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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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: O- {$ q. Q+ ?& \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." h& {) W9 E+ f* c) M; i6 N7 @
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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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2 a; G/ d x7 o M1 }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.; h0 P) s4 I) b; J+ w5 @6 G
# C, ^+ Z" Z" O- i$ QWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.- A! _3 y4 q* }9 h& w
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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6 n; _5 Y5 h8 @& J# F7 K8 X+ S+ L"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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( _( x) I# E' i. \/ I! g1 IThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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% o2 I H% x a' b% CBurleton knows how they feel.
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( g/ M2 ]8 G# Q. I; C' o"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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$ J8 e# y' P" N/ jWhile 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.8 L0 Z$ }9 |( g, s% c
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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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" @# M0 X. k) F+ sIn 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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) u3 t$ X3 k1 _. gMeanwhile, 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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3 H7 y, N9 F3 tThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.+ @% ^0 ~' t) e& a f; N
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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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"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.* N" j; K' X l. }& P
) L, A8 F& n4 T, f4 T# v* ]"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.", ]/ D$ w: H1 b/ H$ w, o
5 D5 Z0 z1 Y+ `The 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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