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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.: X0 w" U& G! q
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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( }, r- x0 w9 A* v, ~& O1 D9 hOTTAWA - 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.# b2 k1 a/ S9 K1 n: P7 T. G
9 ~. A5 ?$ Y7 B+ g1 s; O5 o6 JPeople 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.2 J+ a: y! L" A' \
" Y- S, A, m- p. oIn 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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3 D5 ]+ I: T! Q) s! W8 h4 A& MWhy might it be a good time to sell?% [6 L B7 D | g( N
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.. G9 S2 G# u7 F
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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& O4 ~3 f% B+ ^+ P5 YThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.) i6 t1 F D+ q
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.. V5 ^1 L$ p7 _' I4 s9 r
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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., Z! `3 C8 f) M7 V
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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.( s1 _' T' o6 ~0 r9 C' j3 p! S
D0 q/ I% h, t8 p, \+ KAnd 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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8 Z; R5 w8 |% ]9 dIn 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.# [1 K# m( h9 `. S5 l
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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.
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0 ~; ~* c3 ^! L9 S! ^; E7 N0 UThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying., M& A* v6 L! f
5 v3 q5 { _3 _5 l: E. J9 }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.' ^0 ` M4 H: k% E9 `' k2 @% @1 W# v$ k7 \
0 x1 A, h% w) A* b2 M"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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"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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' r9 t! F( L' W+ S8 S+ x/ }( bBut 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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