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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.2 c! H9 C j" o# h% I
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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." g# m$ K. c3 T; [
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In 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. g7 w* z$ V8 f. ]! J. A. m
9 z& E6 v+ x9 s; w( X6 ^Why might it be a good time to sell?/ C5 c) C& u, { S; E: Q/ g0 f
* c7 a' d, ?8 y' S2 X: oAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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7 k9 ?1 g+ @/ @4 T& n"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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" l' e" D3 K; C/ O' i"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.% w! G2 F1 m' V+ z/ G) P
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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' M' q2 `4 G* t" pOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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, _0 ]+ N4 q- d7 j$ _8 ^6 ]Burleton knows how they feel./ v5 W+ c7 N6 p, z# \
. h9 X7 [, H+ R) b: O"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.2 H4 c8 w8 w! j1 R3 E
; S, X& ?: R9 E3 u3 o4 _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.6 [" ] J1 F$ U7 M+ m8 M7 v
0 [ S/ E- L8 u1 G2 d- Y6 _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.2 f6 G& F5 ?5 x2 ^- M
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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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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.4 c+ v$ {+ m# z5 c% l
- p C) {/ W4 I/ [, G/ v8 Q( _That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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& K6 k4 F$ f3 g& h8 hDavid 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., A/ f& q8 c( _9 n
, B8 F9 b8 i4 h9 r4 A# V6 _"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."" Y0 a. ^. Q s. E) e j
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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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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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