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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.html9 f o! }- H- Z
% |2 Z: [7 E f% rOTTAWA - 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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% G" x! @- q- ?* M, F: _; x! NPeople 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.
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% R6 r0 w" o# n6 d7 [) l- nWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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- x% @, I" r- h" c% S4 z8 B8 N4 \At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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' K, Y Z& o: p9 T' r! v( J"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.: G% F% l4 e- Q7 \
: G6 x b( y" R# rThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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2 r" i6 O: j6 F4 UOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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, v0 i, q) H! t7 a lBurleton knows how they feel.9 Y7 Z$ R6 f( _
% S2 g* A0 y1 W; [8 Z"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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, y6 ^0 s0 y% J4 f' q3 s" {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.7 h: G, D# }. l( G0 a7 Q
9 I2 z' z- L, iWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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, h8 [5 A. p) J1 ]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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7 F$ x5 G6 R* s+ r; z" O) uIn 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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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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8 F8 M N- G3 \! R; SThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.' c0 L% @( I' c) Q: P
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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.+ g5 I$ X: e2 T0 f! B* u$ n# 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.9 w/ g- A9 y0 p2 V6 t
, a0 k) ~+ x5 n$ [: s, w"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."1 S! U( \; e$ q, i3 J( E0 P. B
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.4 _; W# S) Z O
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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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