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# U V& V4 b" Q( @; l8 y& khttp://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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0 a) {2 M. o! `5 x) y$ S) K+ nPeople 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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0 h# I V' q9 j+ J. KIn 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.5 A i; z; @$ E
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Why might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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: @( Y7 O5 e# N5 X* ~1 L2 ^- p2 E"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.# g+ S) f) t# w* ~& l
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.' C" v. D* g8 K) B0 S8 a! ^9 \
w1 ^. h6 o, F- q1 m. iOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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1 A* Z$ z( x& ~" ^Burleton knows how they feel.
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1 Y {1 f1 R6 V1 z! @"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.8 `( i ? K: }+ S) c
3 y6 x) ]) l7 a5 `! k8 [2 NWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years./ y6 c. Z5 U! m' _& x; D$ Q
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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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Meanwhile, 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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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.: d' x. G4 @9 j1 [" j
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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.% J+ b% t% Q. k
3 A7 Q- l4 f! p/ g" H"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."/ A# q: C3 T- a4 ^
7 M" W+ R& u( I" XThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act." {+ @8 Z* l! _, j$ H
$ S) G# b" n) m) Q1 q; ABut 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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