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; Y7 m* f& W! H' l& j( ahttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html$ w p9 D6 `; Q5 H. C U' [7 s
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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.2 X( }$ r( K3 S! d
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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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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.) F `! {; U; V$ `$ A
7 p& k# e$ u2 [5 D, m6 BWhy might it be a good time to sell?3 G6 q$ r5 @& X4 U- j7 L: v
( L+ I0 s8 D9 C/ R, y9 X/ P/ U _At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.7 R: }: _/ x# n% ^
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.8 \3 `& s! R* z0 H4 t: \
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.4 I+ `. ^ o; T+ n8 s+ H) U8 N
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.0 w1 ]+ W4 T! X' {) u n+ m
' L* t, X2 |* ABurleton knows how they feel.2 M$ j ?. l8 p% y4 |% O" D4 R
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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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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.9 K' b7 q( S( m, ^. i, B
/ y+ b- x8 q) ~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.$ x6 x Q7 e. e+ n: M% j# [
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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.- r* ]; r. p. n5 x. a* U2 N
9 z7 [- h2 G- ^. H8 Q9 pIn 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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' R" D$ l; V; d1 `8 D. R0 H2 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.* C1 ]) ]. d& s5 B4 H) Q
, e6 m& u, v2 F1 G: {/ }* nThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.% K* h# `$ ~; A, A: L3 Z4 P& k
, l% ]5 H* j5 I ~$ m) `. 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.1 c6 U3 E' z6 C& |5 K- R
& `& c2 C3 ?2 l: A" 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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: o$ Y# W' L0 j"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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6 B9 X1 r6 F3 ?: v. ^The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.8 b5 ^- y; T ^, f
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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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