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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.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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In 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.: [- |3 d/ f+ \( r: e( j& E
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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( ]# o; \3 V5 Z3 \, gAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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W8 V( X: k4 J- i3 I( w"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.* E1 ^8 x! S# }$ G
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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.
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' |9 e: Q! f2 }, xOf 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.: o, T) n1 ]. P; X4 r# }
! b2 |8 e& J- w( u4 }! B3 CBurleton knows how they feel.+ K1 K2 r/ D) R0 O4 j
9 r6 t4 O5 T1 ?( s$ l' y"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.- m* H% C7 c9 B' h: T7 G% h# n4 M
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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.' v: O4 H w& H a& M5 [2 v5 I
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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.8 _' A* S5 {) S: ~' S! K7 a: y- X
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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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9 w$ A7 r7 y3 x: \ }/ L8 g5 sIn 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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; A$ Q3 Y8 Z9 y! GThat 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.1 T, U3 m( K+ ?' X5 O
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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.4 W% P' a! t2 @; e$ a( G
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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."* q! C+ v) S$ ]2 M- J7 p. Z( I( M
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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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8 X6 q" P, N' {4 N# \. g6 J- OBut 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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