Variable rates on new mortgages could get a little cheaper this quarter, for one of four reasons, or maybe all four: Bankers’ acceptance (BA) rates — a general proxy for variable-rate funding costs — are at an all-time low. That’s boosted the spread between prime rate and BAs to almost a 12-year high. Think of that spread as a rough...
“What’s the lowest rate?” is one of those questions you can’t answer with one number. There are just too many factors that determine the rate someone pays. You have to ask more questions, like: How much equity do you have? Are you purchasing a home, refinancing, or just switching lenders? What term do you prefer? What province are you in?...
The Mortgage Report: Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. 5-year yields leaped to a 7-week high on Wednesday as Democrats took control of all three houses of government, thanks to their historic win in Georgia. Canada’s 5-year yield rose in sympathy by a less notable 2 bps, but economists nonetheless expect more of an incline in rates this year. The reason: Democrats...
The Mortgage Report: Jan. 4, 2021 2020 was a year that took pleasure in humiliating forecasters. From the remarkable bounce in housing, to the resilience of mortgage volumes, to the devastation in big-city rental markets, to the homeowner exodus from urban cores to the lows of contract mortgage rates, to the persistence of high qualifying rates — 2020 made the...
“Vaccines have come too late to avoid a bleak winter,” said Capital Economics in a report last week. The market agrees. Canada’s two-year bond yield, often used to forecast Bank of Canada rate policy, hit a record low on Thursday. That coincides with recent BoC comments that it could cut the overnight rate by less than the standard 25 basis...
Only fools lock in for a decade. That’s what many thought prior to this year, and some still do. But at least now it’s more debatable. That’s because, for the first time ever, there’s a 10-year mortgage with a 1-handle. On Monday, a few mortgage brokers started advertising a 1.99% 10-year fixed, breaking Tangerine’s prior record of 2.14%. The move...
Quick Rundown Today’s Announcement:No change to rates Overnight rate:0.25% Prime Rate:2.45% (also no change; seePrime Rate) Market Rate Forecast:No BoC hikes until at least 2023 BoC’s Headline Quote: “The Governing Council will hold the policy interest rate at the effective lower bound until economic slack is absorbed so that the 2% inflation target is sustainably achieved.” BoC on the Economy:...
—The Mortgage Report: Dec 7— HSBC’s 0.99% variable-rate special remains the talk of the industry. Consumers have noticed, too. Online mortgage searches are up nearly 50% in the last week, according to Google Trends. Here’s more of the latest on HSBC’s headline-making offer: January 3, 2021, is officially the last day to apply, according to HSBC’s terms and conditions. It’s...
Canada’s fifth-largest bank reportedly has an unpublished 1.49% 4-year fixed special right now. That’s a new 4-year fixed record-low, and the lowest uninsured fixed rate in the country. It’s also available on default-insured mortgages. Four-year fixed rates are nowhere near as popular as 5-year rates. They’re an oft-overlooked term with only 1 in 16 Canadians choosing them, according to Mortgage...
Never in history has a Canadian bank advertised a mortgage rate with a zero to the left of the decimal point. Fortunately, there’s a first for everything. Effective December 4, 2020, HSBC Canada—who’s made a name undercutting its big bank competition—is launching the lowest rate in Canadian history: 0.99%. This is a milestone rate, akin to landmark rates like BMO’s...
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