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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.9 R6 @7 e- {' v, Q4 {
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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z. f0 r7 b3 q* ^& w! nOTTAWA - 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., H @8 I5 x/ D! L
. c1 q* k8 E7 ]- \. aPeople 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.# r! p3 }. j: D! V
8 S# V$ L$ @' l+ J, J8 F& aIn 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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* W: o! ^7 n; P+ E, {Why might it be a good time to sell?
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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.. s3 ^& w- U* j4 s3 U& d
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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., v* }' _/ f% f. E
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop./ d3 r. E. r1 n- J4 F- _7 |3 U
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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.
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Burleton knows how they feel.. v0 U( S- }5 L% R
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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.8 |8 f* s& I! b% X
4 k# L5 r9 h. Y# z4 w8 T; @" m( xWith 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.% C6 g) i" l) O6 F" l, m
& n/ s* B* c( ~5 Y; a+ ZIn 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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& {( r+ w8 W7 P3 qMeanwhile, 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 ]( T3 T9 @2 H; m& S m
0 P3 j; d$ ?+ i% Q7 jThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.$ [" {* f5 A" H. {& I2 p
. v0 O; A$ f. I4 |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.5 h1 `1 \) s( D7 i
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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., @! |( l) L, G- _3 m! Q" Y0 H
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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."9 E: ~7 U! ~! |3 P$ u1 |
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 m; T) ?6 W5 l; K1 e$ ^
' _' z0 t+ F% f% ]$ x+ ~, kBut 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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