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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.0 i( u4 i' e. u$ G; x% O
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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# k; o9 s8 z" aOTTAWA - 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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4 l/ {6 { g) JPeople 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.; i1 S7 O$ b+ T0 U$ r# d! x4 Q4 {
. d* g: \& t4 J' w& P) Q. zIn 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.' t$ D) l/ O( B) P( j
0 t, C% W0 P+ |' v6 ?% F5 G kWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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- e1 E6 r" N) g, N! o% e" G8 S; y ]At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.- N; s' |- [- O9 d4 {
& `3 O; T5 P: V' p. U8 e"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.( ~+ K6 D" Z: p, I
. z7 S/ s8 g3 e$ @4 }5 K2 l4 MOf 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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2 C$ n, O" a& E2 `Burleton knows how they feel.+ C# {. D' _( w& \3 c3 q
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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.
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/ @0 ~5 x( o; d# s4 UWith 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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( _5 X# ]4 Y0 ~: W2 ~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.
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) K/ F9 ~) d; a9 JMeanwhile, 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.* X0 [: U5 r9 R2 ]
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.% O$ D* D2 ~# I% R" z' B
; N, W& r j1 b9 y9 E. C" T/ l- d8 n, GDavid 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.2 _5 ?" T8 K/ S1 i( z1 `
) A( A1 X, m% w) |+ Y' w# V"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.$ e$ e$ @# _2 D: z2 ^" r
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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., S& z' ?5 A% r* S8 U2 U& I+ d
* z5 R: Y& h) b: w9 PBut 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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