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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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3 o0 L* S# B% Mhttp://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.
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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.. |4 L) I; _8 [- H, G: \, \% M+ }
! o( ]/ M: a) O1 u9 n( XIn 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?/ S2 r/ n! U( G! V
2 `. v) |9 t+ A3 K# S6 f" hAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.. e0 k0 }1 l0 U, W k8 k- W1 K: Q
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.; z5 \/ M; W8 |% A. m
( y4 w+ `9 m3 o; b a/ ?"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.1 l- G- A& u+ N4 a/ B; D0 h: X
1 ^* q# B% z- b" ?0 E8 IThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.: B) k9 n% f. K: c+ n
( Z- e# J; |0 OOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.) \4 ]/ R- V9 G6 k: L
/ X. m' o9 ]* L; v1 g1 o$ [# sBurleton knows how they feel.- V3 L4 s7 l$ I2 ]' }- m
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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.. r0 T) ^( u: c7 c8 D2 M
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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." r& m. j& _* [: Q7 ]8 c
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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./ K: m6 W% H1 k2 S, o/ b
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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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/ \& _9 M$ n5 V. `0 ZMeanwhile, 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." V& ~) A' P2 `4 O3 \
1 _9 ]0 A B5 k& Z. @/ yThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.* p: f. W4 t7 \+ P e
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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.9 i: q! M1 M) @" _$ l
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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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3 S' Q: e O$ H" q"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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' a/ n' J' [; d- ?( k5 u1 Q- TThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.. f- q6 r& j+ H
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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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