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! I K4 O4 n+ v8 f& p1 ]- {http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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# P, ^ m; f z) COTTAWA - 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./ L/ g7 H' J+ v5 _' C. n3 s
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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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/ v6 d4 ^! V, { P& jIn 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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, _ Y/ ^! Q) ?. Z8 z( K% EWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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; c9 v" I2 ~1 Q, L3 X* A"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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" L4 I2 H) y- D2 X a"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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" f+ d, h6 z3 E4 c- y" e5 ^, J {7 r: RThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.3 g1 j) x: X! H# e) C3 `, M7 f5 X$ q
- D: j/ Q( t- WOf 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., z6 G/ o6 G& F. o" L$ }# |
4 _. [2 ]) i8 l' d0 b6 CBurleton knows how they feel.2 I1 J% J# E1 Q' b
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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.% I$ @: q2 `+ ^' C
( u$ r9 E% U6 G# m! x3 ?( B) i$ ~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.0 E+ p! }8 n6 o t2 g
$ r7 u) P+ s% R" q9 d0 x. _3 M' vWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.8 \! V) X8 L" c# ^2 t" o7 z
5 l9 m2 I/ n1 H3 s" g3 GAnd 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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. O* ~2 V7 q7 B* [' R% L }( fMeanwhile, 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.1 f# }* Z Q$ a9 l- u6 w) R+ u# A Y
# P0 z9 U, Y$ O z% s, M5 s7 P6 x: ^That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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o; d1 d. P7 N9 n4 WDavid 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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8 o$ n: k% k/ O; y# i"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."3 S1 J, W( ^0 r9 u1 \$ V
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The 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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