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Posted Interest rates

Mortgage wars end?…only for the BIG SIX Banks…

March 29th, 2012 is going to be remembered as the day when the BIG SIX Banks ended their Mortgage War.   Well, at least for now.  Rates are up around 0.50% at Retail Branches of the BIG SIX  Banks.  (don’t worry, Mortgage Broker rates haven’t gone up that much and are lower than any of the so-called discounted or special rates advertised by the BIG SIX Banks.)

In what was an unprecedented, public fight for your mortgage, the BIG SIX Banks pulled down their pants and showed how low they can really go with their rates.   We saw BMO come out with their 2.99% NO FRILLS mortgage… ( a product we wouldn’t recommend to anyone due to it’s restrictions, limitations and penalty calculations).    Unfortunately, too many borrowers don’t look beyond the rate and have signed on for this product..   They will have to deal with the consequences in the years to come.

RBC fired back with a pretty good rate of 2.99% for 4 years… It didn’t have the restrictions or limitations but it still had that unfair penalty calculation.   RBC also took some public shots at the BMO product, through the media and their own website.   It was great to see some real competition take place among our BIG BANKS.    There is always a winner in this war.   You the borrower.

TD, Scotiabank, National Bank and CIBC all followed with a similar 4 year fixed rate at 2.99%.   But they still had that same penalty calculation formula I absolutely don’t like.

“Canadian lenders appear to be extremely slow to pass on changes in the Bank Rate to their customers.”  Anyone remember that quote?  That’s a direct quote from the Bank of Canada review entitled ‘Competition in the Canadian Mortgage Market’.

Here’s another one from the same report “borrowers who use a mortgage broker pay less, on average, than borrowers who negotiate with lenders directly”.

The good news about all this rate war stuff is that we saw even better mortgage products being offered through the Mortgage Broker channel.  Remember these quotes the next time you are shopping for a mortgage.

Posted Interest rates

The Star reports BMO suggests it’s time to lock into fixed rates…. well, maybe..

I had a discussion with The Toronto Star’s Susan Pigg about Fixed and Variable rates.  Click here to read my comments in this article.

In short, BMO Captial Markets says it’s time to lock into a Fixed rate…. Well maybe, but I would caution anyone that had a BMO variable rate mortgage to think twice about locking into BMO’s well publicized 2.99% 5 year NO FRILLS mortgage.   This product has limitations and restrictions that make it impossible to get out of the mortgage without selling your home.   There are better options out there…  you can get a great rate without sacrificing your options and privileges.

You also have to factor in the infamous BIG SIX BANK penalty calculation.  We’ve written about this before.  This could cost you dearly should you wish to refinance or have to pay the mortgage out before maturity.   We have seen numerous cases of Bank prepayment penalties adding up to 12, 14, 18 and 20 months worth on interest.  That’s right, 20 months worth of interest.   Don’t get held hostage by your mortgage provider.

If you have a Variable Rate mortgage that is price at Prime less 0.50% or lower, I would stick with it…  If you are higher than this or if you mortgage is coming up for renewal, then you should consider a Fixed Rate mortgage…  And the only reason to consider Fixed rates is because they are priced so close to what a Variable rate could be had for today…  Best Variable is around Prime less 0.25%… that’s 2.75%.  Best 5 yr Fixed  with ALL FRILLS is around 3.19%…

But before you make any decision, please speak with an unbiased advisor, like a mortgage broker…. Find out which product is right for you…  Everyone is different and we all have different needs.  There are so many unadvertised specials these days….  Your Mortgage Broker can access these products and  also help explain the differences in penalty calculations and why this should be looked at more closely, even it you don’t think penalties apply to you…

 

Posted 1 Comment on When opportunity knocks…open the door. Interest rates

When opportunity knocks…open the door.

It’s March, 2012.   How will you look back at this month in 5 years time?    There are certain dates in history that stand out for all of us.   Some are more personal than others, like the birth of my son, the day I met my wife, my first trip overseas, NHL pro hockey camp, etc.

And then there are dates where I look back at missed opportunities.

-October 1984, I had a chance to buy a waterfront lot on Balsam Lake in Ontario’s cottage country, for $22,000…. now selling for $400,000.   There was a new condo in east Toronto for $82,000 in September 1987…. now selling for $392,000….(and yes, I think I was 5 years old…Lol!)..

-Or how about that semi-detached house at Danforth Ave and Woodbine, in Toronto, for $175,000 in 1990….now selling for $500,000.    More recently, I could have bought a house for $320,000 in 2005, near the water in Burlington, Ontario…..that same house sold for $800,000 last year.

The point it, I think we will look back at March 2012 as the month when the Banks declared mortgage war against each other…  Only in this war, there is a winner… YOU, the consumer, YOU the borrower, YOU the investor.   We are seeing record low mortgage rates.   And they won’t last forever.  In fact, this mortgage war is probably going to accelerate interest rate hikes…  almost like starting a campfire with gasoline soaked wood… It’s burning red hot but it won’t last for long.

With interest rates are record lows, isn’t this the time to borrow?    A $300,000 mortgage will carry for $1196/mth.. and that’s with a 5 year fixed rate term.  Bond yields are climbing… 5 yr bond yields are up to 1.71%.. that’s up 30bps in less than a month… 5 year fixed rates follow bond movement… i think it’s safe to say, we should expect rates to climb in the near future… and the reason they haven’t moved yet is because of the Mortgage wars…

We are hearing the cries by the govt and some bankers, telling us not to borrow too much.  Personal Debt level concerns are plastered all over the internet and media.   But we aren’t seeing many articles telling us how to borrow and invest wisely…. borrow when rates are low instead of borrowing when rates are high… borrow when you qualify instead of borrowing when you don’t… borrow when you don’t need the money…   Isn’t that when Banks want to lend you the money?

