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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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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.( Q+ U T, I; V) ]
0 q8 p6 T1 s( y4 q' w7 m5 N5 `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.4 v& Z3 ~$ k8 m: F0 A& _
# b* w) E4 E- Y: TIn 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.7 f. o3 j; {, p' M; [) K' Q+ E
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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9 h8 v2 g- o+ {$ tAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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; K- a7 [8 m* N# t"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.* p8 E. L- H4 q
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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1 G, n* L E* k! J. g- xBurleton knows how they feel.' P# L3 B8 [0 c5 K; \' M8 v4 _" x# T
! K, |; T P( u! D& b' }4 g"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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; P1 D! f, Q+ v$ R$ R( C2 b- ^0 M5 ?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., b5 ~: t: M- @4 J2 K' s+ p
: {+ T; Q! e8 r- 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.9 u# z+ b8 d$ h( ^5 T
3 j# S$ m3 d4 R# d. OAnd 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.6 v+ f7 u; [, B1 q- \- J
0 r; X! l. b$ D; K) O6 m2 YIn 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.
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% U/ s8 W$ `" O4 R/ V3 e8 DMeanwhile, 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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- r0 B5 t0 o: i) r$ Y8 H( M/ AThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.# [2 Q# ^3 i1 O- @# g0 }
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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.
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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 c3 C6 k" s0 _"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.+ P6 p: U. Q$ r' c* P- W$ F
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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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