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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.) K) S( y. \9 A; R
7 u' ~: W) I/ W" hPeople 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.' A- D- Q- t$ E+ c" r% D
, T, z) L1 O: C+ `- A( O6 EIn 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.4 j0 y8 l# _. r, N4 Q2 v. r2 M
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Why might it be a good time to sell?3 f! Z. H+ h" n' W! l, u3 U5 o) t
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets./ U/ ^7 h, `' K, V9 q6 c* @
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.5 v; z4 h+ B g5 i8 T& K# b1 H; L
* w! x' H& @. M: u+ E1 ^The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.8 j$ I3 D: L4 F- I
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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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' C1 Z" F5 u1 T& HBurleton knows how they feel.% K5 Z& P, ]; h# x5 I9 d
" u# N2 F: B& }/ y3 `"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.3 [2 k# t+ T; I$ s2 N. ?3 G
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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.* {/ o& a/ w0 d5 a/ e# Y
. F$ v N) b# n P) tWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.% ~1 y1 ?0 |* M( e8 `
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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." X* P, k: _! s+ S3 Y; M8 [
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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.% o9 d5 c3 B) k- W" ~$ I0 p
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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.
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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.
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7 n8 b7 g; S. c% K1 p, Y- }; B"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./ r- y3 j3 i* s/ S( w+ G' G
9 t: S5 C( b9 `"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."+ ~) P* `! T' i) U8 J+ `8 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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