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3 {3 J0 M0 V' ]) H2 H' Whttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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OTTAWA - 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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' I; ^7 f8 ?9 [1 U e! PPeople 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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- U, L' D$ c4 E7 dIn 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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4 O, o; g, F* N7 W6 p, wWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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* Y* V7 }6 b1 n. @: B- L/ }1 ^1 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. [5 Q2 _* D" Y- C0 v
' N! U8 v( o# s/ K. C"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.# E8 s( T1 F/ V, b E4 |& S
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.+ q/ k/ D; `, e7 [; d. w
+ ~0 d& X% C4 U+ K" TThe 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.- ~ e; g/ ?0 n
' [9 Q' q! D2 J9 ?0 E; mOf 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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! {( W9 d2 `6 \Burleton knows how they feel.
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& b7 T2 s5 g( S"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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; C. g4 Y2 p* L# gWhile 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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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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. m' u- T b9 [. e; K6 iIn 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.! j+ n1 x" `; P1 ^/ m" t9 P
2 l/ y- [( U9 z( PMeanwhile, 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." v$ c" b' W \6 |6 p* b
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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.4 `9 w4 I/ A1 I
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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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, Y$ i( q( c' V$ Z"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."3 w2 Y+ P& ^' i3 s* F
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.- e" h: Y; [+ }' t# N# o
7 ~4 v+ ]# Q) RBut 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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