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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.# F8 a5 u, b5 N) \% m5 h
* b+ u% ^3 \. o, A3 T; U9 V' ~% Thttp://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( `7 ~, w" C
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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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+ E: ~! B9 p% s5 f; y/ B/ aWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.) {$ V5 J0 d% ~9 k/ Y4 i
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop." Q: b- M$ ~1 ^6 s5 N& E
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The 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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/ w( a1 l% W8 J- vOf 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., M7 j1 x3 M7 k& P' S4 M/ h* a
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Burleton knows how they feel.5 r# ?5 r5 P {# t' Q5 q
4 P& b" o7 Y/ {0 v3 m6 \"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.& I/ e8 D# b9 B
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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.
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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., j! c( b3 A& V
) e, a2 W; i8 @2 o( D0 B- I' ~7 pAnd 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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+ V. T8 @4 K; T1 x- n- d/ LIn 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." G; ~4 q5 s8 ?0 S8 @4 I
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That 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.8 K+ n& {- s0 ~1 H. M" ~) w
) a( l1 X' ?# a+ d" r4 T"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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7 |1 }+ n/ C p6 C- Y9 c fThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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# Y8 g* [1 d+ e; UBut 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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