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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.2 j5 y s& q# \7 l3 F% q
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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$ W, ?& {* U2 P- i/ nOTTAWA - 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.# @ `7 o% t% _& q& W# S
, U$ v" T4 E9 J. BPeople 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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& U- C/ k1 C9 o$ O, t1 w/ @- JIn 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.$ N' E' ?! d; W J
0 z _+ s" h% |& PWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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2 ?* ` E) q, i* A4 e$ L6 v: aAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.* u# T5 d) b* G+ Z- T5 ?" x5 `1 ?
/ @3 t, ~' ?7 a$ b( 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.
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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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1 x8 j4 _- H' X# BThe 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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3 y! d2 K1 C% _8 B6 iOf 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. [4 o. h$ W: S" t- U# m$ s- n* |
+ e; o- e, f2 ^3 j- n" ?1 w8 RBurleton knows how they feel.) x& P! Z. k: [2 N$ O
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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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3 {8 b* S5 Y/ K) q3 Y" I! d1 pWhile 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+ i5 s/ k7 n/ D/ ^1 P3 C9 [# d1 oWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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* t$ Y" v. z Y1 Z! X0 R& c# 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." B6 W& J K1 Z" C
* ?1 m$ @; i# B1 o2 x& GIn 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.4 r# u$ J Z1 U" q5 \
E" g1 Y/ w- s0 E* mMeanwhile, 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/ b9 `9 a/ {: u- O* I2 b
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.1 Z) v4 d @ [5 f9 _4 a5 ?( Q t" H8 V
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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.$ n, q. ^- ]) W
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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.. b1 r* J: m( `# v7 Z* x8 \: l; V
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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."8 g2 ^% T5 F- B3 x- y5 d9 z
1 U% C+ [9 o, C1 T9 j9 EThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act./ `6 n6 d. R0 H' f
2 ]; B, `& N) G4 R3 ^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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