The Federal Budget introduced a few days ago has been a complete disappointment. Home ownership incentives, mortgage guideline changes and new builder stimulus packages were poor.  Not only has it been a disappointment, it has proven that the Federal Government is totally out-of-touch with reality.  Two…

Canadians getting, renewing or refinancing a mortgage are forced to undergo a stress test. They must prove they can afford their payments if interest rates rise. The stress test uses a rate substantially higher than your actual mortgage rate.  Federal guidelines require financial institutions to…

This is a Rental Market update for the upcoming year.  Canadian landlords will increase rents in 2019.  Strong demand for rental housing continues due to high home prices and tighter mortgage lending rules.  Therefore, average rents nationally will rise 6% with Ottawa looking at a 9%…

Know the facts and heed the warnings. The Bank of Canada has made no secret of its intention to raise the benchmark rate through 2019. That could expose many households to vulnerabilities.  Higher rates will put a squeeze on highly-indebted households. These households should make sure they have…

Are you wondering why you may be paying a higher rate on your mortgage than your twenty-something co-worker being a first time homebuyer?  Simply stated, the Canadian government and the Chartered banks have decided to support and reward home buyers with less credit worthiness. To…

Rising Interest Rate & Your Mortgage Since the summer of 2017 we have seen Prime Rate increased five times by a total of 1.25%.  At the same time, five-year fixed-rate mortgage rates have also risen by approximately 1.65% to hover at about 4%.  The economic…