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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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* [$ H& s( P6 T4 cOTTAWA - 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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b8 A' J/ U5 U7 }" P2 C% tPeople 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.; l& Z$ c/ P4 \' F3 O
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Why might it be a good time to sell?9 h" H* [% i; {9 K
) G, e7 p* t; B% `9 p- zAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets., F- [* M' ~7 f6 e( n
8 n7 \. h: G; M1 r; @"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.* \; E9 `7 S) c
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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$ ?2 ]. b1 \% ?# X& \ z8 ?# eThe 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 @3 ]& A$ o1 H: a% g0 ~% O
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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.2 O: K3 ~ r! y5 r; S
* Z( x1 p. G: E$ CBurleton knows how they feel./ f* C: r, V, D
* }$ F! x! o$ ["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.* v+ `) J6 R6 Y, f0 S
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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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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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3 \& \5 I: f3 }# h1 gAnd 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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9 B1 T* i$ m& ~. j0 O7 i: }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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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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" \5 O4 z8 K" ?0 w/ `% fThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.2 x( q7 w$ b- p E9 H5 i+ H( C
7 i3 V8 W% u+ \) H: w8 s7 ADavid 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.) x! h& j! z: R% m
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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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0 Y( ?$ ]' @/ ^$ F"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."7 J& `! ?4 [. z
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act./ Z% d0 }- B. e1 Y" _. w/ O( C
, c" k3 m$ V/ _. x, K8 Q& M0 NBut 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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