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8 g6 a/ F' s; c1 V+ I4 e& o" ~* ohttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html1 `9 `' o) o2 s" p1 B9 I
2 n! ~( G J( n" d- g# J' uOTTAWA - 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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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.4 T+ D, L. S: t3 j+ q( `& X
8 \4 D* I# }4 s2 QWhy 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.% }3 d0 y d7 z
$ `7 w9 c7 E3 q# U$ U$ U"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.- S* I9 ]# h# o7 Q( Z* O5 U
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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.& B: b+ b8 b4 h# j
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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.* U4 S: m9 n% V# U+ T$ B- o
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Burleton knows how they feel.
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Q" b+ _1 }/ m8 \& G"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.2 C1 R$ b7 I F- U' ?) j+ {9 k( J
+ {$ b" B k. S7 y# D( y0 PWhile 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.
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/ f$ T2 F/ \3 M' O' m: Q" M2 ~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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. D' W" u; w; Y8 [, \$ ?1 vIn 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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9 l' [5 P9 V7 K3 qMeanwhile, 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.6 z: K& W g, r. F: { _
; E: }7 p9 p3 c+ ^0 iThat 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. G* F9 {4 \5 U* T
0 A3 b7 H8 v1 @$ [/ {9 T. _"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.: p' V$ i) K8 R
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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."
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/ w( K% |5 t* |* M3 n# D, y% S; c* Z( TThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.! N Z- r+ m1 \) ^5 ^3 O
5 e# t) v) s/ r( A( T3 }& a* _9 `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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