21 Jun

How the mortgage stress test is impacting qualification amounts

General

Posted by: Kyra Park

Variable rate mortgages getting all the love… As of June 2022, we are currently seeing unnatural discrepancies in the size of mortgage loans borrowers will qualify for, and it’s all because of a rift in the space-time stress test continuum. You see, most 5-year fixed mortgage rates are already over 5%, making their stress test a full […]

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3 May

Reverse Mortgages and What to Know

General

Posted by: Kyra Park

For many Canadians who are looking to retire but currently facing high debt load and ongoing expenses, as well as reduced income, it can be a challenge. This is where the reverse mortgage can help! This product is also a great option for anyone wanting to assist their elderly parents. Instead of selling the home […]

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2 May

What Happens When Appraisal Values Come up Short?

General

Posted by: Kyra Park

For the first time in 2 years, the real estate market is cooling, which means occasionally houses may appraise for less than the agreed purchase price. Then what? For the past two years, appraisal valuations have rarely fallen short. Instead, we routinely saw appraisals coming back at the purchase price—and often higher—due to the national […]

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20 Apr

Canadian Home Sales Begin to Slow in March.

General

Posted by: Kyra Park

Canadian March Home Sales Posted Their Biggest Decline Since June Statistics released today by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) show that rising interest rates were already dampening housing activity well before the Bank of Canada’s jumbo spike in the key policy rate in mid-April. National home sales fell back by 5.4% on a month-over-month […]

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7 Feb

Get Used to the “Manhattanization” of our Urban Centres, OSFI Chief Says

General

Posted by: Kyra Park

High Prices and little spaces is what’s in store for Canada’s urban centres. Younger Canadians wanting to live in Canada’s urban centres are going to have to get used to settling for smaller living spaces. In other words, we’re witnessing the “Manhattanization” of our cities, according to Peter Routledge, head of the Office of the […]

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27 Oct

Bank of Canada Preview: Rate Hike Expectations Growing

General

Posted by: Kyra Park

Rate Hike Expectations still Growing. With inflation well above the Bank of Canada’s target level and ongoing supply chain issues, expectations of earlier-than-expected interest rate hikes in 2022 are growing. For much of the past year, the Bank of Canada had assured markets that interest rate hikes were off the table for at least the […]

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26 Oct

Canadian Inflation Rises Once Again.

General

Posted by: Kyra Park

Inflation Rises are no longer just talk, they are here. Prices are Rising Everywhere–Transitory Can Last A Long Time Today’s release of the September Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Canada showed year-over-year (y/y) inflation rising from 4.1% in August to 4.4%, its highest level since February 2003. Excluding gasoline, the CPI rose 3.5% y/y last […]

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20 Oct

Rate Hikes Could Start by April as Inflation and Supply Concerns Grow

General

Posted by: Kyra Park

Expectations for the first Bank of Canada interest rate hike have moved up to as early as April as inflation concerns grow and supply disruptions persist. Nearly half of Canadian businesses (45%) expect inflation to run hot at more than 3% over the next year, according to the Bank of Canada’s third-quarter Business Outlook Survey released Monday. […]

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15 Oct

National Home Prices Rose in September as Supply Tightened

General

Posted by: Kyra Park

September sees high prices with minimal supply. The national average home price re-accelerated in September, returning to a level last seen in May, while housing supply continued to trend down. The average selling price in September was $686,650, up 13.9% year-over-year and 3.5% from July’s reading of $663,500. Removing the high-priced markets of the Greater […]

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