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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.! r3 J+ x y, m: h7 P- 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." D7 ^7 ~* v5 a8 l i4 X* }/ k! j, p
% c; V0 k6 ?4 CPeople 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.8 o5 a9 _$ |2 |3 z8 C$ q- e
" C/ S& ~3 L$ ^8 \. I7 B; Z& xIn 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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4 o$ T1 d v2 K& qWhy might it be a good time to sell?; u. g' F+ ^: E. S4 O& ]! Y/ e
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.+ S9 d4 H: T8 d( p( f( E' P# R
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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T g2 @; L' X. R$ W9 hBurleton knows how they feel.7 d% V. I! {0 u' Y: u# D
" m; V r* ]8 a& c. [& e"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./ S- v1 I- A4 |9 N
. w6 v6 z* H& a+ C8 j2 o0 [ DWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.8 K, B, o% u1 W* B
# W: a0 t; N% |! c# b# K" ?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.1 i6 t( o& S" H6 \/ S3 I
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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.
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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.4 \+ C0 U% J f5 A8 K6 ^
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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.0 |* G A, J$ A, o% c( y0 e
& O0 ?) S( N& f6 Y7 KThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.4 T3 w u+ [. X* e2 {+ {/ `3 h
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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.1 ^8 K: q4 k: K' f A# s
$ u% V2 E3 s2 G7 {8 p"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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' t- D: Y& w0 a7 y2 H' v"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."6 u) \8 Y ?+ q8 ^2 L
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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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3 F8 O7 x) r1 \* I ?5 d# c( [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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