Real Estate Blog - mortgage rates

Are Higher Fixed Mortgage Rates Here To Stay?

One question many Canadians are asking is are higher fixed mortgage rates here to stay? At the September policy meeting, the Bank of Canada (BoC) raised interest rates by 75 basis points, bringing the benchmark rate to 3.25 per cent, maintaining its hawkish approach to monetary policy. The central bank signalled that it would be prepared to keep pulling the trigger on rate hikes until there is sufficient evidence the consumer price index (CPI) is showing signs of coming down.

Although the Canadian annual inflation rate has eased from its 30-year high of 8.1 per cent in August, officials conceded that this was driven mainly by gasoline prices. The national economy endured “a further broadening of price pressures, particularly…

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The Advantages of Putting 20% Down on Your Home

Is it possible to have a down payment strategy in today’s sizzling Canadian real estate market? From the Prairies to Atlantic Canada, it is clear that all kinds of residential properties are rising in value. And while there are obvious advantages of putting 20% down on your home, current conditions are posing challenges to many homebuyers.

When you factor in higher interest rates, rampant price inflation, and accelerating price growth for single-family homes and condominium units alike, it can be a challenge for prospective homebuyers to find a place.

One of the biggest hurdles for buyers to overcome is the down payment.

According to the federal government’s rules, homebuyers need a minimum of five per cent down…

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How Does Your Credit Score Affect Your Mortgage Interest Rate?

It takes credit to build credit ­– most of us have heard this at some point in our early years of adulthood. Some of us heard it when we got our first credit card; others when they went to apply for a loan of some type and realized they didn’t have a credit score. The crux is that while it takes credit to build credit, it also takes credit to destroy credit. So, what exactly is “credit” when it comes to finances, and how does your credit score affect your mortgage interest rate?

Credit is essentially a numbering system that gauges how likely you are to repay borrowed money. The higher your score, the ‘safer’ you seem to lenders, and the lower your score, the ‘riskier’ you are.

The first step to building your credit is to…

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Mortgage Types You Should Know: Open, Closed, Convertible, Hybrid

Just like searching for a home, there are many options beyond fixed or variable rates when it comes to mortgages. In Canada, there are several types of residential mortgages available for everyone’s unique financial circumstances, no matter if you’re looking for an open mortgage or a hybrid option.

So whether you’re a new buyer qualifying for your first mortgage or an existing holder, what are the key things you need to know about the most common mortgage types? Frances Hinojosa, ​​CEO, co-founder, and principal mortgage broker at Tribe Financial Group offers some insights.

Open and closed mortgages

If you anticipate making any lump sum payments on your mortgage, you might want to weigh your options between a closed or open mortgage.

…

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Rethinking a Variable Rate Mortgage in the Face of Hikes

For a long time, it was a common ideology that a variable rate mortgage was ideal when purchasing a home. The thought process was based on the theory that if the rate drops, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of lower interest payments as opposed to someone who is in a fixed-rate mortgage.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of it, let’s review how interest rates impact a mortgage and the difference between a fixed-rate and a variable-rate mortgage.

Interest rates are determined by the Bank of Canada and often reflect the state of the economy. When the economy is strong, interest rates are high. This means that borrowing money would cost more, but you should receive a higher payout on your investments. When the economy…

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Bank of Canada Increases Interest Rate

Photo by Alex Shutin on Unsplash

On March 2, 2022, the Bank of Canada began its rate hike cycle by increasing its target for the overnight lending rate by 25 basis points to 0.5%. The Bank will also be maintaining its portfolio of government bonds until it is deemed necessary to start reducing the overall size of its balance sheet.

The Bank views the Russia-Ukraine conflict as major source of uncertainty, that which has led to increases in oil and other commodity prices, stoking further global inflationary pressures, and likely causing a drag on global growth. Amidst these recent geopolitical developments however, the global economic recovery to date has so far turned out to be in line with the Bank’s projections, with some advanced economies even…

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Understanding Fixed vs Variable Rate Mortgages

In 2022, financial experts have been homing in on mortgage rates. Market analysts believe the Bank of Canada (BoC) will raise interest rates. The debate among housing observers, economists and investors is by how much. And with all this talk of fixed vs variable rate mortgages, what is the difference between the two products anyway? Let’s explore.

With Canada’s inflation rate the highest it has been since 1991, some anticipate the central bank will be aggressive on rate hikes, while others believe it will adopt a more cautious approach after about two years of ultra-loose and accommodative monetary policy in response to the pandemic.

One corner of the mortgage market attracting plenty of attention is variable…

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What Homeownership Looks Like for Younger Generations

The COVID-19 pandemic has paved an unexpected path to homeownership for many young Canadians. Sure, mortgage rates fell to historically low rates, but a severe lack of supply and highly competitive sellers’ markets meant many Millennials and Gen Zers were left watching from the sidelines.

As restrictions loosened and life returned back to “normal”, demand for housing increased, pushing prices up in the process. As of November 2021, the average price for a home in Canada was $720,854, a 19.6% year-over-year increase according to data from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

So what exactly does homeownership currently look like for younger generations?

When it comes to where and how younger generations are choosing to live, it turns…

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10 Tips for Getting the Best Mortgage Rate in Canada

When you purchase a home, a down payment is typically applied to the purchase price, and the balance is to be paid off over your term of the mortgage. The loan you receive from a lender in order to pay for the house is called a mortgage.

Simply put, a mortgage is a legal and binding agreement between a lender and a borrower for a specific amount of money that must be paid back within a predefined amount of time. The mortgage is a secured loan in that the house you are buying is collateral for the loan. This means that, should you not meet your mortgage repayment obligations, the lender has the right to take the property.

Purchasing a home and taking on a mortgage is a big commitment. In addition to the amount borrowed,…

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The Bank Of Canada Is Unlikely To Hike Rates Until March, Despite Soaring Yields: BMO

Canadian bond yields are soaring, but the central bank isn’t expected to raise rates. At least not yet, according to an analysis from BMO Capital Markets. Government of Canada (GoC) bond yields showed a multi-year high for annual growth in 2021. This means rising market expectations of the overnight rate climbing in the near-term. Despite soaring yields, BMO doesn’t see the Bank of Canada (BoC) raising rates in January. Public health measures make that unlikely, but they still do see an early hike.

Canadian Bond Yields Are Rising At A Multi-Year Record Pace

The GoC 5-year bond climbed at one of the fastest rates ever last year. The yield ended 2021 at 1.264%, up 86.5 basis points (bps) from a year before. It was the biggest…

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