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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.& g' Q8 m; L) Z4 T: _, z! ?
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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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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.+ `% W: g k ] R9 Z% G
( C' A. D, ]# g" QIn 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?
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) O1 v$ y+ e0 _9 D; @% aAt 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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. |; ]& Y( `' s9 J"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.& m) h) _# h: m/ z. w
0 M q& Q# v& i7 V: lThe 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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2 W" n5 o8 Z4 Q; GOf 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.5 z, [' x8 E1 ~: X4 f
7 M3 b* s9 p. D6 k1 nBurleton knows how they feel. h: a `* F3 t" m) U! H) L
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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.
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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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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.
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2 r9 o( d7 E. e" ^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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- ^( P5 `2 _# S. O8 Z, y" \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.& |6 R. J3 M( u9 R
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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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& P' f# ~* O& L$ r1 a7 P* @That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.% S% ~! s; R+ _( q
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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.5 _" {9 u* j4 ~& @" K% _4 C8 z5 e4 a" O
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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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& a s" S% {% q4 f"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."+ [9 {# }# K e& z3 r
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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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; x( p7 q7 U% e* s5 }/ f+ h' IBut 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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