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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.3 W- E2 C0 @* p6 I- ?
1 L% \3 W, \' t+ i! n R/ d8 m% Jhttp://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.! R3 p9 m, \% ]8 ]* F$ t: e1 P) x
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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.( @, N/ f- u- t+ \- O7 b: L! R
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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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1 C2 C1 q9 T5 {" gWhy might it be a good time to sell?' t( C- g2 H% W: W% M0 q2 U: a
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.) h& n' _5 r' F) j
) X6 j |7 D* L' h+ o: S"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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1 F6 O$ q& b% _9 K. W" w/ B/ K"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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- ?/ \5 r8 H/ uOf 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.
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) |+ {, S; m7 i& q"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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2 @! W) i3 t7 `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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# r7 i8 p3 o- [4 |1 v8 u4 CWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.( G/ \$ X, `- Q) o
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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.2 T2 | E9 P" G; @
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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., s7 v, \' o' K# k1 d1 |2 N; V
8 {+ K: J- q) R. S- v1 b- s7 N, i( wMeanwhile, 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.: m* z% i& ^/ v& Z# |1 b
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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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. ~ m# R* c; j |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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7 C* f( B% u; h' t"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.4 c9 r* H. J+ P/ }6 H) U: u
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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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9 w! S* E+ i5 T" ]The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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5 {0 l: U8 Z! N& }: e0 \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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