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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.html8 u- p$ V/ a" w) b* t3 R4 F
% y! R8 A& [0 Z6 ZOTTAWA - 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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% ~/ }7 t9 H& e; [0 F% f! ]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.5 Q% [2 p$ ^ m& H1 x
) @# |; ~) y3 tIn 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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0 D; n1 J: n. [5 C; z" l. M3 ], LWhy might it be a good time to sell?. k2 u: o5 {; w8 z/ {+ A+ V
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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.
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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.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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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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& J; Y* A9 s0 P2 eOf 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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! b0 S0 e* V4 N: ]' @, VBurleton 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.% ^0 N2 a; r) h( x0 I4 e N6 }
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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.
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- \" d/ l1 n, u, ]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.2 T& D; }( p4 s5 ~8 @
2 q! e* R5 f# @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.0 ^% x, x+ e( {6 j- I4 D
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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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& Q8 p4 y/ h" k; A3 \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.* \. _+ Y- D0 i3 J4 R
1 l2 x# q9 Z' c% Q2 JThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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8 U4 u2 O7 b5 w; V2 ^0 fDavid 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.. x* V/ L! D( C1 s; x* z' S
2 G% `6 F" M4 D0 V& @% u"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."# L0 T7 t3 c, W) S. V' H) ~5 o
. r( l2 ^$ O ~% F7 R' EThe 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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