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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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: \" v) r7 J4 Q7 b) `; i' Ehttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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; M2 J5 W9 t; J4 s# T9 {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., {' _: I: Z; S+ I5 v- y ~" A
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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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( j8 X, ^% F# _$ D2 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.* q( v7 k1 R) w8 W
5 a, f$ h& s+ p) z: PWhy might it be a good time to sell?& G! q7 Y( }2 i8 f6 w3 t* [
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.& b2 [* b/ D! r6 e4 R1 o
5 U1 S6 _9 W# ^, C' `( i"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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0 j: O4 [$ Z4 W8 W$ B7 ]Burleton 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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' d; Z( ~! o" P9 n' p3 g$ wWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.: ]9 ]5 Y" Y8 P1 [2 s
2 @' ^! @$ A4 a: o U! QWith 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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9 u+ f. ]' t5 Q/ _4 f* E! QAnd 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.# L, x5 k3 X6 f( E
' P# ?- m7 q2 t! Q* V$ WIn 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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# E+ q" R* [. K+ B1 I* H" pMeanwhile, 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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, v6 \4 A7 @" K+ qThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.+ b1 H& Z6 G: Z* ^' l
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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.
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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." n! X; `+ e0 ?! n8 _$ q6 a0 ]% m
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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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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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