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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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Y1 o" O, y6 v2 u" kOTTAWA - 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.5 g$ M( K- `9 o( W- z
6 [; H) _+ z" i& E* ~9 kPeople 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.3 V) ]8 ^& n" e% Q2 d- p9 Y
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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.- J5 Z( y# w; c+ M
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Why might it be a good time to sell?/ H% o3 M; z4 V8 f/ r
& e" a# ?; h2 x3 [7 NAt 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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2 j: e0 A: q; t# |3 O"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.0 p4 N# D; p0 t. e5 g5 t- i
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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." w6 ^9 O Y) h9 R; V* A& v& F9 Z+ b
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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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Burleton knows how they feel.- b7 z4 }3 I2 D5 P" ?
) @0 z! A8 x6 D8 }9 i! D"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.0 E% l) Q2 Y5 Q1 _1 k+ U" F% r
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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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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.% V4 b+ h* f, t! W
' ~6 A2 K" U3 h/ Q) r2 ?6 T: EAnd 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. {+ h9 q1 e1 m. E# a
3 s L f+ j. s+ ]* Q3 w4 X4 }% ?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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5 l& e6 Q) e3 J4 P% E2 AThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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: g. T$ g! O$ O, `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.0 b' L& W# o* y7 e, P
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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.; Z1 h) S/ L/ a
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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."
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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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