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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.2 F4 i4 S) o4 H+ o
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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.1 t4 a. Y7 l6 f1 H" o3 r6 w
/ b$ m7 |: d" o( D1 k, {) s0 WPeople 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.9 t- i1 y1 q/ o1 W' b# _7 v
, O8 t; ]% t/ L. KIn 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.+ T7 {- h/ ]7 ? F! I& E
- \) X" M: g( S# X' Q3 wWhy might it be a good time to sell?) k6 B; d& k: A, V. B
/ Q! Q% K+ u0 r& o: \( V3 {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.# E! Q3 G( X) t- f7 m' v+ l7 W
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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.( n3 R" Y2 e+ k# t+ T
# T' A* n, ~; Z"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.
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/ q" C% u H3 oOf 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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" C' k# {% S+ _$ d1 B8 K" ~% NBurleton 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.
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! U$ B' I8 j" [: I2 M4 BWhile 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./ u# D! E. P3 Y. V9 X: c
, V a8 p. S/ X- N$ d7 H& 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.: o2 x' k2 C, h+ a# J% i# v9 f4 M4 j# Y. X
6 M2 H* s1 z& \5 H, F' A* ^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.3 n! ~- @2 N3 t. ~$ ^$ }+ O" C
3 `" R) G# p8 h8 \6 w; W& ~# H' ?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." f" Z8 O8 b. A7 v6 H
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.0 m4 b& R+ O, }" G' l) Z
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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.$ \) K2 _ u; j# n" t8 G. \
$ c7 W+ A, b( ^' V: @"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.
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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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" G- Y6 j* F( K& _* e/ x8 iThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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