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5 d! v/ W3 _7 W/ M/ @http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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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.
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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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) a K+ \. E& g5 }) ?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?+ l7 ]* M6 g0 D7 H1 R; K
( V7 i' p4 D: e+ _2 |/ T) Q7 t1 w9 EAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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9 i# p6 ?/ S. R/ G"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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2 H+ L2 J3 v1 ^2 B# _ J"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.; b2 A$ g# \/ f8 I
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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.3 N. T9 `; E: {# H1 i$ s
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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.* ^3 \- W! A, M/ \6 U F
: e# n+ H3 F$ U' C& K4 DBurleton 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.# F. ]" S h5 O/ ~/ h0 ]
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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.
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/ s5 V8 t4 d i HWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years." m0 t3 w" X+ i7 f" [3 B: z
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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.
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4 L; q3 R" ]/ cMeanwhile, 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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V" U2 W% b1 MThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying. l$ F" O9 C( u1 k$ o8 p' v* A
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David 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.- c1 g& p+ ]1 S; y7 m1 z* Y
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"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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" @' J) e' n9 ]0 Y% Z/ ~: g0 `"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."8 j* B- h- w0 m0 r, [' h k
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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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, ?7 o" U1 f$ E6 {1 L5 DBut 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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