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8 q) o( ^/ Y2 K- e! Lhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html3 R! r- }0 G! U" `
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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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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.6 w4 z+ Z' h5 L8 E3 s% n9 F$ a
1 G- P$ X. U; X3 k5 u8 B( I7 ]- rWhy might it be a good time to sell?
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! l; Q2 E* [1 C) aAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.8 C* W. c8 e5 c. H' ?
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank./ z( W* l. w Y6 o; A
% ^# R7 m: N2 W0 O1 [; L"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.9 B! e$ b- q3 l/ M/ p; 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.* E' F8 e) r/ X8 C, v
7 l3 N" B; Q* I) w0 uOf 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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5 `+ _( V f4 o6 G" d3 |Burleton knows how they feel.$ k% ^% J+ U& B4 b
: h2 @9 s5 J* [" E( n1 X8 I6 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.
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! ~: T; I, x+ s3 B- [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 a9 X) {0 M' S! {
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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.) T& m) K9 u; G; A/ D
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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./ s' z8 w% O4 q) }: w
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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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$ w( M. M8 k- v% z. d/ V c) MThat is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.
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0 @" z/ K$ c, r, W$ d0 R8 I: p. fDavid 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.1 m4 V; F& U* g) I* F5 A9 b. n5 ]
4 q# `* X" ]1 h3 I/ \"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.( t# m0 i) I+ i/ B
7 |% Y; k7 \2 R3 o"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."" w' ^$ c! j; _) e( Q( f
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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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But 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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