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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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5 ?0 g- x2 X0 |" g) h4 }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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( b, P2 N9 d5 c+ V+ v/ s- _" ~# DIn 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.2 E0 L8 X, x: N2 D0 X" y: B6 b
1 i8 j$ g7 H# P: f6 `8 F; fWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.( f. i( R* {4 o2 E) h
0 p3 h+ i- q0 Z3 i; B2 g"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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- }0 {: A9 R: M* A- PThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.* Y: T0 i+ Z8 P2 Z x0 ~# r
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.. m1 N6 |, G$ w# h7 T$ T* h6 ]
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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.5 P/ ~# {4 D P3 b9 g9 `
2 L+ s" i; A0 l" Q+ r5 V; cWith 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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, }' ^- o/ A' Y% g# CAnd 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., a U7 i8 n3 k/ B
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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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; `# K% N9 g. r( w- ? S. B0 R d" [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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0 ?8 {( b/ [7 H. b$ g9 jThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.4 B" l. G4 b' x! H
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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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"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.0 M+ ^ X& d" m
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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."
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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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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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