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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$ a, E0 N. I A8 J% A( g
0 J( t3 U" l2 f T! D+ \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.# ^8 J8 C- ^5 g# N& {8 H+ u }5 L
* Z3 Y6 ]% Z7 d! ~# p- e( P# r" 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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" q, g w3 `- K& MWhy might it be a good time to sell?6 P1 G' _; D4 x8 j# b. c
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.! N: ^7 Z& N' A( ?
! z9 e+ w/ ?; K* Z/ @& K6 n$ }. f"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.( _' z& q }% c4 S
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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.
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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.2 O! X. l5 l9 g5 j; n3 @% \
) \0 k% o0 `4 EBurleton knows how they feel.: A0 _- O$ r! i9 }- K4 U
~9 l! s& g4 Z8 a* x"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.
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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.4 X# w/ D. K& {( Y D0 P
* ~' Q- |& s+ W9 s) H7 VAnd 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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8 q2 e0 R. K' y$ W2 z" p& v: |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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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.. W) L$ |0 b( `+ K
: u; F$ N, c z0 D. H: Y& n5 M3 dThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.5 M8 D! @. ~) E7 f
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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.
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2 x4 J2 x. p0 j L4 u"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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- f# W3 ^) \% o2 o! A"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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. B' T3 a6 y! s, ^$ ~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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