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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.! S, D: @. y3 F9 j u/ s/ G
( B% ]0 Y; ]: a- Q& T) p- \http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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3 ]" Y; f' ?" P# POTTAWA - 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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In 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.% W4 G5 _; q, ~' D8 s
* S9 Q. u% F* G" t" \. H"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.. C& L! u5 g" z
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.# V+ C# @/ v, y+ g4 z
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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! s9 X' l, P" C2 o- _Burleton knows how they feel.) Q! L7 x5 h5 s- p; v
5 O% s* K3 Z* R6 p! P! Y6 a"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said. E* B% J! @$ v+ [, D' r
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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.! }; i# C. O( |
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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.$ K; h3 y0 [+ t( {$ G# j
& V$ r# ~3 J/ {4 C4 A7 t4 ]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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+ R* H$ h1 ?. s) n7 _& |7 M. |' b \' mIn 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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. J- c9 ^% O4 R- E2 H- IMeanwhile, 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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2 v; S0 ~& Y; h. c/ z4 A1 XDavid 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 j6 G+ X3 K( T$ ]) ~" u7 A! V& e"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. k! _: Q' M0 b
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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."5 T1 K: N0 }/ D7 A6 A, B
0 t2 d' d! d5 H0 eThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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7 L( M9 E+ r0 S% 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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