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1 E0 F$ h" a( b6 m" k" qhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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) A( \! p0 v Z& N/ ~: e4 v& h' u0 X) iOTTAWA - 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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" m' N6 Y. }" `- _4 h3 _: oIn 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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2 k. D t6 S7 Z( yWhy might it be a good time to sell?' }: Z) K* N& E+ k3 M
9 Z- g6 e& |- i, o) C$ Z5 _% T, eAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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2 s( C3 s6 E3 e3 G$ s"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.- v' b0 J1 n! K! U, N- q( G! O+ h7 a. R0 Y
( v. [' W( `' g, JThe 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.& N0 H9 t X3 g/ O, _2 l
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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." e- }' I( m! D5 f
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Burleton knows how they feel.& d* u0 k! o7 S j
/ u8 D* @- }: ~2 n"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.* f4 z, i) H* y3 d) Z
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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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* D2 \+ E# c3 p0 j5 ~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.# l; f2 f+ l+ }+ o4 S4 X
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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. I8 ~" p- v. J H& M
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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.. D; i6 B; s) c
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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.) I( z2 t" A- ^1 I
: v. p4 c3 b7 O! i3 \! iThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.5 q7 j3 d4 [' l: s( Q
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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.0 ~$ i7 v9 X- K% c1 q% m3 |
& U6 t2 h' z" u1 G2 N4 e, p+ S"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.+ u. w# `8 L2 V4 C& O9 n( o
) k; U5 E7 u/ d- z, V"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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# ~9 P- G8 x! R9 [2 hThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.1 T% d5 h- R l8 Q, e
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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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