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3 R# g2 [1 _ G p2 ~% p. @, d, |http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html6 ` z6 ?. k0 [4 m% T
* [/ @6 G" t9 B4 _ ]2 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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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.0 T% P, i8 Y/ A
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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 $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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6 N; {2 M/ j2 i$ D. z2 A1 {2 v/ F7 N"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.2 x9 O9 Q: b7 f5 _) I ]
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop. x/ Q4 R0 J- x' }0 F# F. C
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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.- z9 y4 Q/ M k5 F o: e
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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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Burleton knows how they feel.
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- g& J, c' s9 t k"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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7 B9 c4 y$ i$ J9 {3 bWhile 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 k* s4 e* V+ g8 q
/ X. t( ^- O$ F( R" M/ V9 x" O( xWith 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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& o! h1 A4 q2 HAnd 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.+ b9 E# W3 j0 z
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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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) ^& n' Q. m. wThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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- P" C' }! R: q* c VDavid 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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6 a+ A5 R8 s. i+ i"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."2 c0 G) R/ D' s, q
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.* T3 Q3 @" [# e/ k3 s
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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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