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http://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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% e: y9 i$ Q; }" ^" s8 G# h# dPeople 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.* U+ {/ Y& r9 N7 ]1 Q7 P
e' i: j; I+ NIn 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.+ D9 i& T) \5 I% c/ I
6 N- y; _$ n1 l5 O' _Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.! ~5 A9 l7 W8 n( B! H- k
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.- n. Z; @: d! [7 _9 L# {; x
7 {0 z# ?# D% _5 J. B7 h; mOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.6 r( ?* A" j8 c8 ^2 G
, _( b9 h+ Q1 ^. U4 {Burleton knows how they feel.
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, j* c% l+ T' X2 T. m+ y' r i"I wouldn't want to sell my home right now even if I wind up taking a hit on the home price, just because I enjoy where I'm living and moving is a pain," he said.# `3 }6 z/ u+ G$ ?3 P8 @
, s2 `' ?8 p0 G% JWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way./ G2 F' [3 j5 |% p3 H' c
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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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4 _- _8 t' \& w8 X3 s2 t% EAnd 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.9 d) `: \2 `# Z! O* {" T' }7 V
5 i- T: ^# {5 z: tIn 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.* ?8 \+ O8 W; M- |: y7 L
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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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, ], g) U3 I. f/ 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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"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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0 d8 F& Z$ F+ Q5 Q D" [7 m- C"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."- k& h! N' ?9 B N: A
( _% e% D6 k5 H9 _$ k: }5 S lThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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) T; Q ^# D; j5 R. I" W( qBut 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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