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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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6 F! i8 U9 d! ~http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html! g% z* X3 a# f1 M- ?
# V' C* k- w/ ]: }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.
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; f$ ? h/ z& c- f) {3 s0 S5 QIn 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.* s" f) u5 b3 p3 ]
0 r% K2 j7 v, ^( V/ o9 Q: SWhy 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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: F% ^& }( t* w# E4 h* L! ?! M"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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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.% [8 [" j4 H7 R. I: z
+ e; h) b3 x8 N8 RThe 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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7 ]7 O% o5 R5 [( Q9 sOf 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.' L- E: C+ l! _
, h4 f f8 t& |; @) I8 }Burleton knows how they feel.4 D/ X5 q5 c: Z) T1 X, K; v
- r) ?/ c2 s) N0 X I# ?"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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/ f4 ?, L; b& AWhile 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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! a& Z+ P0 G8 P( v8 tWith 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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" @5 [. e( y! ]3 t9 aAnd 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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: t7 y" a3 G& b! Z7 S+ ]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.) i: I8 g/ w' [
: O" ]4 h8 Q0 z4 v m lMeanwhile, 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., b P! O) |5 Z/ _5 J
G+ F9 R2 c1 f# YThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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' @0 T6 D! J" r9 EDavid 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.) [5 s. x: } ?: S2 u, `
$ n. a: \$ D) g9 s1 x7 D3 F( ]$ 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.", [% W! j; M | v! |' ^
0 S2 r5 P% c" Z# yThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.1 c! ~, ~, x. ?
6 ?6 e1 |4 p) m/ w" BBut 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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