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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖. _+ o K4 @. m" O2 m' m
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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" V5 F. i% C- Y8 @$ o) ?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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5 D, ]: N. l `4 z0 g$ MPeople 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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?" O7 [) I& G4 ~% V0 f" A( r
$ y0 F) m) q' I* t+ oAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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1 ~: x3 E% z- t4 V; tThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.' y( Y1 {* H$ u$ v* i6 J/ M9 w5 T
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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.
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Burleton knows how they feel./ `7 X- ?$ Z% V4 t \, D( H
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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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8 H' T' z9 R) C/ ^+ n' X( AWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.( N8 u# D( t8 g% l7 O# E
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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.
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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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- |+ K& M: n, d3 k& u) I1 eIn 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." @/ N: P3 t8 M2 ^) s
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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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s- ~$ B/ E- @, HThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.& ]) ?& {% v) t6 C$ x5 N
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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.$ `8 q- P9 W0 A! V
6 W' F& L& l' r" ["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.. w3 z$ t1 d. A; N
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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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