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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# {+ Z% |8 S3 O2 \# T
& s* u3 l, P& n1 A/ K$ `5 IOTTAWA - 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.- v# Y3 L$ O5 k; u& e4 B. o u+ |* y
" u6 Q5 ?' y5 d8 O E" ^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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! L8 J' \( W) s6 b9 O1 XIn 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?( R% }" y( F' Q+ g& v6 s
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.4 K y% g* x4 |
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.* n. U; T q2 @2 c, s$ H6 Q% ?
) `- r) P+ N a6 g' ~8 i) E"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.4 _3 L! @. }+ [' D6 a
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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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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.# V6 ], [6 _* Y4 T4 p
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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.
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" R9 p: A, W2 c/ K+ tWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way." E! _* {( S4 w `1 z. F
- T# ]+ j0 _6 D. H/ k2 [7 aWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.% Z; T6 a, c& R& V* b9 c# u
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And 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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3 Q% y7 i& j9 C+ GIn 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.( G5 P( w/ p6 u1 b1 K
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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.. H$ N. P. A7 j8 W- E( s! I+ H
4 b( l5 M7 q5 S' UThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.; m( Z1 q G. G9 f1 B
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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.2 ?3 @" z' N6 Q4 n- `2 P5 V
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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.+ P5 T" O3 A2 Y: [* s: y( ^- j& l2 ]
3 r! \$ ?4 w/ Q" V. H2 _0 d"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."# F$ B, q% h. d! j9 |: k
; g# h( Q& S. [8 _The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 y+ }0 R9 ~* ~- u, Z9 C6 u
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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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