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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html3 l: i' r1 }" g: F* _0 X8 q1 A
2 R' @* u- P$ \( F$ y7 y( wOTTAWA - 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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. U; v" q( z: l0 v' {) U, ? P( A/ qPeople 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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4 x v; b5 P* \0 ?& ^; yIn 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.* g0 N4 @' O4 d) r! W+ A
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Why might it be a good time to sell?5 S. r9 z5 d! G% q1 t4 j; i
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.2 J! E8 i# J4 _/ H8 ?2 a
" a. t' A) c& U) ^$ Y' X0 o8 J" G4 W( A"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.- L9 B `( ?/ E4 D$ r- @% _
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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2 \. u0 |9 O) X( ^+ Y4 l G$ ZThe 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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- t8 E1 {9 V( {! n& SOf 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.' W" G/ \; I m
7 a9 r( a, U" r' P% JBurleton 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.4 d j/ a" _* ?* D& ~4 v4 G3 u( |
8 `& l8 L" v: k; Y, \7 N. [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.( B$ n( \& ~% g9 S1 t9 Z
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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.( h1 O4 @) h0 x% ^9 K
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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.2 _9 e( D$ p' V8 v. e. _0 S% X& f
# F: _" g- _1 W9 d" V2 Y/ H+ DIn 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.% K h# w, p c: f
+ W A0 r! U/ Z6 O8 I2 F7 QMeanwhile, 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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$ l4 i L3 `9 v. W5 R# D5 ZThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying./ j F: a) c, d3 y# t* k
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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.
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& p+ Z& f6 i0 W9 y' v0 y/ J3 K"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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" }* Q/ Y0 O3 Z# x# iThe 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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