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) M( v7 `8 G$ E6 phttp://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.
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0 W/ I" a+ {2 q5 lPeople 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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6 |% X3 R& y5 q6 AIn 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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/ C- t: O5 Z* ]8 R$ SWhy might it be a good time to sell?1 F: x0 w" V6 O( R% q
6 ^1 N) Z4 X$ s; L2 O+ ^) `! MAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets." D9 b+ V1 G" g- [& S: `5 U
% `* C' X/ Z& F"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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- x9 m+ n6 Y; I. G# M& Q"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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* w2 u; |9 [) SThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.$ F% |" j% A4 ]& N! ^3 d0 C3 H
+ X8 `1 g7 o `+ r; L; d2 Q+ DOf 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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, z' d1 d7 R+ L% b$ _Burleton 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.
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- T; c. e1 v( ?. I9 qWhile 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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o4 W9 M& W8 k% x8 RWith 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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W. [7 m0 s9 t. F R$ l8 ], M+ }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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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.; B1 {" p' m' | G$ k% s
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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., q: d- K! \6 J$ s" j
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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+ J p# K6 ]
; e) o7 q' z8 B' x U2 A ZDavid 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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5 _( o) }8 J# r5 e0 w2 K"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.") M- f; `' a0 C8 V, O4 x* ^) n" A
; K% G4 ]( \* J' m; O- n4 DThe 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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