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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- r# |0 d9 e+ N( e
. p2 s; R0 d: b) S: v& rOTTAWA - 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.- }1 d6 P, t2 Y
" B' t0 b6 d4 S& b: G- Q1 X6 P9 \, XPeople 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./ O9 y# y( D3 R7 r
- [6 ?# |" O! ^' m/ AIn 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. v/ o3 Z4 s6 n0 `% C
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.8 M* {) H, N# c: A' M) ?4 W
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.; f4 W: L* O. o8 |/ p
% E1 a) Z; }% U' Q y2 o9 \6 d' b"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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2 K/ Y U4 @1 |0 kThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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) ?. \5 n' m8 X0 d! e- {Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.+ s6 i1 q$ q2 i, s) N$ d* j
b) C2 |( `9 D8 _3 I% tBurleton 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.; P$ D# o' t2 T) ]' x0 R/ a# i. g
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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.5 N/ V% b$ J! h9 Y9 Q
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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.0 r/ p; } _9 y& v
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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.9 j) r4 U! I# j0 u5 k" c8 I2 [4 G
* }5 I( K! i6 l4 S2 E! gIn 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.) w% J. z# ]7 ]. P
) }- q7 w F* O0 V3 ]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.. R' G$ m0 Z* f) c0 M& O
3 c" [' H4 O3 @5 K0 dThat 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 d: V, c( m0 O; A+ q0 S
$ v2 b, Y3 a1 m/ N"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.- W7 n2 R! @9 u2 [2 H/ V+ v( S2 z
0 u8 A: g- X E"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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. n+ L$ Y6 k( j+ V }9 BThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 S" i5 T' I: m- D
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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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发表于 2012-5-12 08:39
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