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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- p4 J. O; I5 c6 C- |1 @$ H
% S. l$ \8 ]4 A$ h! qOTTAWA - 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$ n: W" h" i- ?0 fPeople 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.' g' U$ N4 B% W2 n4 |: }. K% P) Q
- t' S0 l' u- u4 N3 F4 d MIn 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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3 Y) e [0 z$ U6 \; UWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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' ?; Y0 w+ \" d( K4 @4 x, n"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.5 c! i! h' v' {& i8 k; g
* A0 e, J! a4 ?' `( o" `"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.% }% P3 ^' j$ d8 H
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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.1 Y8 Z% I* Y7 a
9 h1 a6 m$ a" E" ]6 S6 @# W' z4 ?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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4 K$ [: Z) y4 o4 N! T" T6 E$ ^3 z- ]; ^Burleton knows how they feel.
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- v/ E4 n3 I! R/ @- e4 m"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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; e9 f7 q* s8 [) m" Q6 l, jWhile 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.) y2 O4 B% b# Z) {* D( P
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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.6 C$ m! C) N4 g9 |
/ u8 w. Z. @' \" c5 [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.. w$ @5 T7 A# \. K+ Z1 R
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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.: U- |3 E0 O: s; \! O: P0 k, P" X% M
4 I4 \1 c- G( a5 eThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.( P' R$ Z8 g) e5 F$ l0 b+ B
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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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1 a K# x0 f( _"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.; K3 h0 C0 \" _) M7 P+ I/ `- ?
, G* M- t& A" [$ 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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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, D" N9 w5 ?3 F6 a( |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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