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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.1 c4 L ^. ?) ?. k( g
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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- w) j0 y4 d; @' F5 q. ZOTTAWA - 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., W8 b6 B7 k5 y
) r! h9 M( r( p. j- B5 r# `- RPeople 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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- x& b ^( |- x* o% O, uIn 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.; q- y7 ]" w9 c3 h: }* g, I
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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8 I U! c3 S+ @"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.! W9 \ I- T' ~; ]3 X
# p. Y1 d; o. L0 O2 c( i. M KThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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1 z% V' T% y) k/ tOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.& [7 Z D( [+ Q1 f- E6 F
1 w$ H: v. O& R* JBurleton knows how they feel.
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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.
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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.; i" O( K* L; G" X7 o* b
6 B+ o% Q# C, \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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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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: D2 _/ f1 C9 _/ e1 xIn 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.. v* i# p' o7 }+ C% _: v; R
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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.- B- w `# ~/ x4 B7 h
, s4 Z- V. i& ?4 P: W8 \5 U+ M BThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.' t5 E% C: w9 a. O
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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.
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P3 [9 u; g; t. j0 {! a"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.' M9 k R. X4 [7 I2 n
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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."5 W6 F. \. R# O/ {
& m4 j% q2 j, L) {. l9 `The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.5 `: F+ J) N* ?9 C
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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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