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http://www.globalnews.ca/money/w ... 42638608/story.html
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% Y. V. p& g! _+ G! ~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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* [/ R, k% j, w, O$ A2 A# c3 BPeople 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./ a3 ]2 ]. ~6 g* Z* _
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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 $800,000 in Vancouver — home prices are already at record levels. Many observers believe prices are long due for a downward correction of anywhere from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, perhaps more in some of the hottest markets.
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"Home prices to income, housing price to rent, all the indicators are setting off warning signals," said Derek Burleton, a senior economist with TD Bank./ `% m* W2 b' r; l) z
7 r: S0 i+ F7 [6 H$ I; A9 p"If you are purely in it for reaping profits, now is not a bad time to sell" before prices drop.4 P% u& w/ U) C& Y& Y5 R
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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.& a0 {7 R( Q0 a5 z7 ~2 k" y
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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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9 Z; o& H" @" Q4 w6 v/ E' `Burleton knows how they feel.5 F% X3 A- \# o
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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.
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% \0 |8 ?' L( U+ L+ q4 aWhile 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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! O3 W% E, A' }4 BWith 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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9 U' D0 }5 G" vAnd 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., H1 w( R$ i& h
9 k* C# i7 v% s* K, B# u$ iIn 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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, f, S* ^3 j, ~% }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.
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/ X" W6 Q8 M( X& k& _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.1 D% f3 G& B0 G: ?( w/ b9 I
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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.) H% p% ~3 p0 N3 a
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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."$ `4 x- Z6 y: v$ i4 i6 C4 U
( ]/ p! t" D% |# a5 Q. ZThe market is clearly at or near peak, he said, so soon may indeed be the time to act.- v7 S; Z( C0 G* K4 X8 i
5 L/ `4 }' `1 w. P$ Q$ G3 eBut 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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