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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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( a, a) ~& f- Q8 b% A" b" v/ Thttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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% m0 A2 O) ]9 c( f9 KOTTAWA - 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.( e! x7 \& {) v2 }0 H- ^9 [9 K
8 S0 k9 W" g4 LPeople 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 f' K4 n8 g! y4 M& D6 s7 X
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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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?; P1 p. s7 H! W: H: ]
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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., ]9 g- t4 [. O- y D% A
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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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/ N2 Q/ Y5 v6 S. H+ R1 H"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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. G5 `+ Y4 U6 n6 _1 f4 Z' YThe 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.+ E5 L4 k- g( i; b7 E% v. U
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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.( T: g( x. M8 y5 F3 s
9 K7 d5 x0 w5 O1 v6 wBurleton knows how they feel.' }9 L: f5 x0 a2 f
$ |' {) c: V' z' `/ a"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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/ w, t, J9 y3 w9 @0 V; s8 bWhile 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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: T- x4 ~; f6 x# YWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years., |* t( J+ V3 u1 N9 W( Y5 \& E
% d3 e4 h9 r8 Q) |1 Z; n1 ~: wAnd 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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) `% I. v7 F, @) ^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.: T/ E1 K8 H9 x- F' [
2 x8 Q$ T3 h7 `2 M IMeanwhile, 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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.- v) M) D. L% V1 e, }" q+ x
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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.: t3 d5 d0 }4 I: D M
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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./ S5 X9 ?8 T( L0 e, l, ?
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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."# @0 q- ?0 e: @, l3 C! I
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act./ p" k& @" u( [8 f" Y* J& 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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