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5 C4 h# a: t/ L* I0 Qhttp://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.* v0 z4 J8 T* B# l5 b# i
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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.1 D7 [2 _( C, T5 D: |
$ A$ j* @0 ~5 }6 n+ H; W" cWhy might it be a good time to sell?) v0 \1 \" {& ~! F$ ]
7 a0 J2 i* j1 uAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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, d- I" W+ B: W4 R4 i h"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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$ c- P& t( r: mThe 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.7 V: [1 A: c% s6 J
& [7 ?& ~% {9 r8 m1 O6 f1 VBurleton knows how they feel.3 B; h* h5 }$ F8 p% P: ^
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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.
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% }4 m8 A z# _; ~5 cWhile 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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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.
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+ f* {' c# l9 V9 Q+ ~$ xAnd 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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- d1 s4 F% |0 I m {; CIn 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.
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6 \* A0 I5 I3 `* [/ a5 TDavid 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./ U$ Z4 V. P* a' h4 h& G; x, h9 p
p. f1 h" s4 j) N) }2 i2 s/ T! n' l4 W1 `"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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"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."! d7 Z# r; N0 b
5 B# d/ X4 m4 X; R( q& _The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.: A* b9 P% I6 }( g( W4 k
2 b6 Z+ j% T2 s2 }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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