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7 q, ?# Q" t. E, R5 d( {http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html$ e$ z7 _2 L6 e! Z! l: ]8 ^* |: z
/ ~; Y+ h. q" y- k k4 g2 ZOTTAWA - 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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" M3 j: k! [. LIn 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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9 C3 q2 X9 E, T+ {9 v; y# OWhy might it be a good time to sell?5 ?* Z9 ?0 v& ?
/ E! d2 a# t$ HAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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3 Z4 e3 w% H& F* z( P+ H"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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4 v% a3 j9 W( ?, W# V4 [, IThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.5 h+ n9 _; P( R! p5 _. d7 _6 i
8 u& [: m. w NOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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$ _/ [7 y" B, S7 B0 QBurleton knows how they feel.- T5 \% \, @8 A2 ~7 e5 q5 j0 e
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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.
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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.; d6 E6 y! b @' e6 v) Y
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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.8 D2 { |3 i, [# d% ?1 e
! i* Y; u" {; R0 |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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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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$ h3 X/ e6 n& ^% u2 LMeanwhile, 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.
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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.: v k# W9 Q+ t6 A& x4 o# D P% P
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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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+ u' b3 X- A& w% t"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."
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# | q, M! N6 O% PThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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1 [/ e z+ z+ ~( M& V3 r/ pBut 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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