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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.
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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.% r; F/ U' ^4 y0 k4 {1 ~
2 j4 x* e8 A y) O8 d% J. uIn 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?- ^0 _, L) _: A
7 @" e# C0 u, O3 ^, H( s1 K# c. U- xAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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' A0 l& M5 H; z9 W# k6 t"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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: L/ E/ Q! j) b/ P0 ?The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.3 K" T! P0 E) q# Q
; P3 e0 h/ f. E& _( e5 zOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians./ {: `5 |3 t/ p! ?2 S
2 M/ E- l- o0 w1 A4 ^Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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4 H; M- o$ l, CWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.4 Y: F, ~8 G# [& ^/ E4 G$ c% Y
, v9 _. p- Z/ I* j7 u% e$ W. zWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years." \* k7 \& k* B: p+ j0 M; s! F
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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.6 p) [7 b9 @) g
2 O% A1 [: v* o" ZIn 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.' p$ A% p8 E* I8 G" q
+ z: [; E% W9 ?" k6 l; R4 v: zMeanwhile, 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.8 {+ O6 E+ @. o! `" z
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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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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.4 T6 l1 {/ t6 }+ E, [
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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.% n, T Q0 O' ^+ y% ~
" ^$ ~' z, H2 S4 Q5 p0 Y4 v7 n# 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." ~: B# M$ o ^3 f
) F1 G% G6 \7 ]) n8 gThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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