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Blog by Linda M Linfoot

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Why Rates are Rising

March 16th, 2020
Why Rates are Raising https://www.canadianmortgagetrends.com/2020/03/mortgage-rates-rising/ Advice for Mortgage Shoppers -For those in the market for a new mortgage, and who are leaning towards a variable rate, experts recommend obtaining a rate hold as soon as possible. “I would say act sooner rather than later. Basically, this is not a time to think,” said Stillman. “Lock it in now and if s ...
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Stress Test Changes Being Suspended

March 14th, 2020
Stress Test Changes Being Suspended Last month’s announced change to Canada’s insured mortgage stress test—which was to take effect April 6—has now been put on hold. The federal government had planned to change the formula for the benchmark qualifying rate, which would have reduced the stress test from today’s rate of 5.19% to 4.89%. A similar change for the uninsured mortgage stress test bei ...
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Residential Market Update May 2019

May 24th, 2019
The Bank of Canada is maintaining its optimistic outlook for the country’s economy – but… The central bank’s latest Financial System Review says two persistent problems remain and two others are on the rise. High household debt and imbalances in the housing market continue to represent the greatest threats to the financial system, while the increasing chance of a recession and riskier corpora ...
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Residential Market Update

April 18th, 2019
Anyone who has been watching knows that bond yields are falling and taking fixed rate mortgages with them. The recent economic slowdown in both Canada and the U.S. has pushed down yields on five year government bonds on both sides of the border. Those yields are used as the basis for setting interest rates on fixed mortgages. An economic indicator known as the yield curve is has been getting ...
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Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Oct 24

October 24th, 2018
Bank of Canada raises rates – Prime Rate is now 3.95% As expected, the Bank of Canada raised its target for the overnight rate to 1.75% today--which inevitably means variable mortgage rates, once again, are on their way up. Citing a solid global economic outlook, reduced trade policy uncertainty (thanks to the new USMCA deal), as well as a Canadian economy operating close to potential, the Ba ...
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The Housing Market Shift

August 27th, 2018
The housing market shift that is supposed to be led by empty-nest Baby Boomers has been slow to arrive. But a new survey from realtor, Royal Lepage, suggests it is coming. Although it might not be as dramatic as forecast. The Boomer Trends Survey suggests as many as 1.4 million Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) will be in the market, buying and selling, over the next five years. That ...
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Be Stress-Test Ready

April 12th, 2018
With the new Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions stress test rules firmly in place since January, Canadian homebuyers have learned they need to arm themselves with practical information on how they can ensure they are “stress-test ready”. The following is a guide and best practices tool kit for those about to embark on securing their new or next mortgage: Make a financial p ...
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Why Do People want to Buy a Home

April 3rd, 2018
Why do people want to buy a home? Most of us figure we know the answer. But Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation decided it would try to find out for sure. The housing agency did an online survey late last year. It culled out a modest 2507 responses which it broke into three categories: first time buyers; current owners; and previous owners (those who used to own, but do not right now). Al ...
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Residential Market Commentary

May 22nd, 2017
Moody’s credit rating service managed to get everyone’s attention last week when it downgraded all six of Canada’s big banks. The move triggered fresh fears that the country has a housing bubble and it is about to burst. But what does it amount to? For the banks, not much. For the rest of the economy, and in particular housing, it is being seen as a warning. Many market watchers are calling t ...
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Residential Market Commentary

May 12th, 2017
The April sales numbers are out and it is clear government interventions are having an effect; exactly what effect, though, is not clear. In Vancouver the 15% foreign buyers tax appears to have hit the detached single family segment the hardest, for now. Prices are down about 4% since the tax was implemented in August. The decline is led by the luxury end of this segment which has seen prices ...
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