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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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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.4 W+ n# C( t; i, H# j
& Y5 ?; q5 D, kPeople 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.) \- B/ H' A4 a! u+ U
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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?7 q4 X5 P. H6 }0 |
: e' l1 b8 l% s! JAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets. B; E9 a$ q! Q+ ?
9 `' j: l( Y0 u! K"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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8 [6 t4 R6 W) @2 V"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.; z* v) G$ d S. O* @- _4 H
5 Y9 |- l8 D4 S# Z& D ^6 hThe 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." h/ S6 p: R4 h( I* q) p
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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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+ F& t+ E2 j; C+ Z$ m; mBurleton knows how they feel.
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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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' [5 S- r2 g6 P$ {; bWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way." J! {$ D8 x. @: i+ B9 ^" y. M
7 b- k( M' s. Q* w$ v4 ^6 t( {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.; @( s' B. ?1 D
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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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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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E% v9 z. j4 @7 T" v/ {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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, Z$ E$ g1 k) y! I* U- MThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying. a+ Q* m3 j# P# X) ^5 N. i
; N7 Q* Q0 |; T+ E$ l8 DDavid 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.; a; p A5 t; F0 [
l& P1 c9 \8 Q3 J4 V"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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8 C e; A/ i) g2 D# N [The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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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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