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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.! D s9 E2 u3 A5 V/ U
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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$ l- a6 |0 i5 b8 c3 o0 Q7 ?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.! h$ t: c/ q& K6 o" _) x
X# r8 d p1 Z, h$ D2 rIn 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?+ P9 v/ r) U! A2 v) B
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.+ y }) ` y. l) F
8 B* g O4 ]) s/ f8 z9 U" }+ P% ?"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.7 y+ |8 {9 r& R
b6 D0 C6 ` x, E% G/ C"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.. w% m$ K2 s: X6 f7 @" D1 n, H
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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.( o8 _3 E6 b. C0 \
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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.+ F8 a+ u" l4 g) x( E' e" r
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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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, H. P& f5 V/ i* k4 HWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.7 M1 W w2 h( O, e/ i
& C+ w/ U3 n( M c! _! T$ {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.& O0 P( E# r' U6 Y! u% v
$ P' {- O6 u5 t6 N( jAnd 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. Y7 f% `) y( ]8 s; N# S9 x; y
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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., ?$ y% ?1 @" @& x8 ], [ S
4 I( V- ^" ?4 u+ a I& bMeanwhile, 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./ j* d5 C1 ?0 ^# ~& e9 p4 V
: L6 r+ M6 |+ @: N! `+ {That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.: w7 s% N& k$ {5 _+ W4 ]
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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." t0 q( ?2 X& f: R
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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.
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: [( H1 a' v: U3 g"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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) o. S) T0 |, i$ {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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