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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.( |5 C3 D9 g7 C- u* u" m! _4 [* ]- H9 o C
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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.) J+ V0 q0 @. D4 ~' q/ E7 a2 C1 z/ H
* H( N$ G1 p% {% J1 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., y% g1 s g1 ~% ?/ _
% k1 @; i* @+ t) cIn 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.& H: u; g+ b5 p
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank." U" }8 B) e. } x
9 b& T/ x( k, F( ^$ [* ~1 Z8 S- ]"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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& E" V7 C% D8 m7 l. o5 b9 I8 CThe 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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& T4 q; A- Z5 h# n: \/ tOf 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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) q. h2 w: T* u' R Z+ p' MBurleton knows how they feel.
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& L( g9 y. J8 a" r"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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0 @* I; s' X3 ^ kWhile 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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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.( w' _. I. O- `! y. _$ i
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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.& O! D0 Q) \9 D+ C- |
9 M. ~0 Q' z9 r4 aIn 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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+ M8 M0 f9 Z6 LMeanwhile, 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.
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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 ~0 d/ ]. ~% ?/ w7 H1 W$ `
6 Y3 A6 E4 b: y7 R; W& u"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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0 R) C+ `& w& D: i5 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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0 Q# W4 y9 ?" W* Z) kThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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* L/ X$ ]# ?" L2 JBut 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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