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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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5 F% ]4 p2 X0 A2 v bhttp://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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) n- k1 l/ t% q2 pPeople 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.
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5 D/ |1 E# q% z( @6 U% i$ o. H/ _Why might it be a good time to sell?
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4 m: G* x1 T5 \" l* X( hAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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5 U: B' v; @& W0 {9 R$ M6 m- N; A( \"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." Y6 g7 G6 ?* v3 S+ g
& q) W) x' N- C0 Z: M"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.. R8 P/ A; @( |" P) T7 G0 P
7 }. K5 r z# C! K; x* F3 J5 J( `! q1 QThe 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: n7 F7 B+ i+ }
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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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5 N# q" x! I0 P5 F+ o6 W4 G' {Burleton knows how they feel.
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. E+ H9 |! Z: b3 A& 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.* o1 A; G7 ^' A+ g3 f7 l; J
- M- w& W6 ~( JWhile 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.1 m' v/ N: k" ?$ L E O" o
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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.: Q3 c6 }. @. c
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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.# V* Q a% y: H9 W
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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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* h2 p/ X0 f- l- ~; A# ~. ^: ?- UThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.' V6 ]0 X8 ?0 L; A9 R o2 s
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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./ M( w$ p* e5 l9 F
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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.5 Z% G6 v. b$ e4 ?, m+ @3 J: P
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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.") p+ `: n \+ \$ N% }9 @) A
! C# Q. ?) v- y0 aThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.# n3 L: M' D& c& @
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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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