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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.5 ?9 S; u& P) C2 k9 i1 p" r
! r! H6 P- i( ~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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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.
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' k! @! k" F2 {' z/ @# qWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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- M) K4 l9 @9 \2 u6 ]9 z1 ]At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.- }. u& ^! ]# E. Y2 @/ W6 l7 O
0 ~% p) L% p# n% b) ]7 ]: o"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.9 N, }& h- \9 [7 r* x7 A$ W
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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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7 u" j2 w/ K% ~6 d4 o2 C2 NThe 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.$ }' {+ q# ^( Q6 t+ r
) ~ _, U/ T, @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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& U& F7 W$ S2 J& N2 S0 NBurleton knows how they feel.# ^ p# J- n4 [4 [& ] N! k8 O
- |( k0 }: I& ?5 p. I5 G6 m* P7 {6 P"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.: U* I# K$ c/ p* x& g0 s
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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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2 t4 q5 S" }; X1 g5 L8 x, ^9 mAnd 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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! p- V0 R2 M- R& T1 P- FIn 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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: B" r' X' W+ l0 R; D8 FMeanwhile, 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 a4 {0 M$ \6 A% R' z9 \That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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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, z, A3 p1 c3 R"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.' z: Z+ U; U8 @* ?7 [
' ]1 k4 k9 f& ~2 M C"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."1 n. @" m( y) e V) j% f5 s5 h9 b
* s4 R4 }" N3 I: F$ T1 T5 vThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.( \/ a* w! h* J& t9 D
2 P3 a0 p1 ]/ n# i; TBut 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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