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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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6 x& n# {4 w; M( e! w- d. E6 `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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3 X; J% d2 N- D- B' SPeople 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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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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' |+ ~7 b# @3 [7 S$ ~At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.% I+ K/ F) [6 }& o
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.8 ?; |9 F9 s& i3 d/ I- C
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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' [7 h/ N+ R( I5 u3 c& _, r. \% xThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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Burleton knows how they feel." ` P$ N4 k7 y6 m& c% R
8 x1 N" l3 o, V# R3 ?, F/ c. o0 T+ z0 @"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.5 Q! n u. T7 r
) v9 j" ]* E! N6 P- ^! ZWhile 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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0 `! |3 {0 n. sWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.0 e) }: g. w- \8 _. f4 w, S
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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.; Y0 g% @# Q3 I1 o. K7 u
- T0 v6 |8 i% b+ q3 x9 D% T7 t% kMeanwhile, 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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& {/ q) M# ^6 m& i; CDavid 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.4 A' N) _) Y; R! L" {
A, V8 I* i# I" V2 A. w"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.( y/ V# i3 L$ p; j+ x
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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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( N3 y# g' s T. o9 j) |9 N" p7 qThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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* X3 a" o* \* vBut 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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