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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# ]1 \, F- S8 Q( ~0 U% N' q7 k4 }1 Q1 ~
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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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8 a j7 }; O3 vPeople 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.6 q, m0 x7 @0 P9 @
3 m! w- [0 C: P* t/ u& h% }2 CIn 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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8 p, q2 @) i5 {2 j* z' `Why might it be a good time to sell?% `' O6 g# `8 S
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.: j7 ?/ ]7 Z5 \' n
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.) ~* c4 ^1 l6 f) T$ \/ X3 _" z; F
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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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y0 i) D# G# `6 V3 @! _# YThe 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. w/ f0 |3 B4 Z- F
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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.: J2 l! o5 i, z3 m+ u1 P
V' v: y6 t3 p3 B+ x8 HBurleton knows how they feel.
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8 _$ g9 @9 a/ ^+ y"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., D& y' N1 @2 j9 `7 U$ T
4 _ B7 a) \; r6 D- 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.
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h$ g& y. D$ A2 [, dWith 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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, P' x& u+ o. k0 }& H0 Y' Z D8 HAnd 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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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 J$ n" B2 e4 c) h+ m! E$ X
) e: j2 b. i0 UThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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5 x, L' i: [) g- bDavid 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.% h. G# k9 @) o9 C; w6 w$ _. `
; K6 y1 d0 v3 a$ o0 e; L2 @! ^2 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.
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+ u5 `2 Z2 n( e' f. v% j# T* W, R5 j o"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.- n) b/ j: h E' O: y) V
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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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