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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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+ v) s9 u* g5 IOTTAWA - 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.
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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?& S% X) w, T9 K* p9 e4 U* z1 `2 m
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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9 j k- n( N8 Y# o- X+ G# c2 W"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.! }" l! m y$ ~* i
# \6 c9 K4 W4 U8 T. 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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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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( }; Z' {8 D! \ g0 a6 |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.9 h# ~9 [9 a& T- I2 Y4 X/ t, v
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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8 h" M1 n) [# i4 ["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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/ _8 {: Y7 x. I% T" p' J2 @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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2 F" {' m1 w+ x! z6 `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.% g+ p }+ L3 W
. Y! F/ i% T* m w- @7 fAnd 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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: I0 B4 L m& K& ?) s5 [4 NIn 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." G1 k! }9 ]6 R h
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.! E& n2 @) |1 t0 z. p! `' C
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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.: E0 Q: U( l9 t! C" L( n
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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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"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.9 O w8 _/ L) t
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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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