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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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7 H% @5 N" U+ X+ Jhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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: k% ?# H' X a7 m0 LOTTAWA - 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.! Z6 z& l$ c2 l7 m
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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. ^6 a5 x D& V k2 ]; l% D# f
7 P& C9 l/ Q. ?5 }+ m1 n: x" B, WIn 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." {- ~+ G8 f/ p/ _
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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' m" s1 s a: d8 r% mAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets./ V6 `" q0 n! _, }" _
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.) E* T- T7 w' s0 G' N% {
; i% C1 V- k9 E k6 O U% K! m6 s"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.2 C! }) `; |) u8 [, y5 x
& q! ^6 d" C: `& b) m7 R# G& {The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.$ k* n& t' o" Q
9 C+ A7 v0 G1 s" U$ q* X+ Y9 aOf 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.- F; D3 T {* w, a+ l& ]
0 _& \' a$ }5 t/ e- }3 T$ p- sBurleton knows how they feel.
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# I# j7 W; M* a* w4 A3 C: ?"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.2 x4 @ j8 f1 v& L
2 K4 `. ]6 z) x! \9 O/ 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.# X b8 W, Z! P+ K! P6 V
1 C2 O ~' l) g$ _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.% V" t, x, p$ d3 J
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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.# H/ h* N9 X6 I5 O
; |! H' u j) @" P3 h- [0 xMeanwhile, 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.' h" U+ K6 Q3 o1 m" f5 T& A
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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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* k2 x1 Q/ m b: ^"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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& \# }7 M( U) t$ U. g9 R& 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."* [5 v' {! d5 I. E3 `% R0 B5 R0 D
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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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7 h/ r. ]9 c4 j, G7 E. RBut 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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