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- E. V; c0 W* E4 j. ehttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html" E. }3 f* H4 Z/ U; k8 C# P' @; L
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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.. U2 d6 M) n! b# S F- R
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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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7 A6 ^ w0 U+ c! g: U: Q f8 K( `Why might it be a good time to sell?6 H6 J* A- }/ N( m0 _% [# f
5 n2 j" m( t6 f5 e4 l$ TAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.' c) {$ e$ P5 s" O
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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.
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+ h$ Z2 G L" Z"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.& q, N9 R' |0 u* A$ p- a
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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.$ b& _( b# \+ U$ l- x
3 W# H, d7 T, ]0 X4 M" F. j' U1 U2 ^Burleton knows how they feel.
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, i7 n9 P& F, D) i9 V$ W8 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.8 k. t% I& }( y$ I- Z a
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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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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.& {# p, T/ Q) N8 E+ b5 g5 A
: v1 \. T% d) z* z- t5 q" dAnd 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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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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7 u+ l2 Y8 K# O" i/ K0 nMeanwhile, 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., i& d, x u. ]: O
3 s, V/ s' h6 @$ N8 b; a) q6 gThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.7 Y: o7 b4 ^; e+ _- [; k, }' ]
$ h; S8 G/ d$ _ e4 I4 oDavid 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.: Z( }& j+ R& v
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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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D+ R; H5 D7 w0 M# DThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.0 U5 A8 k, ^& e! V; L0 W
3 J9 Y8 \& B, C9 z* y6 `/ zBut 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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