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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.# F7 k) Z1 J0 @( d W
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http://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.
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/ g V% a0 ~( f1 V5 Z& `9 zPeople 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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* e3 U' S" `; t% @7 c& NIn 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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N4 D+ m( e \( o0 g: U# dWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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2 N, [' `; l( _% v. O% d2 f: o: `1 [! rAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.6 h- H6 n2 C! j
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.0 E8 o, _6 f: l! o4 m8 F
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower." n3 \4 B) k. e$ M' F
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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.+ ?9 H1 _1 u, q6 u u
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Burleton knows how they feel.% l$ n! Z' ^! } X
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"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.- e3 f" ]" l. H8 C0 b' l
& e- Q! n, `* l+ D! Y6 P, L+ qWhile 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& S$ D9 s% l5 a4 [) a( G
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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.; M* [0 t" n7 F9 J+ `4 ~" f
# ]! W& o* X/ t5 ?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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( I- G9 d# g5 m" N7 H, f8 s. QIn 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.- ?% v& }7 P; Q1 r
9 s' D+ u4 B6 C- [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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& [4 U1 V0 k' H- a$ ^( W4 aThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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., X- A8 R) x, s) Q$ y
& I, F* s; ?2 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.
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5 _0 Y$ ]3 E. |. v% G"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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/ o& E9 Q% m& X; m0 L/ L3 E0 vBut 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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