Found 61 blog entries tagged as mortgage.

Canadians have never had so many monetary policy questions, especially homebuyers. Our crystal ball is in the shop, so we can’t tell you what interest rates will be. However, we can do the next best thing — present you with the Canadian Overnight Rate Sentiment Index. We polled the country’s top economics and finance experts for their Bank of Canada (BoC) forecast. We then de-biased it by disassociating the expert’s name, and plotted the forecasts. While we can’t tell you the future (yet!), we can help you understand where the best of the best see things heading. 

A Quick Note On Forecasting

It might seem obvious what a forecast is, but it’s worth repeating for those who don’t work with them regularly. A forecast estimates a future…

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Canada’s monetary policy is too loose, and tightening is the simplest way to correct it. That’s the gist of the latest research note from the Bank of Montreal (BMO). Senior economist Robert Kavcic notes the current market is more frenzied than anything else in Canadian history. He sees Ottawa using a rate hike to cool it, which will help reduce demand. By reducing demand, he sees the market froth easing.

Canadian Home Prices Are Accelerating At A Rapid Rate

Today’s Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) data shows soaring home prices. As stated earlier, the price of a typical home is now 26.6% higher than last year. It’s hard to believe, but recent growth has been even faster than usual. According to the bank, the 1, 3, and 6-month annualized…

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Liens often have negative connotations for homeowners. Yet if you’re reading this article, you may be surprised to find out that you already have a lien on your home and that liens are not always as bad as they sound. Here’s what you need to know.

Understanding How Liens Work

A property lien is a legal claim against a property, allowing the creditor to use it as collateral to collect what they’re owed if the debtor cannot make payments.

Consider this common scenario to better understand how liens work: taking out a loan to finance a purchase. To secure loan repayments for the duration of the contract, the lender will use one of your assets as collateral. In most cases, the chosen asset will be your home. However, if you fail to repay the…

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JANUARY 11, 2022

Canada’s central bank quietly updated its real estate affordability index. It wasn’t good news. The Housing Affordability Index (HAI) made a big jump in Q3 2021. Maintained by the Bank of Canada (BOC), the HAI shows the share of income required to service a mortgage on a home. Low rates are no longer helping affordability, but fueling prices that outpace wages. As a result, affordability has now reached the worst level since the Great Recession.

The Bank Of Canada Housing Affordability Index

The BoC Housing Affordability Index shows the share of income needed for housing costs. More specifically, the share of disposable income an average family would use. Housing costs are defined as mortgage payments and utilities.…

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Buying a home is a big undertaking, and all aspects should be carefully considered before looking to buy. Not only do you want to find your dream home, but you want to do it within a reasonable budget. In hopes of staying within that budget, you may decide to cut some corners by carefully analyzing the things you want over the things you need.

In making these decisions, you may decide to skip using a Buyer’s Agent. Is this a good decision? No. Here’s why:

  • It’s free! The cost of using a Buyer’s Agent is covered by the seller out of the sale of their home. This means that choosing to use an agent will not only make your home buying journey much easier, but it won’t add a single penny to your budget.
  • A Buyer’s Representation Agreement is what…

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When inventory is low and buyer demand is high, chances are you’ll receive at least one cash offer—a promise to purchase your property that doesn’t depend on the buyer acquiring a mortgage. Buyers figure paying cash might help them stand out among multiple offers, but what’s in it for you as the seller? Here’s what sellers need to know about all-cash offers.

What is a cash offer?

Most offers on residential homes typically include three conditions: financing, an inspection, and a review of documents. When an all-cash offer is submitted, the buyer is telling the seller they have enough cash and investments to purchase the property, says Rochelle Cantor, a REALTOR® and broker with Engel & Völkers in Montreal.

“A cash offer doesn’t mean…

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Soaring Canadian mortgage debt might finally be showing some signs of cooling. Bank of Canada (BoC) data shows outstanding mortgage credit hit a high in September. Annual growth is now rising at one of the fastest rates in over a decade. However, the pace of borrowing is falling very quickly. This might be a sign we’re past the peak of growth for this credit cycle.

Canadian Mortgage Debt Hits $1.77 Trillion

Canadian mortgage debt reached a new record high and did so at one of the fastest rates in history. Mortgage debt for housing hit $1.77 trillion in September, up 0.7% ($11.5 billion) from a month before. The balance is 9.6% ($155 billion) higher compared to the same month last year. Only August’s annualized growth showed a larger dollar…

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Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or a seasoned property owner, shopping around for a mortgage lender can feel daunting.

With multiple companies, interest rates, and options to look over, finding the best lender for your specific needs can appear overwhelming. However, mortgage brokers and specialists have the tools and knowledge at their fingertips to help borrowers make informed decisions about their home financing.

Image via Pexels

To tell us more about what to look for when choosing a mortgage lender, we recruited the advice of Carrie Cardinal from Realtyone Real Estate Services Inc. and Ryan Mollberg with M Realty, both of whom are Saskatchewan-based mortgage brokers and REALTORS®. 

Types of mortgage lenders and how a broker can help

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Photo: Tyler Farmer / Unsplash


Canada’s housing market is seeing a “high degree of vulnerability,” in the face of continued price acceleration and overvaluation.

In its Q3-2021 Housing Market Assessment, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) stated that a high degree of market vulnerability has been created at the national level as a reflection of “problematic conditions,” detected in several local markets within Ontario and Eastern Canada.

Between CMHC’s March 2021 and September 2021 reports, the rating of national market vulnerability escalated from “moderate” to “high.” The corporation explained that high vulnerability means that the market is more susceptible to a potential downturn that would result in greater…

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Photo: James Bombales

The rate of growth for housing prices across the country has notably dropped compared to the earlier, more hectic market months of 2021.

In a recent monthly housing market update report, senior RBC economist Robert Hogue noted that the housing market has “calmed down considerably this summer,” which is taking the pressure off of Canadian housing prices.

Although home prices are still on the rise, the pace of appreciation is less than what it was prior to the summer. For the past three months, the average rate of increase was 0.8 per cent month-to-month, a noticeable difference from the first quarter of 2021 when the average rate was 2.6 percent monthly. The rate of price appreciation during the last three months is…

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