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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.! u) P! n# Z$ s' ~4 j; n
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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' L4 b0 V! Y: E, F0 [" Z1 HOTTAWA - 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.: R% |8 A" ]2 W# d" 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.0 l5 }$ ~! I z7 v
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Why might it be a good time to sell?* q- W# F& F. k* d
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets." v0 a$ T) D1 V7 v9 Q- y
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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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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.5 c( q& I" r1 e* e% P6 \
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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.! P6 W, f- h' [ T }1 G7 G
3 W2 L9 {% w9 @1 W5 qOf 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.8 z# m; u i( x! m4 Q) o( M: U; B# k+ @& g
: j& B9 [8 q, L3 T9 L1 H7 \Burleton knows how they feel.6 r% o# W" ^4 r& J' n
' Y; C9 N7 ?6 \# J"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.8 U+ ]& i4 z4 ^* m1 e% k: v2 }( ]9 e
4 e2 M$ @0 M+ HWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.& x5 g T. D2 O) w
6 v5 H0 N) h9 s' nWith 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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9 a* O7 ]; k3 N0 c' F8 Z9 WAnd 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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5 B8 L" b! U; _ w, EIn 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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( v0 ^+ _9 N/ W+ u: mMeanwhile, 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.% O, w& a3 H7 h# j* [! _0 M- v
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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.' {: w: j4 {1 p6 E9 G" o
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"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.6 @3 Z0 Y# u/ V4 j! X
. f: P3 N/ X0 _"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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/ k1 z, W- U) m2 v9 Y# xBut 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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