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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.+ a$ f% y. n; d, }, R$ F
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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.* ]) m! }& E6 N) l k* K3 @
7 K2 q, g8 f% ?! c6 X6 ? {" nPeople 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.
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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., B5 T1 k: v9 I9 Y; y; Y
3 `* A$ M' h; [" S0 C. y$ lWhy might it be a good time to sell?" L- J9 `* q, }) K
+ w. ^* ?* z: D$ p2 [8 l/ u0 k: r$ YAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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0 A" p$ l |. i& h, G"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.! T X5 g8 L; O: s- E3 ^; j) a
6 w2 p [3 u8 Q8 w% r( z9 ~6 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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c9 r4 Q$ u- l2 R0 s* r, G& SThe 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.1 ^, S0 E" I( E; r
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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.4 \( ]: l! _4 k. O" ]* W
! ~/ ]# \- `4 a; hBurleton knows how they feel.
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6 v' H* S% ~$ E; U2 a% E& p"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.; i1 m) C0 I- ` V# ~* S
8 R7 f, B& ~- }0 |! ^9 Y6 ]$ EWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.' L6 p) D. H! e
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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.
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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.5 q" y/ b ]1 N
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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.- v$ o% x4 j# M
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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.. e: z, m, z$ z1 Z" }% [: \
+ o5 S- Y/ Y7 o: JThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.: l# m3 t/ O, {5 v1 |/ K
4 D1 K. l9 V& q/ P! M+ S) nDavid 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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6 p; u2 U3 p( E# q5 n( p+ A"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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& k2 i9 F- K1 p/ |8 `"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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' b6 F/ p/ W- v4 h9 B: p3 \* ^6 jThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act." J7 h+ c2 k2 j( V) L2 m
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But 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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