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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.# N G7 b: q' c9 i8 y; G. o1 T
* \4 Z* A7 O' SPeople 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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$ v7 N- U( Z! d3 g- c. aIn 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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5 C; {/ f* I1 i1 G FAt 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.
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! h4 r5 m5 \( R6 A9 V8 ?"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop." A' W) J8 {0 d; q: C4 e1 L% J* ~$ E
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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.* i* f9 s% E7 t9 J
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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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, v4 X0 _1 A+ z! GBurleton knows how they feel./ ^; X# v5 w) ` i/ b- p. q
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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.5 I; E; W5 g4 b4 L0 _* U
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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.
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% c' ]5 R! c5 L1 X9 M5 u% J7 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./ a' X4 p8 H' ~4 V, h
5 ]1 n+ ]/ g: F& k) XIn 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.0 a2 Q7 z% v( k# X# \+ Z
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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.
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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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' y3 S% m1 p( s+ K0 g4 l5 z& zDavid 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.- f f9 w0 s, V$ A3 G% S1 B
, W) @! e& v0 A3 y' m"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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- m! I/ d( @+ e/ k2 _The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.3 \2 G3 o. h1 j/ S0 i, i# m) o" I
% e0 X# E! p5 w( Y! DBut 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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