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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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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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( Q" T: ~9 U" I+ K. u3 VPeople 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.2 _2 ]8 Z, }% d. ~4 X
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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.5 Q# |* ? j X }! S! W
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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+ p" h9 C& b) zAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.+ K& @/ D: a' d
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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9 G/ X3 J Y% V3 A8 E4 ~Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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" L$ U: I1 d2 Y+ [Burleton knows how they feel.+ y# L) d8 Z' @* z: m
9 r1 U0 Y3 U* X# x/ ~+ ?"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.# S p) ^) L/ f& @: b
" r2 \, {, h$ g/ G; {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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* z8 J) J' I) N" t. GWith 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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^6 W( p9 f: O1 A; p, W5 G8 NAnd 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.0 m5 `/ n/ O8 V" m% }* ?
! ~4 M% g& z' x: O# vIn 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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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.8 D0 j: ~9 m: G5 }2 J
; i! z4 e1 q, W: [9 r' gThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying./ q- k+ K( D" m0 r
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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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, c% o3 y' d. Z! k"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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4 Z3 v( _, _" y# I$ F: t"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.") A3 V) h7 H6 f3 `$ W# A u6 {
8 U# M0 G3 z8 u0 k& y4 aThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.- Q3 m+ l$ V; ]3 p+ T
) a. m$ N# d: G! Y( P( e8 \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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