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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., t0 S+ Y: d& M
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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.
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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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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" D) { c, h% r! f+ k6 y6 h"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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! [$ o& }3 ~( `# v- @+ {" j"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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1 e3 a% e' P* O8 d. gThe 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.4 z2 y, U0 ], ~+ s+ l" h$ {
5 Q0 b9 [5 l* ^+ P' q5 zOf 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.) w4 y5 ]4 p$ P
2 s# _$ b' _7 l) X4 e' k4 A1 HBurleton knows how they feel.$ A; T/ w8 z+ C, d
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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.7 G( J$ [4 |7 c7 }$ a
' w! @9 \ A% o3 ]1 F* |+ CWhile 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.1 ]8 a/ H5 _) K h
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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.' O; C7 v9 s( T' |
2 ^6 O& s" P" p3 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." o3 w' A. A: g
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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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' v" S+ `3 h1 R' e3 Q$ Y8 CThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.+ r: y9 O- c7 J5 n) ^
) a2 O8 }& {! pDavid 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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"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.+ ~0 Y! {- P; U2 `% H1 a
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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."9 D) D- d6 C- p6 v" c a7 j; V: t7 D# a& o
' l4 a+ {$ O$ b! F& i- c, y* ?) UThe 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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