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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.( D( U/ g1 t4 X+ `6 ~4 ?
4 X G0 Q% r- }( L% v& w% [http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.+ b$ L8 R9 ]5 M# R0 v6 I
% N6 {8 a. p( w9 i: ePeople 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.1 z5 f5 u1 h% P2 X$ k
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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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7 K7 }( I2 ]0 S/ q* S3 q2 CWhy might it be a good time to sell?1 m& x. H9 t [
l/ Q0 q+ E% e) `At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.9 N, S7 z! f. r& J& M
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.$ |- B5 P+ @5 l' X
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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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, v e; ]9 E8 L8 a. @ j' XThe 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.0 X% b5 {7 X8 J8 k f
- s5 k M4 _& h a7 ~) J4 }+ ^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.
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Burleton knows how they feel.% ^3 [, F/ n- v" H$ v: W7 H0 ^
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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./ z( h. H$ Q% Z y4 d
2 J$ l# V3 b" h. ^$ ~5 |, Y3 q: lWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.% k0 F4 Y, a& B, o, n
# Q" H% H) k+ p" q& Y' Z7 Q; PWith 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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* A& n2 t) w1 y( M; sIn 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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J% j$ k7 a2 c9 l! m" R7 l* uMeanwhile, 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.0 Z3 c& ]! ?+ c3 L D
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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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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.' N. ~# C7 Z# S
3 E1 \ `: r3 d" j$ {: {5 d4 a x"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.& {% A2 Z' H* u8 ~. u
& l9 t" v% z0 t' K& Q$ O; g& J"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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.4 y/ ~; N6 A5 K" n% W; q, ^
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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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