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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
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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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z& k2 H/ C5 D: P) i0 w6 g+ v2 t: g7 iPeople 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 m, D& s' l# Q1 n5 {
' k" Q# N, G( | m$ pIn 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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* j% ~( c' w3 [+ j0 U( NWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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; j0 `! Y3 f: h3 q"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.: n9 a/ a, k& A# M7 O
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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1 u+ G' K8 f- {" @The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower./ t+ _# w" C' o) Y- A1 {
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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/ V, D6 E4 R! V% J2 S- S- U8 y"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.
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While there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.- [; I3 u/ x c0 r% V
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With ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.
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. r$ Z; u* ?9 A6 ~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.
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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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1 _! F) U5 v2 B2 `) }$ G; z! g1 y4 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.! I U; _6 q% M! E* e
5 L* s+ H* t+ W/ j8 m5 r, iThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.3 G5 }+ W% z0 Z0 h5 Q
& W8 {4 ?0 a! |$ P. fDavid 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." j5 B/ V1 p- ^
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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."7 m0 f( R" y: J1 F$ y/ g( A
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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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& x: S4 o7 F6 ]2 a g3 DBut 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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