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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html2 y( M5 [; n9 X# S9 m
- R) m ~, k$ R* C8 V( cOTTAWA - 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.( D4 j$ z* A* r6 w
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Why might it be a good time to sell?8 ?- `. i2 i) ?. c2 }
3 }) A, i* b* NAt 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.: n: A& w+ x6 \, M9 y: L
$ `: p4 R; Q p, C# v2 O"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.( Y7 j# g1 K& {7 `# @+ T3 v1 w
4 d E, G3 c S# V1 }1 I$ o( Z( }"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.; U# q4 @% j! {- y
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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.: n* a+ A( C4 s9 G; 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.
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% |0 N) {4 t2 S# x VBurleton knows how they feel.3 W F: k. x9 d& E! w
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"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.9 ?+ b H7 S) j/ b" c! m& [" H) i1 ^
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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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3 m) x0 [& h/ d. C9 `2 B P( VWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.8 q0 i5 h; e, q
3 U, H1 J% w$ i# B8 `& jAnd 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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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.2 q D) K! R) [) T
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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.$ y4 A0 k3 _9 ^7 M$ X
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That 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.
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K# b; s8 h+ `$ O"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."2 {: w# A# ?5 ]3 z+ Z, P% m
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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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6 z0 w9 w" c6 B* E+ q& Z# @2 MBut 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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