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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.html7 u2 [$ K( R4 |% Q" X7 F2 N
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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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* w' c) Q. V/ R: @ Y2 TIn 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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% g! k4 {: D7 i5 s; @Why might it be a good time to sell?* f X' m7 o* v3 V8 B
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets., {9 k6 {" X2 d- ^* t0 m: m, ?
) O" A& v) ~, X' _) u! z' P"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank. ~$ K5 o+ e8 n" b/ b! _
$ ^+ W Z6 F$ Q4 G"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.# ^. e0 H4 \0 D1 y% F+ l
5 D4 c8 T/ H( G- h9 uThe 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.7 n: Y7 ?) ?8 t: ^
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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.( Q0 h" h: b' y' `& D. D
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Burleton knows how they feel.- x# d# z4 o" b. k
! s- \8 \" z0 G* G"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 R0 i# V9 ?& O3 aWhile 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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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.) N# H4 Q8 E7 z3 n' `/ f; Q! s
7 _) ?8 @- O) [0 S- qAnd 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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6 r$ ~. V% f/ ^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.' Q& b3 x- \& [$ l9 l4 G
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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.5 t! V" Y- m* z/ k+ }
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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.
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6 Q# K- k. e2 t0 c) b7 N0 ^. ]( |"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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; k' n/ a/ d' `# sThe 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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