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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.html0 \% s. o! V0 l/ |3 l
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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.+ R8 g$ s$ q8 q" n8 Q
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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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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.8 | E8 m* v! Y2 D7 [
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Why might it be a good time to sell?9 R6 K3 `8 I- q+ k
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.! Z) k. ]/ L; P, u3 L4 v
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.9 d8 _, }" Z7 E: j, \8 g
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.7 m. J& h6 H0 i# ~: w; L, I* W V# r
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.0 w, i6 a% Y% p i4 c' m- ^$ u
: }# W3 B' N! }+ v. IOf 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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. [% V7 x7 g7 OBurleton knows how they feel.2 a) I$ U7 K& U3 J8 J0 h6 W
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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.1 f8 x. ~7 I. ]1 n7 |
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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.4 a; [; _6 J+ s0 k
6 q4 b7 y' R3 {: z9 n! fAnd 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.6 t8 O* R. q7 Q: u3 q7 u4 F
) W4 D! p# p& m2 N `3 `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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0 {, J3 b) v" b7 [1 P; wMeanwhile, 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.7 K) f8 o* l, E5 }" E
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.+ \9 \( { s3 D" T! w. {
; t# X6 _( C& b! W5 `. s; nDavid 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.$ R* S9 P' j- b
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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.9 k+ P+ V/ l* ]2 U2 T* B7 }
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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.") ]3 a8 n) G4 H' z+ n: k6 V
4 M1 N3 s9 s( k, E! a# Q. B+ BThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.' o; ]; K) w& g9 `" `
M5 o' Y- P$ g, E& h V, U" A' 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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