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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.8 b% B9 d( p6 K( u3 {0 h: ?. A
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html; `4 T3 X9 _9 h/ N/ `9 ^
5 o+ S3 ~3 S- W& e: x) y; f. ]8 a/ q7 MOTTAWA - 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.2 `( r- ~# q e9 z0 ?+ V
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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.
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, [6 a7 U8 `9 k" d5 m# r/ H$ N6 sIn 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.: Y3 W: M. [. c6 z
* h. @# w: @0 vWhy might it be a good time to sell? Y7 g7 y, g7 i5 ?; ^$ r
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.3 V4 m4 p6 Y# m7 s0 _
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.& B8 |% O( r/ ?
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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$ ~9 [( p2 T- r1 u4 c( IThe 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.# r* x" m( J/ C7 N, |6 M0 e( m9 ]
- B& v4 W4 O) s# D* dOf 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.' w& }# V# N. c5 r9 ?
7 V0 ?* R& w% t( y, }! F"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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, @0 a% T1 Q' ?' m5 C6 b" s) UWhile 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.7 R/ ?1 h5 H# {
/ L, z6 }0 G7 ]! Z; aAnd 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.. A8 O0 [& b9 F: \5 r8 R* a) H
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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.7 j$ H- U- H( {( h8 u h
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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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4 B& p6 A2 N0 ?' h8 ?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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"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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6 ^( P" N8 I1 ~( U"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."6 K3 k1 r( _- ?* ]4 W& u
6 C+ h8 D( \8 K% h1 e- mThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( O7 c: l$ ~+ K2 c B3 s4 z4 g
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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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