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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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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.5 N6 @1 |0 c5 K" c. `1 w+ K, u
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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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3 [2 R1 j% O1 C1 t& hWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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{& g0 ]+ v" d0 c6 E. `' e2 ~" tAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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4 U! v2 d) O; z O; B4 C"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.5 u4 J6 L4 h P, J( Z# U
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.7 d9 a3 y% T" m! R( i6 `0 c
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.' c( ]$ o/ F6 C
/ T+ B' U( [+ |; j% n# z2 _! m! DBurleton 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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. u2 U) D _2 n$ H/ K! s- VWhile 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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, i) d U9 X" xWith 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.- ~6 G; y! I' l% ~6 k/ V
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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.1 o: ^, M" t9 v$ g. b
) y7 V ^1 I1 R, D5 j. r8 jMeanwhile, 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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.2 m2 F' M6 c) n2 N& s
$ { Q( \+ m) O7 J# W1 l' ADavid 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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3 C y5 [$ t9 Q8 r, q$ D0 e& @1 D"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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"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, a2 ^( f- t; v9 e3 `
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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! Q( L# a# W3 S7 g6 E# M- vBut 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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