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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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/ I3 d1 T1 q# W7 t, jOTTAWA - 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.8 {1 d1 h% Z2 Y8 ?6 h% w! y
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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.
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Why might it be a good time to sell?/ o: ~) E! ?, \2 {+ X/ _2 q
# T5 Z) E4 U/ o6 `5 ]" W9 Y: k* c+ DAt about $370,000 average nationally — and just under $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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+ H, F9 A, n% k# l' s, [% M, f, r8 X"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank.9 `+ c5 |) M/ f7 x$ S" q
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"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.) v0 D1 T W' Y7 J( s6 W
l+ T9 M& u9 A4 U0 h6 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.& h2 V6 e' i8 H' s) ?# |
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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.
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Burleton knows how they feel.- t% O/ J) |4 L% s& ~3 @' u
4 {0 u/ W$ g' N- ?"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.1 v3 O z# p- I& h! w
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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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( r9 ^ ?6 A- rWith 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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+ h: D% E: n {( `4 c6 y5 Q! \" PAnd 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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1 ?3 C* v s; ^) t2 g. A8 @' t& mIn 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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5 W: ?8 l( \8 T8 Z3 | fMeanwhile, 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., m. K; h0 D; F7 y+ s9 O% G
}1 G" l1 S/ b( R$ D' i* ]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.9 i/ Z4 r0 I/ e. t( Z
8 n5 x4 `- E' I2 d+ a! L! 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.
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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."
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) i! R# l7 O4 f, m/ YThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.2 h$ A3 w. |/ H1 d4 K: t
6 M! w+ ^9 O. W! x% _7 Z6 yBut 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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