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6 f+ Y0 k) I) l5 Z& r1 d- p( }' zhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html F" W: c7 R( o: s/ b" A
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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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' i7 J: a# t3 A4 J( K4 q6 s/ BPeople 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.7 f+ f% I4 U7 G* o4 P
7 d, B3 \; c) e2 ?6 N3 mIn 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 A: \/ ~; }4 h& [( ^' \
( K8 A, f7 w# ^2 s rWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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/ [3 y6 i9 Y% a$ F. lAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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$ |- I& h9 @( k; {! g0 E# u6 ]"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.4 s8 o1 W; B) e9 s/ 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." G& w' s+ M) c% y
( x; S8 D) ?) F5 I8 fThe 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.
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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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3 B/ `7 g; K/ F# S& MBurleton knows how they feel.# ^$ b V- d* N
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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.! b8 t9 ~; f! }0 ?: e* g6 L. Y2 [
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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.' r' L3 N6 a. D! X! N9 x' n- q& f
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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.2 `: L( z" n- C& L8 J9 E
6 r1 f$ V) i- r4 @; [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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+ }+ ^# q! V$ U' H S" `8 F: 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.$ y4 t+ L$ t( N1 {; ~' x% W; z
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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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- s6 B) H9 S7 u9 H7 W \( h: {, q' P1 nThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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( \& ?4 A2 n1 N( O& [/ M& eDavid 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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! [7 h1 H% H" `4 K/ K"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.8 |9 p& c: b8 [! r- ^5 ]) S
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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."4 K6 J% s" ?1 ]$ v+ o3 v1 H% L
! H. H" d5 T" C+ E& GThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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5 B- x. T5 H2 G1 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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