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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.! j8 k2 ~$ ~8 `; d' P+ ^& S% B
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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.4 a0 j1 A2 x) P) ~# ~& R! u8 ~
7 h7 O# d/ ?+ x& m4 }+ s3 y6 N" lIn 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?; \( o! J' [ ], i7 h6 j; @1 ^0 ~& [
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.7 @+ d0 _5 R; v; ^2 d! T
( j% u$ C$ j" ^- Q. b"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. p+ S3 ]: ]$ ]/ J- s
; u3 ]! k w3 l# M4 S"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.5 q6 T$ d) e; A
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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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3 |& F2 T E5 y! S7 ?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., ^7 ~5 i V6 r' A. U: L
5 m2 V# J, A) w cBurleton 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.& h0 o# \& X1 @* J. D
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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.( z) n7 t7 I" N( M6 }4 K% T
6 s) c h( N* v( {* R U+ WWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.+ f% E' F' y, i& b9 f Z+ \
* ] |' r# _/ g0 {6 ]) j8 VAnd 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.0 l5 @) T+ k4 z! |) O
& i$ B6 q( x2 q+ nIn 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.$ H- H/ ~4 I7 k" {
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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.
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying." a+ J" B6 }1 ~7 H2 r
+ A) A% u% Q7 Q. d/ f8 B( P* y$ `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. B" y1 e- L* V" l; }
- W$ l8 h; {6 j4 y3 b+ {- D& d"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./ n1 A( b, d* Y% Y/ A0 J
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"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.0 v" w. s8 U: Z
) }8 ]! E0 X/ H, qBut 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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