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6 [) C. B3 a3 r7 e# X) _: B& I3 rhttp://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html ~: @6 k% A' P& O, d- u# i
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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.% _3 l) w$ F3 ?5 X
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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.. [( w4 w- z- M
: s: G7 ]. c1 _+ 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.: U" Y# `# o7 E& [4 {& o
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Why 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.
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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.+ k" s9 y h2 p
$ J0 p! D2 _$ B8 v1 N& K! {- r4 ^; W"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.
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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.
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' q$ G K+ U) s5 } K+ yOf 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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! T* x j% n- u( R& zBurleton knows how they feel.
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: N: ?* t/ |3 U1 O* A; N" B+ O"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.3 J% ~5 X- o, r) U) X7 y8 ~8 v
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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.2 Q" D5 l+ q" ]% o$ K, `
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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.
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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.
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: G N8 k1 o1 y8 c* `: w( P* c! XIn 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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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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That is a hard indicator that homes are over-valued, but also that renting is relatively cheap compared to buying.: f6 O& O# `6 s! ^2 Y# _" z
1 F: W. z1 w4 Y. i* x Y3 }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.
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5 G5 F( J4 W3 ?* O3 C- e2 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./ S: p) X, C% v# f4 ^1 d9 i
' |. L3 R( g' l5 h& Q5 `"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."& o) T4 i2 [, |4 |% T
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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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* q$ E7 r, `# \& u. \# r* S4 jBut 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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