It’s one of the clear advantages brokers offer clients hunting for a mortgage, but even that is being threatened by mortgage specialists arguing the hit attached to their credit checks are much lower than those undertaken by brokers. “It’s totally false,” says Ron Butler of Butler Mortgage. “We hear this constantly – the bankers are […]

Brokers frustrated by high prepayment penalties for clients are calling for more government oversight. “The federal government needs to step in and set a single formula that all lenders are mandated to follow, thus protecting all consumers,” Blair Goodman of Dominion Lending Centres National wrote on MortgageBrokerNews.ca Several industry players were quick to agree with […]

The mortgage market south of the border is suffering some volatility currently as bond market yields have increased leading to a spike in mortgage rates. CNBC reports that the trend is for rates to increase and a senior mortgage loan originator Matt Weave told the broadcaster that the market is “definitely in panic mode” as […]

Housing markets are expected to remain stable for the rest of the year, and starts are expected to moderate in 2015 and 2016 according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). “Lower oil prices are contributing to disparities between provincial housing markets,” Bob Dugan, chief economist for CMHC said in an official release. “A […]

The Bank of Canada will announce its latest decision on interest rates this Wednesday morning at 10am but analysts are fairly united on their forecasts. It’s not expected that Stephen Poloz will announce any change to the current rate having already spoken recently about the bank’s assessment of the economic landscape.

The sharp rise in Canadian government bonds is likely to push mortgage rates higher in the coming weeks. Five-year bonds have increased by 40 basis points in the past few weeks and with variable rate mortgages tracking the bonds some analysts are advising that consumers should be considering locking in rates now.

Speaking at RealtorQuest, Warren Jestin, the chief economist for ScotiaBank, said Canada’s central bank likely won’t raise interest rates, possibly until the end of next year.  Jestin pointed to several reasons behind his forecast, each of which he said led to the Bank of Canada’s concern for the economy, which, in turn, is keeping rates […]

The Bank of Canada announced some proposals that are aimed at protecting the country’s financial system in the event of another financial crisis. The bank’s deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins announced the plans Tuesday which it hopes will reduce the risk to financial institutions and cut taxpayers’ exposure. The BoC wants to ensure that all banks and mortgage […]

Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz has given a strong hint that there will be no further interest rate cut in the near future. Speaking in New York Mr Poloz said that the January cut of 0.25 per cent seems to have done the job the bank wanted; insuring against the oil price slide. With […]

Despite a “stalled” economy in the first quarter of 2015, the Bank of Canada revealed some optimism as it held steady the target for the overnight rate. “Risks to the outlook for inflation are now roughly balanced and risks to financial stability appear to be evolving as expected,” the Bank of Canada wrote in an […]