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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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V! l1 {( J# @0 z; \http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html! \3 z$ |' @0 t2 l) Z/ b7 J2 c+ [
0 K9 H& w% N# e8 F5 h. IOTTAWA - 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./ {% U# e& B+ W/ d
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People 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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+ T5 ]; K0 }- v+ vIn 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?1 E5 Y+ D z/ Q" d- k/ H+ L
9 ^* L. ^$ m0 I9 K6 f( IAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets." i4 c8 i: i9 i6 r5 X6 y4 m
" Y& J6 O/ F' ]# U"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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* c& `7 V9 I9 F4 M, |: W; e- m9 U2 n6 }Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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* q7 P$ h% J) U. kBurleton knows how they feel.6 t! G4 ]3 }7 m' T" W' ?* T& ^8 }
9 l# J( d* o2 |3 l& X6 ` m"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.2 S Z5 L9 C8 [; b& G) V4 G
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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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9 L/ ?- |- e. n1 j8 i7 U% @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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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.
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, I8 e" B- l9 wThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.# q( \5 v$ X3 s# g( B0 D! f
( b! A. T8 D; z6 \# o+ Z) b& ZDavid 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.
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- \: b0 ?0 r4 O7 t n"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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8 r# j8 w$ \1 w3 }6 iThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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! Y. K* s+ K a9 s: N; Z/ J/ F4 yBut 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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