Mortgage Rate Outlook Archives

14Jul

How does the Bank of Canada’s interest rate hike affect variable rate mortgages?

[Globe and Mail - July 13, 2022] The Bank of Canada increased its benchmark rate by a whole percentage point on Wednesday, the most aggressive rate hike since 1998 and an even bigger jump than investors and Bay Street economists were expecting. This is the fourth consecutive interest rate hike since March, as central banks around the world attempt to curb runaway inflation and slow the pace of consumer price growth. The Bank of Canada’s policy rate now sits at [...]

Bank of Canada announcements, Economic Outlook, Mortgage Education Centre, Mortgage Rate Outlook

23Jun

Rising interest rates mean Canadians need the right mortgage advice

[Globe and Mail - June 8, 2022] Homeowners and buyers should seek advice as they adjust their strategies and look for more ways to save The changing landscape around interest rates is having a cooling effect on Canada’s scorching real estate market, giving Canadians an opportunity to slow down and explore their options. Three out of four homeowners polled by CIBC this spring say they intend on staying put in the short-term. While about 22 per cent of homeowners expect to buy [...]

Canada, Mortgage Rate Outlook

27Feb

TD becomes first major bank to hike fixed five-year mortgage rates amid surge in bond yields

[Globe and Mail - February 26, 2021] Bay Street expected higher interest rates – but not this high, this fast. And we’re now starting to see the impact on those shopping for mortgages. Canada’s five-year government bond yield, which leads fixed mortgage rates, surged past 1 per cent on Friday morning, its highest since before the Bank of Canada cut rates last March. That’s a 50-basis-point move in nine trading days, the likes of which we haven’t seen since 2010. (There [...]

Canada, Mortgage Rate Outlook, Vancouver Real Estate

16Jan

Money markets are betting Bank of Canada might make ‘micro rate cut’ next week

[Financial Post - January 12, 2021] TORONTO — Money markets see an increased chance of the Bank of Canada cutting interest rates closer to zero, as tightening economic restrictions to contain a second wave of COVID-19 cases offset optimism that activity will rebound later this year. Interest rates were thought to have hit rock bottom in Canada after they were slashed 150 basis points last March to a record low of 0.25 per cent, a level the Bank of Canada considered [...]

Bank of Canada announcements, Canada, Mortgage Rate Outlook

10Oct

Bank of Canada: Negative interest rate, ‘in the toolkit’

[RCI - October 9, 2020] Around the world economies are suffering from the effects of the pandemic and central banks have lowered interest rates as one measure to mitigate the effects. Here in Canada, several reports have indicated that an economic recovery which seemed to be underway in mid summer, has now stalled. COVID rates are up, especially in Canada’s two most populous and hardest hit provinces, Ontario and Quebec. Each has imposed new restrictions which further hurt the economy, especially businesses [...]

Economic Outlook, Mortgage Rate Outlook

24Jun

How to get around Canada’s harsh new mortgage rules – Come July 1, 2020, it will be a lot harder to get the feds to back your mortgage.

[Financial Post - June 16, 2020] The tighter lending rules coming into force July 1 will make it harder for some Canadians to buy homes, but mortgage pros say panicking won’t do you any good. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced plans in early June to reduce borrowing limits, demand higher credit scores and restrict down payments for anyone who needs default insurance from the agency. That kind of insurance is mandatory for “high-ratio” buyers putting less than 20% [...]

Canada, Mortgage Rate Outlook

18Apr

Major lenders begin to cut fixed mortgage rates

[Globe and Mail - April 16, 2020] Fixed mortgage rates are creeping lower this week, as the funding markets that banks and other mortgage lenders use to raise money for loans have begun to normalize after weeks of outsized volatility. Toronto-Dominion Bank brought its five-year fixed rate down to 3.09 per cent from 3.24 per cent this week, and several other major lenders including Royal Bank of Canada and MCAP have also reduced their rates. Five-year fixed-rate mortgages ranged between 2.39 [...]

Canada, COVID-19, Economic Outlook, Mortgage Rate Outlook