Confusion and angst. That’s what TD caused with its 45-basis-point 5-year posted rate hike on Friday. But as it turns out, no other banks matched it, at least not yet. Unless you’re a TD customer,the bank’s gambit should have limited ill effects. Status Quo with the Stress Test TD’s monster move had no impact on themortgage qualifying rate(MQR) this week,...
We’re seeinggovernment bond yields approaching seven-year highs, and now this. TD has just boosted its posted 5-year fixed a whopping 45 basis points (bps) to 5.59%. Over the last decade, the average increase to posted 5-year fixed rates has been24 bps. A 45-bps bump is rare, and the most in eight years. If at least two other Big 6 banks...
New data has more than a few observers second guessing Ottawa’s latest mortgage clampdown. RE/MAX’s 2018 Spring Market Trends Report quantifies the by-products coming from one of the biggest mortgage rule changes ever, the uninsured mortgage stress test. The data beg the question, are the side effects worse than the government’s medicine? More Buyers Are Being Hamstrung One in four...
Here’s the quick and dirty on Wednesday’s Bank of Canada announcement: Rate Change:None Market Rate Outlook:Two more hikes in 2018 BoC GDP Outlook:2% growth in 2018 and 2019; 1.8% in 2020 BoC Statement:Click here The Money Quote: “…Higher interest rates will be warranted over time…Governing Council will remain cautious with respect to future policy adjustments…” Next Rate Meeting:May 30, 2018...
If Jimmy Fallon’s “puppy predictors” ever start forecasting interest rates, some economists could be out of work. These four-legged furballs may very well have just as much forecasting ability as your typical Bay Street analyst. To “prove” it, we use 20/20 hindsight to our advantage (and economists’ disadvantage). Taking a trip back to 2015 shows just how reliable economic forecasts...
Canadians are more gung-ho than ever to buy a house. RBC’s latest Home Ownership Poll found that nearly a third of Canadians (32%) still expect to buy a home within the next two years. That’s the highest level of homebuying intention Canada has seen since 2010, and up 7% from last year. This is despite a string of new mortgage...
Variable rates can present a catch-22. On the one hand, variables are almost alwayscheaper than most fixed mortgages. And they also let you capitalize on falling interest rates. On the other hand, when rates start climbing, so do your interest costs. That risk keeps a lot of people from even thinking about floating their mortgage rate. But it doesn’t have...
The most extraordinary thing about Canadian real estate is how it has shrugged off rule change after rule change in the mortgage market. We’ve seen governments impose over 60 housing finance restrictions since 2008, the height of the global credit crisis. These policies shrank the number of qualified borrowers and inflated mortgage costs.And yet, far from collapse, the market is...
Imagine this. You’ve just found the perfect house after weeks of searching. You’ve clawed together every available dollar for the down payment. You’ve gathered up all the necessary documents. And you’ve found an amazing mortgage rate on the Spy. But wait. What’s that? Your credit score has sunk to 645?!? Those two missed payments, 85% credit utilization and recent credit...
Let’s be clear on one thing. Most bank mortgage specialists are good people who do the right thing. Then, there are the other kind. Consumer watchog, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, is targeting those reps with a cautionary critique of mortgage sales practices at the big banks. The agency is worried that banks may be placing “sales ahead of...
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