: o9 V0 R- X4 U0 w
% ~0 J* c* x" l: A# `9 [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.- r# D; w8 x) |. r% u6 C
* ?+ L# k$ u5 Y8 E3 ^& }# }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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2 S; Z* V% N! b, O4 R# s# m" FAnd 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., k+ z3 a# Q' J- U
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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.9 G$ z) R! p$ U# K; y# m( O) u+ |
% c9 K7 Q8 L% B" V/ H5 ~0 F6 zMeanwhile, 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.* w' F) h% G/ D# t+ k8 W
0 `5 ^. a. {" r2 e8 yThat 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.( d2 l6 |: y' S/ P& a5 H8 d
: I: v; x- a' ^: h& J3 `( \0 l+ w"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 d- y$ N0 @; ?( B" w" t
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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.3 |2 w: r" |8 t, z
/ ]7 W( q9 h2 T, EBut 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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