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0 j( }: K, [0 k" |http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html% `7 Z0 W ]$ v1 \2 ~: U$ u
8 h$ A3 v& D' m* W) K# }/ e' h" X' WOTTAWA - 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 k: p3 m8 J* e/ s l9 \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.
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& V3 p& e5 M9 p6 WWhy might it be a good time to sell?* \6 \: O/ x$ i, ]
# L" K( H( p, i5 \! [. I( H$ QAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.9 q7 [1 a% X# E6 {1 x
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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The profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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Of course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians. V$ l: f: J# d: z9 L' q1 P W
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Burleton knows how they feel./ }" J1 {2 ^6 ^8 n; G u+ m+ F
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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.5 ?1 Z0 l% c. o3 O, t$ k, W" i; \
. s; j( ]% O7 zWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.2 p2 u: b6 R6 H( J* f
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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.! q2 c5 s$ o+ L$ ^1 g$ Y2 `$ F7 w
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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.- L8 [& }; `3 d4 q% T
" t+ o/ @4 \& q8 U& CIn 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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% K; C5 `1 v9 a. j! zThat 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.
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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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"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."1 B8 C* n0 C- S0 O2 v
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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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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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