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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 a! P5 j% r$ Z$ P. a, f6 ~, {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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" z! |5 c, e% M9 p: r& Q1 D1 pIn 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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.) a6 j. {, X) ?8 E: h3 N( x1 @
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.# }! M0 h: ?6 |0 z9 p) d
/ q( r5 ]! e2 \/ Z, {6 J"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.6 D+ V# e) [/ L' d( b9 Y! a/ c
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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: O& ?3 T; O5 u6 D2 j( w0 |3 ~Burleton knows how they feel.
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- O' I: h. j5 X( c"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.2 Z( @/ p5 W. ?. ~
4 ^/ ]9 @( I' y2 oWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.$ ~- T6 |4 w7 l
% Z# \# v; a) i9 W! _5 tAnd 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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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.) q# G8 f5 s9 E$ [
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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.! p3 S7 ?: J. R
! \; \4 a5 g9 e; R0 xThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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0 Q; Z' J, j; BDavid 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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7 Y' X$ K# ]8 r9 n O+ H' w% g5 z"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.6 o q6 e9 C* i' x6 M" q9 h) p
2 x. G5 B8 X* _6 u"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.". x$ F }. J. n' u( u
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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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