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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.5 v& h& Z* D/ W/ L2 t* c4 D- R# x
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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.
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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.( b% Y/ G8 c5 ]6 i0 H5 ?+ w
6 t( Y) s" w! p! D W3 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.9 J; x6 H0 g9 U% K0 E' n
/ K) K, q5 m0 K' I. X9 u0 @Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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$ d! v3 S3 a8 P& ]"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.) m- Q& M9 f6 I3 }+ O
$ m9 a1 W, |( z5 Z% t3 o, f7 r"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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3 @1 U! b) o5 Y, K/ ~5 Y# p1 oThe 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.. V, O8 k3 R' x& b
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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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5 D" x+ j/ |- o# D) MBurleton knows how they feel.
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, t5 D7 _* G8 }' V' G% B"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.3 h5 B& V$ q6 e* F! h6 u
4 s! I) E! r/ [( 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.# E; Y- R6 }1 i$ Q7 S. v+ S
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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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7 z" E7 _4 S" n: b1 }: h+ v0 fIn 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.
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. n2 }6 @8 `9 g, e$ K X' NThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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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.
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' Y( {, {" p) _, D2 ]"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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$ c$ @' x% f- W- u7 t/ tBut 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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