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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* B& R3 j8 U* o' o
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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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" T: D1 |$ X; v- I" D, O; g% nPeople 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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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.+ t( S2 e% U/ p5 B9 H
4 c& E( t: A2 K+ i# y5 h+ dWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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6 i+ f& e* j/ qAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.& P. R H; m! s. s5 l, ^
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.) l9 B" r- i! {6 W& V
% X6 Q3 k/ |" {( [. e5 R, JBurleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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- k$ J. s j' YWith 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.0 B0 D& f# y6 I" z
+ u' ^% |: |# U6 {- Y8 X7 PIn 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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( ?8 B' N9 G) f8 p7 C( O( _9 `# ^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 Z0 R$ h& f8 e- Z
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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* z7 `* [! L, O1 a/ @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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9 C7 x( D4 _$ s- j"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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) A c7 s6 ~" S/ N3 j6 d"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."0 O, O1 ^$ {( P( O& I. a& Y1 J- \
, O7 v! T& H( j, |$ T ~4 `0 mThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.7 g9 X8 H8 U1 S9 H# ^4 {, Y* ~
- Y+ J+ e4 \( ~; oBut 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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