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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( _ p5 V) j5 D' }8 b
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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.! Y7 D7 ~7 R" ]. E# P
6 Z% P( b7 D+ x; ]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.' S4 k S. c! n; p
4 o$ c+ k; p* \- M8 h8 t6 sIn 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.6 S1 ]* i6 d% [" q
* v2 o3 X4 \, S& ~Why might it be a good time to sell?0 E7 L: V" p& \6 p% |
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.- ^1 ~) n" }0 I! i& T7 j
5 D$ h; B% m: N"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.
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1 t' ^0 ]4 S* m4 z5 B"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.5 A/ o x; L# G" P
}+ B4 y( i" JThe 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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2 R4 r. v- k) [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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+ q/ k" Z. |4 T" v1 }Burleton knows how they feel.# g1 ?& e! ?0 j
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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.
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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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- v3 Q: ?5 |: M$ c$ R b6 zWith 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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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./ [+ \3 u: X" I
$ n6 X( r8 ^3 {% m/ N/ A& z* G. ~: qIn 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.9 L, W) Q. x P
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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.8 ?- K6 g& q% A V7 c; y
9 i+ e& C0 G1 O2 o- v"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.& F3 s9 N) i8 o; t
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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."' \# I# R* a; \/ h+ S) z7 z
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.) n( c. _5 [- q W
/ {# [5 Z$ a+ I# s9 y/ CBut 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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