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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.9 g4 `9 Z+ [5 t9 @& `
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html H" J! k+ _4 L# R/ A3 B
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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.1 ^3 s8 O( R5 D
$ M& N* t3 y9 G7 APeople 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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* Q( z* b8 j# G7 | |3 TIn 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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: W5 m4 S4 ?$ qWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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# T3 ` { w, S9 O7 Y* e"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.# t% L6 l- X7 v# k( m# E
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.. C( p) t3 V6 ?0 Z! q( ^+ k
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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# ~- b% N, k) d) e5 k" G. zOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians." R5 v! W, @: Z$ k: J3 [
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Burleton knows how they feel.2 ^# X; f) H3 c& Z: }
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"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.0 N1 m7 x' o2 C. }
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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.
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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.
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( l0 k6 G: h- ^- ?9 T) C1 CAnd 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.* j5 n4 X6 K* ~" o1 \5 P% P8 [: S- j
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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.
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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.+ s$ z+ I6 @9 A( l! {
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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+ g7 p* t: H$ l9 SDavid 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.! S5 N/ t- P) R7 e+ u- h- J
1 {, [6 _+ M/ e4 u"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.
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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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. N6 ]# _) Z/ V: BThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.9 f- V) G! w* P2 m# J, y0 n! z0 ^
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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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