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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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+ ~' J8 b$ e# v K9 k$ A5 p& jhttp://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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0 D0 t7 B& M7 o, j! {: C2 b) I" wPeople 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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% q5 O" A- t5 [1 L) k- tIn 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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/ u3 k x' Y, \, M6 r0 r' GWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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; J( v' g! c; _+ v; O5 F' {4 YAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.3 S' f- C4 R% {) r: E7 O: r. g4 P
+ O( v7 y9 a# ? q7 [6 E1 u"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank., j5 A% W; D7 M6 ~9 u5 A9 \
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.( F, Z% }- P+ u9 C" m) ~+ v
& s) y( S2 j, f6 K2 R8 r0 K% BThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.0 G2 }5 e+ o( l4 h( p
) y! s" d- |' A# L3 S* NOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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* z2 C6 ^9 |* ]' E! Y2 ]While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.
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& q" n: V# U B; S9 Z& v9 vWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.* D4 P; T. r0 ^$ ?4 O- G* N
7 I) w$ V' c( M, K; {9 s5 oAnd 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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! B$ n& ?; E4 ]8 k& Z I' I, d' |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.0 u2 ~( n6 p$ N1 ^ o7 S7 F) 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.
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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.; F4 {- q+ ]2 B' \) v: l
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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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/ W- S+ C& [# ^8 W"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."5 l8 A6 g" r3 T' w! E$ v* R, b
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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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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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