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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.9 c+ |! v# ^; r U! A& z) y( d1 }) F
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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2 _ ^$ I5 k2 i; d" e% P5 \7 ^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.0 o4 C8 `3 J$ T0 e2 R
+ u2 F. n- i& qPeople 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.5 @/ X/ q4 I0 B% I
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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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Why might it be a good time to sell?& j+ N; C6 @ Z# J( ]$ l: S8 p% H3 O
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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.
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% P. I2 m0 h& M9 H# \6 x"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.- R! y0 D& L! V
( q2 z P( _" K# O7 a) q2 @. @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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) w" P4 g. p9 f3 {Burleton knows how they feel.* l9 Y9 h1 R0 `9 y0 r9 Z, ~
+ h+ t5 @1 R. Z; @; T6 i. ^"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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- A- K9 O9 O. t8 ^4 v+ a2 n8 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.1 n# t: n; `0 _: P
+ K2 e8 X1 ^- f# EWith 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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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.$ z' h6 j! i: R4 n$ b6 c
6 L; ^" M) h/ W1 G& l( OIn 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., E6 `, k; z" N5 l/ a4 B T/ R- [
8 K( o+ G1 b$ z Y' T9 S0 A2 tMeanwhile, 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.7 |) S8 l3 [3 F. C* T1 D6 Z
! h) e# x" u$ |% l* _& Y/ ~That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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* F3 P% a5 I' d u9 O$ \ r2 C' a' N8 }! EDavid 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.2 M. q k4 A8 |0 L# J8 Y
5 T Y& k2 t8 i( S$ Q" C"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.. V" L; T: ~0 W# s4 K- N
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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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' u+ p6 Z5 q4 E0 @& QThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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1 A, O2 W3 z: K u* m4 @4 xBut 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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