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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.' W1 Q( m; g8 L
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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/ L$ e+ A# j/ E: c, y7 dOTTAWA - 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.4 U' U% X. Q$ y2 `! s( e1 V8 [+ v
0 m4 M+ I! M; K O( mPeople 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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' \: w% f4 p/ X) L& [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.* ~# s! k6 \ Y/ y& E
s' _7 `6 ?5 GWhy might it be a good time to sell?* H; x& J0 Q7 H0 S( O2 M4 [; i
3 {" u/ Y' L; t8 j! O% x) d6 VAt 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.* m+ B% v. s& }
7 `6 W4 C' V2 o) {. ?"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.7 l% |. I4 G7 T6 u
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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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. p O0 n+ y9 TBurleton knows how they feel.
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2 w+ D1 j' i3 b"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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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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K& O: Y% ^7 n% ]1 ^+ S+ u8 F: q% VWith 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.( d0 n0 }1 w- n1 ]/ X; Q
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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.' s! ^0 }# p7 `' j' Y" V+ o: [8 e
; B- p1 ~% r9 bMeanwhile, 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.
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# c6 a9 b4 r1 \) a, CDavid 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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3 m7 v4 L/ C- z"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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, E( v$ |2 r& N& ~$ s, z$ IThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act." l$ M: M4 t0 |: v3 }* `) \
. m# }$ p) ~4 A! V( N& z4 x8 S2 ABut 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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