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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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- z7 q% x$ Q' ~; p; w) v& KOTTAWA - 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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- ]; _1 }: ~9 x( U. p& |/ w9 G2 CPeople 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.6 f7 [5 D, C1 `$ l7 R! t2 O# G) [
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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., l7 W( u( H! G* |" E8 `2 d
1 ^0 s% s6 Y$ t4 n6 KWhy might it be a good time to sell?4 o+ x1 H6 ]* W A6 |
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.# t5 s: a' X- x& D, t9 |" U
8 J q$ j5 ]+ y"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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6 t* e4 G' y/ g$ J, _" ^# [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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7 j) t( C" e- w8 I9 D8 ZOf 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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3 h, ?/ S& ^* ~1 o" i# p! X) TBurleton knows how they feel.9 S3 d* H2 F& H9 g8 t$ Z
' ^9 z7 h$ i/ c5 d"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.5 s5 U/ ~6 O: O- ?. E/ I' R
, S$ Z* G; D) ^6 T6 {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.% U, m$ H# X* ^* I1 G
8 n) ^0 S) Q6 A# D7 SWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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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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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. u! x, S( y8 {% Y
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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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" Z# V* v+ ?: ]" E7 l3 R" T* ZThat 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.( y5 @; f: x4 Q$ o0 k
- P/ X# f7 f. N( F1 r3 R6 k0 K, p"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.! o# c' {) U' C, Z9 O1 v; R
) H3 b w5 ?$ [) a% J" L2 h' Y4 F"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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: ?5 b. m$ ?; h: ~! CThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.3 y; s/ t: a) l- J
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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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