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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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% F6 k% w6 I2 N$ V9 ?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.9 @0 ^8 {/ L1 k
; [5 x* [, `5 p: zIn 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.! v! k7 S3 f/ r0 u8 i& p
; T2 m$ a& h" o/ _( zWhy might it be a good time to sell?0 |. ^ J2 e9 l' m& d" a, Z
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.2 E9 v" G- I p. j
% V( ~: C' F- ~: S# ^+ { E2 Q"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.6 h" o Z7 g2 U; \! d% ? U* x
! }2 B( b" b) A"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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" S4 o4 y& \+ Y0 ]* O$ wThe 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.. A, O' f) J0 O7 r+ N% o Q
+ X0 j4 `: E6 nOf 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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' S/ y& r) V' `6 ^ K6 R5 G& v6 ?* OBurleton knows how they feel.% M$ x0 ~, C. j, \. z/ n) f
2 k0 h( C% J+ @3 x; V2 E9 H- O& f"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.* S- i7 I0 l; H- M
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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.+ a1 b0 z( D# Z8 h' r
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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./ S$ @; v9 p* p' v) E( }+ X. |
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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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# j! T7 R9 Z' r' `: C R1 aIn 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.* \6 \ o x- x& x; P, ?
- I$ g- I$ ~% q8 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.# |) G& o6 O1 c% \2 K
- i7 ^$ S6 x, n: K/ |, E- q) j0 K' CThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.8 e$ p# M8 I2 M/ F' j( Z
! J j' p# @# G3 uDavid 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./ `. z$ p6 Z y" K) p" S/ e
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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.+ R* @' R& \1 p+ N4 }& G
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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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/ O& |: K( J: f9 Y' l# t& vThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 A2 b% I5 F& |* h/ T1 l
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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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