Found 6 blog entries tagged as economy.

It’s looking like we’re going to be seeing similar real estate trends in 2023 compared to last year.

Following a year defined by market highs and lows, experts are forecasting a gradual return to a more balanced market towards the end of 2023. However, with inflation remaining more or less unchanged at the tail-end of 2022, last year’s trend of diminished purchasing power seems likely to persist.

As for what that means for mortgage lending, Shaun Cathcart, Senior Economist at the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), predicts primary-based mortgage payments will continue to rise dramatically until the Bank of Canada (BoC) reaches its terminal rate. 

Variable rate mortgages will hit their ‘trigger rate’

“The ‘terminal rate’ as it’s…

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Qualifying, renewing, refinancing, oh my! Mortgages can feel confusing sometimes. Luckily, it’s not always as complicated as it seems. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, there’s an abundance of resources in place to help you, including the expert advice of your REALTOR®! 

Let’s break down the process of refinancing your mortgage—what it means, when it happens, and why. 

A row of colourful Victorian- style homesImage via Pexels

What is refinancing?

Simply put, refinancing your mortgage is the process of breaking your current mortgage agreement and starting a new one. It’s essentially a “restart” button you can press to change your mortgage terms—including its length, rate type (fixed or variable), and your monthly payment amounts. You can change your lender, or stick with your current one.…

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Bank of Canada Interest Rate Announcement: Supersized Rate Hike of 100 Basis Points on July 13

The Bank of Canada was widely expected to make an increase in this morning’s interest rate announcement, but the central bank surprised everyone with a supersized hike of 100 basis points, bringing its target for the overnight rate up to 2.5 per cent. This is the Bank’s biggest move since 1998, and the fourth in a series of increases expected for 2022 as the Bank tries to tamp down the soaring inflation rate. Inflation is expected to hover around eight per cent for the next few months – well above the Bank’s two-per-cent target.

  1. What is the Bank of Canada’s current policy interest rate?
  2. When does the Bank of Canada announce its overnight rate?
    3. …

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Canadians have enjoyed low interest rates for the last decade, but even more so since the onset of the global pandemic, when the Bank of Canada responded with a trio of rate cuts, bringing us to 0.25%. But 2022 has already seen three interest rate hikes in response to soaring inflation rates, which reached a 39-year high in May, at 7.7 per cent. With a fourth increase in the Bank’s interest rate, you may be wondering: How will higher interest rates affect me?

What does an interest rate hike mean if you’re planning to buy a home, if you already have a mortgage, or are carrying any other debt? Let’s take a step back to better understand what causes movement in interest rates and how a higher rate might impact you.

What Causes Interest Rates to…

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Bank of Canada Interest Rate Announcement Raises It Another 0.5% on June 1

This morning’s interest rate announcement by the Bank of Canada reveals another 50-basis-point hike to the key rate, bringing it up to 1.5 per cent. This is the third in a series of increases expected in 2022, with the year kicking off at a low of 0.25 per cent, followed by a 0.25-per-cent bump in March and another 0.5-per-cent increase in April. Today’s increase makes the second time in the last 25 years that the Bank has implemented back-to-back increases of 50 basis points. The move appears to be having a cooling effect on hot Canadian housing markets, with Toronto and Vancouver sowing some signs of cooling. The Bank said it will use its monetary policy tools to ease…

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Image via RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc.

Real estate deals should continue through the fall and prices should increase an average five per cent across the country, according to a market survey by RE/MAX.

“As our brokers and agents predict, the fall market activity is expected to remain steady, which is promising, despite the ongoing challenges presented by the Delta variant,” says Christopher Alexander, senior vice -president, RE/MAX Canada. 

Single-detached homes experienced the biggest price gains when comparing 2021* to 2020 data, rising between 6.8 and 27.3 per cent across 26 markets surveyed in the report. RE/MAX brokers and agents expect this trend to continue into the fall, driven by strong demand by young families.

“This is…

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