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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 N/ ^+ T! @* N
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html5 i' K9 V J7 i: w. _
; ^5 J3 X7 ]$ \4 {- W) gOTTAWA - 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. g+ |% ^% w4 g) {- D! Z" f4 R
' D4 ^0 ? N* W D! X0 }* _4 ^& s* gPeople 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 O0 n1 ^; v7 z# s" ?2 K
/ i N; q7 J# G0 y- m9 [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.+ S9 A: K2 u3 q$ Z/ |; t
0 o! w: \+ q+ O7 E+ b/ @Why might it be a good time to sell?; V Y; C1 y4 r0 s( N, i3 K
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.2 k3 e) j) b4 }- ~
( D. E' }& |* S# S, N2 ]& ]' L, O"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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5 I" {2 D& x2 k6 ~. {5 E"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.4 ^1 W- \- Q- `# a- W/ p) Q1 Z
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.% v; _2 f# e2 _8 m
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.9 g2 [: G* }9 j8 [1 m, A4 b1 j2 c
/ @# n$ D) p, k- m+ Z. A- W& hBurleton knows how they feel., M; v6 O3 m" m2 l% t3 K
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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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2 k o7 X1 s+ hWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.5 ^( j! _ d* Y, n* ~( L! M
8 m# I5 G/ g4 I* O) \- B- uWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.5 Q6 D; _: H: P: Q, k2 U6 F9 b* e. g
) N- G+ C/ m2 k; ^6 q. _$ WAnd 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 ]0 \) C6 \2 q: c& r7 M3 q( ]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.
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0 J3 b" H6 `+ a* ?: {5 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.5 R' U! n6 m. i I6 b/ K
# i; b) t0 m$ s6 z# ^8 uThat 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.
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( |8 P! i- v' u3 ?3 N"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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/ J8 [1 Q- m5 ~9 I4 ]- o' t: I"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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.) U% l4 N' {, Y$ Q" y; Y N
; s5 I6 d' Y/ M/ B/ q ?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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