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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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: {0 ], Q! K% jhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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9 ?% S( a' C6 b& }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., `6 z! S7 `1 l6 j2 ?* r
( @- i4 i, [8 m8 B( Z, zPeople 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.5 d# J) ^ X8 R' W$ t7 q- u, A: g7 m
# _3 T* f9 T. D. j0 gIn 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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' G7 k+ ^. Q. P' }1 B+ V* \Why might it be a good time to sell?
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/ J" \: z4 W$ ?$ g8 N. YAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.' g+ V* \& E; k# i Y
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.. W6 t+ o, z; }. ~8 D2 Y( V
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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% m* N+ E9 O) u$ [2 {: }Burleton knows how they feel.( D6 ~9 H) E: F+ j5 H/ i) L6 g
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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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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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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.; z8 H) u, I" _2 u% L2 t2 b
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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.8 Y+ J6 c, L4 B' Q
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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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7 O; M5 e/ c: q% W. b' iThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.( P) P4 C( B+ D2 z: H! I7 K
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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.
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: f O3 t. ~ U' ~; o, z, i4 F"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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1 u9 }0 S, m! G. j4 ~' B"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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5 Z/ N! `1 z) g$ r- A* yThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act." ~$ a X' q6 }( ^& g
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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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