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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.
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7 l' r( c1 Z/ a9 I/ E1 |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.& ~+ [* a5 x" f. X
5 r4 T0 E( _+ g1 ]! ^0 b }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. Y' ]% F) ~$ C5 Z7 b! j2 w4 L
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Why might it be a good time to sell?# |5 m! f0 H5 l, e, Z( S
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets./ v2 }! p) i, j! \* h/ i7 L- I
4 A' _% r" m9 G" l* R7 d"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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$ x3 A( K' V- |, RThe 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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; A. |3 {! ?# `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.: m& q; N7 F+ [5 g# a- w, m+ n
9 D# K; W- j, n* I& B1 n8 x. ?7 OBurleton 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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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. G- h7 \. e9 g+ c! z i
- D( |, f/ _3 `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.
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7 X! p0 W. X# Y2 U7 t$ G4 XIn 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.' I7 O) M5 _1 a* \ d
: s& {; z; ^; b% JMeanwhile, 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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6 \% s: M- e, B6 F- ], zThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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/ @$ k- b' e+ |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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, L9 f! z; u2 W* ^ b' P2 L+ S0 m"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.. y% |* l# `8 P4 N
* J' z# R' ]. q& c# D. W6 _"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."5 l, o1 F& o$ O& E& a- w! F2 Y
& X! G* T+ T, v g+ r/ J s2 NThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 J! a- M/ I% k7 x
) ]- o+ y/ a- V# \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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