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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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0 y3 I, M+ e$ u/ Jhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html+ f% Z, \3 d/ J! }% {
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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.; N' o# r6 _2 j, _4 f
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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.! J/ m) F: ?' V- R
( i6 n* J7 o/ ? nIn 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.4 {6 q; X5 K9 C. s
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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/ M+ H: b# V8 j. X, V' JAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets. `( g) U& V& p$ U) _0 Q( Y1 k8 w
8 k$ u1 [1 e2 @# n" ~ g! m* `. N. O"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./ Q F; N% g" _7 V
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' D% M" `4 h) B9 f
3 q6 @: N& q$ e: 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.; I; X1 C. q4 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." @4 _& R7 M8 f. ?$ K; \5 H. T( L
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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/ T v/ F% z( 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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1 m# ~7 c' o a" k2 t4 x( t+ CWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.) ^* q6 @) H7 ~3 d8 t/ `1 ?
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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. L$ \ u# `; D6 y. a4 r9 G
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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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* C/ X. D9 B$ vIn 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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8 J. X# Z0 K u$ [: LMeanwhile, 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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7 k9 I5 v" Q/ Z$ J ]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.
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! b$ w1 |% B( ~3 x0 @) C& {' H"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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"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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1 r- `+ j* m% H( HThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act. X* n) E& ]" a; ]
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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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