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欢迎讨论, 但千万别拍砖.
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5 q; N+ J: r7 B; L1 [9 Nhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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2 H: D7 u$ |4 S: Q( R7 B7 U' ROTTAWA - 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.; t. @- r6 l1 n2 l0 v% w
" u0 H* T1 x# q8 U0 gPeople 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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% s- `3 C$ r" t( W& zWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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4 ~+ ]7 O0 C0 J# H: U5 DAt 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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0 W7 r- s+ k8 }# ^! K! l"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.( i. T3 D3 O7 |* v
2 q& y# P) f6 Q1 _5 m"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.' u, Z9 D( ]& @, I+ h" R
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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., O8 a. a1 ^, Y H2 i& x
4 x- d& W a3 }; W* l% s1 A# s6 OBurleton knows how they feel.
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8 }, u, O" F- ]9 L% 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.+ ~+ k, |, W [
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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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) W, u& k/ s3 X4 R9 AWith 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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4 s; B4 ^5 u" a# V. nAnd 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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* m! n9 O& `5 U& ^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.
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.1 q( X# \+ K' c; P
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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 e& B, S"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., I8 A: D1 ]2 I" J4 e- S" T* C# @6 p$ k
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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."% U8 s4 Y7 D# @4 \6 [1 Q0 l
/ V" n' \$ W8 B7 O% }6 UThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act./ x& c! G: m- W/ j, M$ j& I6 v
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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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