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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html; p3 R/ t ~ ~' H, C
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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.# ~2 v' J/ G! i* J
4 f5 y% Y; y- m7 y* i9 q8 V# D( oWhy might it be a good time to sell?( c) K4 H7 Y" `# L
# S& y( X) v5 Q3 I, Q) ZAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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I$ K2 @: q8 B* b8 l3 _"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.$ S# [ w5 O, F
8 ^: L- n& [/ t9 _+ f* r& T4 k"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.* P. \2 o2 A. N, }/ X5 M
0 K8 T! [! ]/ }2 R; Z: B- H3 MThe 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' o9 @( E7 _4 Q2 I. D
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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.: A( O4 P* b1 f& H T; W1 f
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Burleton knows how they feel.% A: b. O0 v6 z+ n0 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.+ S" Q1 k( F% C
, [1 T7 s$ A( o+ e- nWhile there's no guarantee of a correction, observers note there are additional signs that the housing market could cool off in a big way.1 x4 b( X) E! x
( p' G6 T. S6 c. @1 B' MWith ownership levels near a record 70 per cent, demand is expected to wane, making it a buyers market for the first time in years.4 |* }0 h6 L8 O
% O O6 X( G/ Q9 y' v5 \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.$ J! R8 |, S& m) `
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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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7 l2 f7 R7 ]0 M" H8 L5 [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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/ c! S( ]) W7 e& H8 @5 `& _That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.! P% A1 ]% }. i% U a
- l, y. t& j- U3 Q4 L" TDavid 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., o& `; v8 b- e0 M* n$ 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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3 D4 \/ z# P/ ^. L U"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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The market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.
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" x, ^+ S1 M9 N3 N, ABut 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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