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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.4 k* c' q# H3 `/ m" T3 ~
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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.3 }$ y2 m; B! ]# d6 _7 ~/ B4 Z+ ?$ T
9 y" }0 _3 W U/ d: KPeople 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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8 B& `9 c& e5 G3 Q& a( v4 VIn 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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& B" [% V& t7 a9 d2 rWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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3 i. N1 t/ [ o3 I" WAt 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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2 z, z. |" D) b, H6 V7 R" {' y _( g"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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6 `+ }7 ^5 p# J1 D- I6 W, ~! e"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.8 k' w% S! u6 E( Z
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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.
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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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8 W0 u# \8 \' n0 W) XBurleton knows how they feel.
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5 E# e" q# I4 ]"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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8 x4 |- B* ^. R# AWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.. [6 u+ J0 y5 {0 ^. z+ {
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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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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.. t. j' i0 t5 }: f l
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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.
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o& L' ~/ [0 jMeanwhile, 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.. t1 b) A# Z- b5 [" Z
7 E; t, @7 Q$ IThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.; f: [. l6 Q8 [% `3 [/ G) G Q7 i
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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.2 f1 s0 u L% d; _& A! o4 p* b
+ w: f1 f2 y8 [7 a"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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6 c/ q0 R4 L* q3 G. I"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."* O$ m# {- w1 |# b. e9 C9 _$ h
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 G( q$ [& i/ \# l) j3 g9 J
3 p' b- a5 d SBut 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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