April is usually the start of a spring housing market ramp-up, but this year the new mortgage stress test and rising mortgage rates have continued to be a negative factor. Those expecting an early-stage pick-up marking an end to the payback for sales pulled forward into the fourth quarter of last year have been sorely […]

It’s a mistake to shrug off interest rate increases because all banks are doing it. There’s a lot of sameness to how banks treat their customers, but raising rates is an exception. We’ve recently seen varying levels of aggressiveness in raising mortgage rates. And in one case, we’ve seen an unusually shaky hand in ramming […]

With the Bank of Canada holding rates steady this April, the same is not the case for the bond market, which impacts fixed rates. In every interest-rate market there are many factors leading to and increase and we are hoping to provide a little bit of clarity on what is happening and what it means […]

TORONTO — Two of Canada’s biggest banks are raising their benchmark rates for five-year, fixed-rate mortgages. TD says as of Wednesday it increased its posted rate for five-year fixed mortgages to 5.59 per cent from 5.14 per cent. Mortgage planner and rate comparison website founder Robert McLister says the increase is “unusual” as the benchmark […]

The Canadian dollar fell sharply immediately after the release of the Bank of Canada’s Official Statement providing a more bullish forecast for the economy while holding rates steady. The Bank hiked its estimate of noninflationary potential growth, implying there was more room to grow without triggering rate hikes. The central bank now suggests the economy […]

There has been no shortage of changing in policies, and one specific area that continues to grow is reverse mortgage space. There are so many baby boomers who are house rich but cash poor and are living on fixed incomes. We have recently seen new lenders enter this space and competition makes lenders better! So […]

Do you have a mortgage? So do I! Looks like we have something in common. Did you know that 6 out of 10 consumers break their mortgage 38 months into a 5-year term? That means that 60% of consumers break a 5-year term mortgage well before it’s due…but do you also know what the implications […]

The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at 1 ¼ per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 1 ½ per cent and the deposit rate is 1 per cent. Inflation in Canada is close to 2 per cent as temporary factors that have been weighing on inflation have largely dissipated, […]

One of the toughest challenges for homebuyers is being able to save money at the rate of property price increases. We know many high-income renters would like to be homeowners, but they’re just unaware of how to make the transition and are unable to save fast enough. There are several options which are great for […]

People have a lot of different ideas on how they want their home to look. Some want a modern look while others like traditional cottages. But one thing that more and more people want is smart technology in their homes. This adds value and desirability to your home making it easier to sell for the […]