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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.( a& r/ M- [* M# ?" N
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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.0 v$ M7 x- D9 `! t4 R1 p
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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.% t4 E9 t2 x" `4 ^& ~
! z7 V0 A4 R9 t8 ?3 X' I& a# lIn 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?; i f: k0 k9 Z1 Y2 ^* e1 t
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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8 l- E. z% J. A l* \"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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: Y0 c; N6 Q6 L3 e1 @; d"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.. {4 P1 b. l A2 f) A& ]9 Q
& W; ~# m/ c" ]Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.$ R3 W0 W+ o7 {# x& x3 c) ^8 k8 k
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Burleton knows how they feel.1 C* ]% a* F z
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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., U( N m( s8 j; Z
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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., Z5 {. a$ D, G5 g" T" d
9 ^' S4 O$ k9 ]5 hWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.) }/ U+ C9 z5 K( e6 _
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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.: h- i+ ~0 E" e, V: S/ Q
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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.0 t1 V9 E5 H, l- O0 e/ c- v' W
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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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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.4 ?3 g5 N& o/ O! d# G
. Q0 N, R1 B9 q- W3 _% f5 }' 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.1 B+ p9 e9 s. T) t
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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."* E1 C$ b. v0 T
6 }, Q; C6 _( N: @The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 M$ s/ d6 O, A2 m. [
" K2 o" e& ?% T# z# nBut 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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