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9 d7 ~: a4 \0 L/ N7 \5 Mhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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5 o# r0 h7 U* {7 |$ N* x/ O( w; ROTTAWA - 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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" [4 w# W8 U- ?/ }9 ~4 bIn 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?2 O; v: l- H9 w! A1 O
* Q6 j$ W, D4 p. C$ kAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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$ @. w) o) j+ _"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.- v9 O$ y6 i; c Y
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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# j) @% X+ d8 P: f" d# Y* WThe 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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! X. V! [# ?* u. f/ K( Y) tOf 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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Burleton knows how they feel.
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" W M5 n, J4 @0 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.
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- e/ H% i. D# f2 h& @5 iWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.4 h) J, }* N4 |3 f$ }+ [
+ q7 z8 V0 W; w1 |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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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.9 y0 c& S( ? W, w
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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.) U6 o' D' K; C" E3 J) U# z+ D7 g
# v' p2 [/ S z6 L& h% ~2 |That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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. m4 {, t: N" H8 ]2 VDavid 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.8 f( [/ f8 l6 m+ v. m6 A
! u) F( z: n% n% o, ~6 g"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.5 s( ^. v% K5 c( U; P: n
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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."9 C. L) c8 {& m* R) M# k) ]# I: u
. f% A( u% K( ~/ A! x) WThe 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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