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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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5 y# B* Y" c9 X# K9 _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. M- R: U" A5 V
- T( N+ P' _4 l! I0 \$ SIn 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." W2 ^* B" T( ~6 }/ ?5 {& Q/ T" g+ n
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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+ M) T; N2 c6 C- N& r) fAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets./ d( ^! l! @4 O2 y, G' H- t
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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4 g; f' Y A* s* B"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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8 ^, [' r7 P+ SThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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: I) F$ P( ^- a6 J7 g1 S& H6 ^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.) M9 P* C5 }$ O
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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.. L5 g% R. i, F8 G) _! ^
) G) R! w5 m$ c" ?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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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.4 K9 O4 `& y {, k/ r5 F% r! \
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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./ @1 j9 A* }/ Z. e$ O5 ~2 h+ [
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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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' B p2 h/ v, r4 H$ iMeanwhile, 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.: U( W# B$ d$ A8 Z& p" t$ y
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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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/ ~7 e, O! N% @+ E3 r+ ~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.5 W; c% v$ D8 V( P
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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.# Y; N% g8 r1 B4 H, A
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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.". w6 h: W4 P! P
, t+ z( {! ] U- x: jThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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* o w) W0 z/ h; i1 lBut 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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