The Bank of Canada is ending one of its emergency measures to stimulate the COVID-19 economy, leading to speculation that the era of record-low mortgage rates could be ending, too. What’s more likely, mortgage experts say, is that the central bank’s decision to stop buying Canada Mortgage Bonds on Oct. 26 will usher in a…
Buying a home is probably the biggest purchase you’ll ever make. Like most people, it’s unlikely you’ll pay in cash—you’ll borrow most of the money through a mortgage. Over the life of that mortgage, you’ll pay a lot in interest. Small changes in this interest can make a big difference in how much you’ll pay…
Almost 1 million existing loans have been deferred; more loans are still being taken out. More than 3/4 of a million Canadian homeowners have either deferred or skipped a mortgage payment during the COVID-19 pandemic began, to the tune of about $1 billion a month, Canada’s national housing agency says. In a report on Thursday,…
This summer, the housing market nationwide was better than anticipated; but we shouldn’t let it give us too much hope. Experts believe we won’t see the full effects of the pandemic on Canada’s real estate market until later this year. The upcoming reality check could be a painful one, according to a report on Canadian housing and mortgage…
As we begin the first fall of the decade, the 6 month vacation thousands of Canadians have taken from their mortgage payments will be over. Since the end of June, 760,000 people had put their mortgages on pause, according to the Canadian Bankers Association. And for a big portion of them, the grace period will…
If you’re shopping for a new mortgage, you may read around a lot of scepticism concerning the variable-rate. Are they an unnecessary gamble? On the plus side, you may win for at least a year or two by taking the chances; but after that, it’s finger-nail biting time. Years 4 and 5 could prove very…
It’s no secret that the majority of 2020 has seen a seismic shift in how everything around the world operates. Most things have changed, and it feels like the pandemic has pushed a hidden reset button back at the end of March. The point of this blog, however, is to discuss matters within the real…
With already a difficult year in our hands, things have not been made better with tighter lending rules that came into force July 1st. Of course, that will make it harder for some Canadians to buy homes, but mortgage professionals say there’s no reason to panic 😉 The CMHC announced plans in early June to…
Also known as cliff vesting, it’s the process by which employees earn the right to receive full benefits from their company’s qualified retirement plan account at a specified date, rather than becoming vested gradually over a period of time. The vesting process applies to both qualified retirement plans and pension plans offered to employees. The CMHC’s CEO Evan Siddall…
It doesn’t really get easier with the real estate market during this pandemic. Less homes on sale, lower prices, and this latest to name a few! But what makes it more complicated with refinancing? They are uninsurable, so the lending risk sits squarely with the lenders; whereas purchase transactions facilitate changes of ownership, and the…
