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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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* U& M3 l4 a- `' OOTTAWA - 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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! T3 {4 {$ v: I; i6 a zPeople 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.2 C8 L0 L4 ~7 h9 t" u9 m$ H7 H
' T y% A3 n2 p0 E+ y, SWhy might it be a good time to sell?% S* G* {/ W' _+ X/ }3 M
G9 D, l' w0 k; G+ |& gAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.. o2 S6 M# G7 Z- j6 o1 l, Z# W" J
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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3 ?# V- ?$ A3 l5 X& t" ~"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.
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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.# e0 m- a- V6 J1 I
* y- m' l, a, j$ r" m, bBurleton knows how they feel.
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6 O9 D s. t ~; i"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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* U+ j; \% w/ DWhile 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.( z: p) q2 `8 U; O+ [/ ?5 u* q
( C ~+ e; ~( {' h+ sAnd 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.& b% a5 n8 m( `- Y i0 ?
9 g) }& t! @! o5 c# V1 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.
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) H! O2 E) O" b0 X. @, ?# f6 t( 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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/ i2 O, x8 a$ u5 _/ {+ @That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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- R' i# l3 v! j- _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.# U3 A8 \8 R* X2 s& I. f% W- ]0 S# r+ j6 n: D
: B) g- f0 h5 Y7 }$ \: N5 G"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.8 h& _5 v- z. i4 H) S" R% m
5 @& h# @5 a+ t3 t+ ~4 Q"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.") `4 z7 d, L) ]/ `
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.' b3 ?. r8 m- J7 q- Y v& R
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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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