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! i! E) g* { |1 M; J3 y- jhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html" O5 ~/ T9 m% N3 O% a3 U7 R8 H
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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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# L6 O1 m6 d& a9 p! ]; UPeople 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.
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7 T6 _( ^0 O$ }& G0 G1 YWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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At about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.3 c- J% G4 p* @; B) M: U
1 |8 M( R) r5 w1 _8 F"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.: t# k/ y4 _4 O) g5 @& o
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.3 |4 S( {8 L D
/ s; k3 b) b b# e' E" ~1 pThe profits from selling a home can be used to build savings, eliminate debt, make traditional investments or, ironically, buy more real estate — albeit in a different market where home prices are lower.
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' K: _2 k! x6 \" `* FOf course, even if it makes sense financially, selling the family home to rent or move to a less expensive housing market doesn't make lifestyle sense for the vast majority of Canadians.
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4 _) e8 B$ D, z! K; nBurleton knows how they feel., p% b3 Z: E/ g' h9 [' i% c! {' t8 [" u
3 K4 {( J' q& }1 Q& w"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.0 h6 w/ d0 ?/ x2 N9 }/ V/ x/ k: d
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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.5 d# N; q! q, [5 t p/ g
; @" b) N0 d% X$ G3 lAnd 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.- N. J8 e! l# B1 @: O/ @; l
; L- T* v6 O: ]0 J6 ~( |) N9 [3 i2 lIn 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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0 b6 Q; x4 l& }9 |! h4 v- j" XMeanwhile, 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.9 r2 X0 H# ~! O3 g+ z# [" {
~: [- D' G* V' iDavid 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.' W4 L8 {' K) @
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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.; T2 l4 A9 w& a' b6 e9 O
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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."9 U7 _7 n, z1 B5 g/ [1 A" Y0 d1 E
1 Q% o% H- w; f( J! P) SThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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$ k- |+ o1 w* K; h6 c' iBut 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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