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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 s6 {& P, O" c( i/ n
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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.
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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.
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& Y$ n2 M/ d% y V8 UIn 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.& P- ]; W( R* A% s
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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 $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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( G; t$ q4 k1 Y5 }1 m% `$ Z: C"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.3 T: b' x; w m5 |' K' @, M
7 ^4 `' m& A/ v$ f" L" H7 p"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.8 a1 v% h7 u) A; d
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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.6 E* w( V# m$ r
1 K8 K# p* m9 GOf 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.# D0 j& b" G# X- n& J
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Burleton knows how they feel.' ^2 f+ h4 ?1 j
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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.) r+ R% g" \. U* @1 O" R
$ F( |# _# K0 Y8 q" O% FWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.; K' y4 I+ g* w/ R9 ~
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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./ Q1 n. u8 g) @! r0 @
, e6 q/ V |+ h. \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.
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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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7 p+ D% B3 f! b/ e* N( e- _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.5 x& A' f: a. P3 V
a' I& Z7 C0 rThat 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.5 Z' W: q8 i. [- ?: u' K' C7 q
& \6 [. O/ i( m- T* B1 \% A1 Y" ^( _"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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% g! e1 Q6 U2 d' q$ ^ M"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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7 Y# j" v! H$ h+ T: q8 P( p4 d8 W0 e: JThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.. f% B/ F! a3 K/ C" E
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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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