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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.) W+ h8 b* a- E& Y, Z2 ]' `5 u
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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.% a/ g1 O: t1 v, b$ g
* b5 w" p! w/ q' t0 eIn 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.$ v* v( t4 B3 A
" @4 g |1 S% E* @8 vWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.1 m3 }; i. |# {1 t9 `
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.! C" w: l9 h; n s1 ]
8 b) {" k9 |! k5 y$ X1 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.4 ] E$ t( Z% R K7 y- i
9 m* Q; g) X- i h9 m: K, eOf 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., d3 h/ `1 }+ l7 V4 P* l2 w, g o
: |8 k, Y- U% m4 R& i) O( x3 pBurleton knows how they feel.+ [$ ?- ?! _# F' b8 ? ?
- W4 Q5 @4 Z& R; k2 S( k"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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( y# V5 G r. _5 qWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.: D5 s" ]3 \; K7 j; C; R$ T! o
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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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t! {& ]5 O9 O6 r' ^! F) tAnd 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.3 ~6 p' r7 T2 e. n: ]
. O- w: [' e8 `7 }6 i R+ rIn 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.& \( e( t# Z1 Y: ~
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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.8 J0 \" ]- k2 _! f# U1 D0 |" t
{4 @! y. I9 U5 l$ ^, ` mThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying., W! ^1 N7 p, h: `* s- `
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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.$ o! P9 q8 U Z. v
4 e! d+ {6 Q; _2 X"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.
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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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