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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.4 s: E l) G" Y4 L
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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.% n* ~) `& \& v" i
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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.8 [+ {1 v/ T3 s# u. p1 `7 K
- Z; N6 Z0 C$ M. y- m3 _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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* B" H4 u+ w$ z+ |; J2 U3 _2 GWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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/ }3 b9 K D0 v6 L8 a7 U* G4 EAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.! p/ z) b0 G& ]3 A$ I0 R
* Y/ w+ x y3 [7 Q* n7 f% W1 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.
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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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$ W6 U3 Q" b8 ~% [9 o( w4 k4 nThe 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.& S6 o& d& }, V* K1 m* v+ E
5 G& U2 N' L# [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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Burleton knows how they feel.1 B* {# _8 w, x# ?5 Q4 r" P
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"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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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.1 l) R8 V% L# j5 h. w( [1 y" ^
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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.2 W( D5 A. D' J. I" ^, p0 }2 h
# z# s' K; ~1 L2 r1 zAnd 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./ _5 h; E _3 r5 | ~
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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.3 T& K2 }9 Y9 B( a$ ^
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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.3 U0 b( F' e5 f. d6 T( l! M
* X0 T- {- L0 }That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.6 Q: s7 C' R/ B* i: ]( F6 o y
7 p. `# ]- U: t2 ^7 m1 V* T1 _& P8 RDavid 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.% o% A' i" M! Y% Z# _' k
+ x# U- G8 P2 ]& O2 n" F"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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.1 V% G6 m6 M& s+ f
. o* J8 e" u/ L7 wBut 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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