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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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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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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.1 V+ W2 q- |6 Z* W) h
! l, L& n& `8 l! G! j5 F" ?& DWhy might it be a good time to sell?, {/ D5 T& `/ F. \
, H3 d- ?) A# U" [* Y9 C! [At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets./ X9 k }- g( v& J! @% m) t
& `: @) `" y) ]# @8 j2 k/ s& J2 R' x* l"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.7 S/ I, p/ b# K% Z$ k+ y
8 Y' K) ^3 h7 _2 F- ~"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.* n" m5 ?7 E' \4 d) G
% ^+ o7 X$ M# g/ nThe 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.7 e8 I/ L0 p3 M& i: E7 p
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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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Burleton 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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, S; V" j% ~7 Z5 b8 D) kWhile 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./ ^" ^, O5 c6 I& s
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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.! S/ | L5 _8 p6 H
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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.4 c& m, Y$ s2 K7 T% q& y1 l
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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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" j! }' H9 Y4 k( z& q4 OThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying. w% ?( O$ n/ j
& R! O; C+ R7 a. ?0 Z9 ^: fDavid 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.* L2 I. q. B$ U, U0 Y
7 |" q. [. {/ ~; }# f( |9 {/ Z0 K9 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. c; }1 x( v) {$ y; f. [1 I
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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."
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9 [" V4 M( ^$ m& `4 H# V/ O" I. fThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( X( A, E8 R2 U6 l/ n& Q
4 c3 U0 J% V ]/ `! s1 L( V4 y, 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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