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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.: V7 e7 U# B1 |& d! C. ^
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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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' S. i- `, S5 A1 r* 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.
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' F9 X$ o0 T7 a4 yPeople 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.9 u, F) _& c3 Q( D1 d6 c
: J2 V; n( H( U1 n6 q- t' `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.6 q+ | X& B/ Q
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Why might it be a good time to sell?2 ?) E7 T0 ~- C4 r5 [1 v2 @
* h# _% W# r1 w* P! [! [7 s7 M# l! N# IAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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/ j7 A( @+ O5 y) |. p"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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' y4 O) }7 t- Y"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.* [: d- u* C/ o
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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; z1 |* `9 J% I. ^9 r# QBurleton knows how they feel.7 e% W* C0 k* p/ V
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.) p4 l- ?% j9 i8 r) Y1 T) F- n
+ d* u( [! S' z6 h" w! SWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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$ Q# E' D7 W- n5 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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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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: T H/ e \2 `! v# eMeanwhile, 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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( @( L1 a* W1 m9 t+ a& n' RThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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- [5 i! t+ f# Y, A7 ~7 X$ q: xDavid 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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0 X) e5 l% F9 x. C7 v; I; ~! g"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."$ V0 N K( l, Z g
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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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6 J2 w7 Y1 x* x( A' i) x/ iBut 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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