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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
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9 c5 h) S! ?% t( l/ ?, UOTTAWA - 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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7 B% S& |: c$ t t, 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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" ^9 K, W5 K5 mIn 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?4 r3 m9 G; i4 B# T: O/ T
3 `( x H$ s9 LAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.! k! k* [1 }& e/ F
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.2 g1 ^4 v O7 W3 M
& c2 w- Q6 v3 B6 e3 j' U* _' {The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.9 \8 k" @) \8 a4 Z/ W/ W
8 b7 ^% C( @9 n! W. YOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.$ w% p* j+ N! R
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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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' _8 f! L. H5 x6 }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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' z: d7 [# L( hWith 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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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.6 _4 H) h9 _. N1 G T0 U
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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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5 S0 R0 _) j7 g7 {/ H; iThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.' @) P0 n$ e: H" R# M, y
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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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"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.4 Q% f ~) n& j4 ]0 t
# {6 w# e2 s1 g4 t# M"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."& g. X) A# _6 u6 f' T2 E! Z G
9 G' M# V" V1 Q8 r9 [3 R* @The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.6 f( [' g0 [* Z- ~0 z
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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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