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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.1 Y+ W6 b% O4 [5 G
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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.- x. j! P" c, i% z- j8 S6 G" V8 s2 r
5 n! ~5 b; k' w/ n$ j" Y8 p) S' _! C" pPeople 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.
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' z8 T4 W0 d; wIn 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.) r! \& ]" q* }( T/ a y# @
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.* z8 D6 T0 Y5 H% k7 d) m0 O
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank., M9 c) @4 w3 e" G# f' d
+ ^. v/ u" i6 ]$ G# D6 x"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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m# V- o* |% u0 z \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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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.0 e. S6 q. N( N1 ^# v. U
! h' K+ \5 m" @$ DBurleton 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.+ Q, V$ X3 R. {' e
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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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' j- Q0 Q; G' w5 Q% fWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.! {+ b( R; h7 N& ~
7 n" F) W0 v5 p# lAnd 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.
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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.
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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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$ ` I9 m" Y: b" WDavid 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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& C( M' F" e; C! y: j0 ~"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.! m% {4 r; q" A" X
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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."" Q2 e1 `) J0 p" o/ w
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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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