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& u. W1 k0 b6 z3 ~; _9 Chttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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! J8 a, }( E$ G7 `, X8 C9 ~& POTTAWA - 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.+ t9 h# L$ ?. o
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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.# Z3 ]! m2 A, Y5 m% Z
m7 f. ^% D& L% _* {9 WIn 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.( x' Z7 @% X2 o" H
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Why might it be a good time to sell?- |4 @- E8 o) u
4 e S' U6 U; u4 C. H) `At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.: `% w" w% V x- v$ G1 l* ~
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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.) N3 v6 M5 I2 Y- [! w
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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.
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0 Y; ]& g7 p/ Q/ T; G* v- w$ @3 Y. bBurleton knows how they feel.
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" i% o" r }) T7 ~6 K5 |"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.+ @! g- Z# |4 {* R- C! M: u
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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.9 N0 K7 G7 h! Y( L& }
* }6 P! I' x9 T3 u, L A# dWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.* h& Y8 ?- W" Z% A( Q' | v
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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.5 `3 R) [0 q1 j
- ]! R4 l' G3 m& l+ {' K& LIn 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.9 \9 G1 A) E. O4 c4 S
0 v; w* n& k) SMeanwhile, 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.$ j! d9 }2 C; l! O" {: z+ W
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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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) p8 v+ j3 e" y7 r"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.2 O7 d$ l. u" `2 R6 _, G
@" g! k; E, g"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."; [3 j: L- H3 b5 p) U
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.5 M/ D: r2 M' @# e R# D$ d2 W) w
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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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