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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' |. h0 z. L+ D# N& ?! a1 ?
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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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~$ Z: h ?$ Y R( C% o: `3 f3 GPeople 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.+ k4 {* i8 i8 q/ v% }) b! e+ T5 R b1 w3 ?
" b2 Z3 T7 I5 K* X& mWhy might it be a good time to sell?& W. z6 G @2 G/ A( J
& M1 g- ~1 S0 g, W" ~: OAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank., [8 V" a# R' a& r* S
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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1 ]+ q% h# f4 c" TThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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2 S& g- ]6 u* A9 `$ H8 M0 |; POf 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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* L3 h# I4 S5 x* W$ x# g"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.+ e2 e# R i+ x& C' O6 b7 b( A: g, M& M
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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." t4 N7 B$ Q* I6 L; Y; Z: ~+ U
U1 B/ @: U5 T8 O2 UAnd 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.% B( J8 W# ^4 R& O
$ _% i }# ~& [: M4 nIn 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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4 Z4 w% C( N R' @* z7 G5 t$ }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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.9 Y4 R4 V3 z1 b1 J: B
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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.% r* `) t8 [! h' ]# S. E% ?
5 w" ?5 N- Z# N* T! C; ~6 _( v"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.3 G( a# u, u8 H7 U
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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."+ |+ w; m7 U [+ t: _. n: A: Q) v
( j8 e$ ^- _- w/ z1 y* RThe 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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