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1 k* h" t9 J! e& J5 vhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html! O) T4 e. m* V. A9 m% Z
7 Q0 o1 |" T8 _" F: C" |# TOTTAWA - 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.* @! J: |& w5 }
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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?) `' C; m* Q( s t( a- K
: N9 K( V/ A+ X( }, {, `At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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' o! e4 i" [ {2 I"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.: d' s A2 q& T2 E7 b$ L x
S/ E9 `. h) T" \2 X: y, ["If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.+ T" g* }3 Y$ M4 f, a0 Y& y( A
" P3 a7 n; Q7 H. t' i$ {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.9 |' b. Z3 K$ s, }' D
; z: D/ I! C5 Y/ U6 IOf 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.. K6 B% N7 H l0 J6 K# A
5 o1 @! N% }* ]6 e"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.! N: |' R5 v: Q. [, B
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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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- J% V2 c+ E I+ R1 I/ r5 p; g1 |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.+ K9 {) D' w9 f' Y" T1 g+ \
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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.
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6 X8 P0 \) B/ R% _! n5 L) ^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./ p' z) B9 k& L+ ]9 s. z
0 L- p) R. k- P4 G$ W- S* b( q2 HThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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! Q2 N, H$ a6 x# u$ PDavid 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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: Z3 \9 d; |+ 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." I6 A* v) I8 S9 e0 C h
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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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6 y ^0 h- m! T: @7 i' H% yBut 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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