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/ ^, e; g$ }' y: j* \; I; jhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html" m" H/ w2 h" W* O/ J' n8 W+ A
" `2 X1 H3 J2 X9 o& R$ O3 i9 nOTTAWA - 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.$ ^5 }& o2 a/ k* S8 H4 a
8 X4 ]5 l$ J# y7 @1 Q# r) g& LIn 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.2 D. {5 B% d% m1 b2 [6 v+ a
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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, }+ l0 z6 B+ Z" K2 \( OAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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* }0 y5 l$ N% }" n6 v- O) B"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.$ t7 i7 l0 U! g
! ]; Q1 q$ j, E* e; \+ Q6 u"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop." T$ |) h1 C( d5 i1 I6 f
/ _) p6 @: T6 T. W# U; d( 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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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.- s9 B. w7 V* M9 k7 S
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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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' r" l1 M0 \4 Y$ \$ c( ^9 M) J/ BWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.1 }, V0 {5 N" c0 L9 x# N* `4 L2 }
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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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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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/ C! o3 t* P7 D3 v# Q* IIn 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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0 i. ^) M: m( Q( U% Z3 J ]/ u8 I) g' aMeanwhile, 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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3 h' ~4 X. ]6 S2 B$ H, YDavid 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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; U1 _3 X7 D# e( R$ r. `& e Y"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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; z4 I) f3 N9 g4 I"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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4 U$ k/ K2 Q2 H# u4 \. `The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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. J' L% @ j/ ~) K+ n# cBut 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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