We have just seen a draft guideline, Bill B-20,  entered in for review with a May 1st decision date.   These new regulations are aimed at tightening lending rules even further.. and this time it’s targeting Home Equity Lines of Credit..   That’s right, they want to make it even harder to qualify for these products and possibly make the repayment terms more strict…

Opportunity is knocking… answer the door..

Posted 4 Comments on BMO NO FRILLS mortgage 2.994 is back… but please don’t read the fine print… Interest rates

BMO NO FRILLS mortgage 2.99% is back… but please don’t read the fine print…

Ladies and Gentlemen, here’s a quote from Mr. Frank Techar, head of BMO’s domestic retail bank as published in The Financial Post “We believe these products will allow our customers to borrow smartly,”     I couldn’t agree more… After you spend some time reading the product details, you are sure to turn around and run.

BMO’s NO FRILLS mortgage is back…2.99% for 5 yrs fixed and 3.99% for 10 yrs fixed until March 28. Both come with the same restrictions and limitations as before…  We give this product a BIG THUMBS DOWNS!  We recommend you stay away from this type of product.

Even thought I don’t like the product, I do like seeing these product announcements… they create a buzz and get competitors to react.  It’s great for business.

First off, let me say, there are LOWER unadvertised rates out there…you can get another NO FRILLS 5 yr fixed at 2.95% and a REGULAR 10 yr fixed for 3.94%…..Now that I have your attention, I strongly recommend you read the details before making a decision…. mortgages can be complicated.  Don’t make the wrong a decision.. speak with a Mortgage Broker.

What makes this product different from their regular line of mortgages are the restrictions and limitations.  In January, BMO made headlines when they first announced this so-called ‘special offer’.    It’s special alright… READ THE PRODUCT OVERVIEW…  In January, I warned against taking this product…. my warning has been reactivated…. Once you read the fine print, you will realize this product is not suitable for most of us..it’s just a lot of smoke and mirrors trying to get you in the front BMO door..  a good marketing ploy… and I’m sure they’ll gain market share because of it.   But let’s make sure you understand the fine print…

YOU STILL WANT THAT BMO NO FRILLS RATE?

But let’s say you’ve read all the fine print and still want this product… I’ve got news for you…. There are BETTER PRICED NO FRILLS PRODUCTS…. As a Mortgage  Broker I have access to better unadvertised rates…  Only problem is, I don’t have a $500million advertising budget… So I have to rely on providing my clients with good advice…Fortunately, my good advice has served me well and 95% of my business comes from repeat clients and referrals.

MY ADVICE

No Frills products came out around 8 years ago and my advice has been the same.   DON’T TAKE these products.  If you do, chances are you will not come back to me as a satisfied client.  I can kiss your future business and future referrals good-bye.   And I can’t afford to do that.  That’s why you’ll NEVER see me promote or recommend these products.  Yes, I have access to them but I’m going to do everything in my power to steer you clear of them.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE TODAY

Interest rate is probably the most important part of a mortgage but it’s not everything.  Did you know that there are excellent 5 year fixed rate products hovering between 3.19% and 3.29%?   and 10 yr fixed rates of around 3.94%?   Why are these better?  You don’t have to give up your options. You don’t have the restrictions of a NO FRILLS product, like BMO’s ‘low-rate mortgage’.  You have full prepayment privileges.. you can payout the mortgage without having to sell your home.. you can refinance with any lender and not just your original lender… meaning you will be able to negotiate a competitive rate should you need to refinance.  On average, Canadians refinance their mortgage every 3 years… This happens for a number of reasons.. selling their home, debt restructuring, family issues, work issues, etc….  Mortgage penalties charged on these NO FRILLS mortgages can be outrageous… we’ve seen penalties of up to 14, 16 and even 20 months worth of interest…  Don’t put yourself in that situation…

Get all the facts and then make a decision.

Posted Interest rates

CMHC forecasts a healthy housing market for 2012-13…. but fixed mortgage rates have started to climb.

CMHC issued a report that says the economy will expand at a moderate pace over the next few years, as reported in The Spectator.  The Bank of Canada should also keep it’s trend setting rate low until mid 2013.    This means Variable mortgage and secured lines of credit rates will remain low.

The report also says the average house price in Canada is expected to hit $368,900 this year.  But, a closer look at the Greater Toronto Area market shows that house prices are climbing much faster.   A lack of supply and a pent up demand, together with record low interest rates are fueling price increases.   Reports of homes being sold above asking are popping up outside of Toronto.. including Milton, Georgetown, Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton.

If you’re in the market for a home, my advice would be to not wait til the Spring market.  The market is now.  Experienced realtors are telling me they have priced a 5% increase in the first 2 months of 2012.  Waiting could cost homebuyers $18,000 or more.

FIXED MORTGAGE RATEShave started to climb.  Earlier this week we saw RBC and TD pull their special mortgage rate offers…   BIG SIX Banks don’t like to compete in the wholesale mortgage market with mortgage brokers… when these 2 banks realized no other BIG SIX bank was offering this rate, they quickly withdrew the offer…   read this article...  the BIG SIX banks are calling a truce?   What does that mean…?  Don’t you want your banks to compete?  And that last paragraph by BMO’s Frank Techar is priceless.. “We went to 2.99 per cent to draw attention to the benefits of having a mortgage with a maximum amortization of 25 years”.   This does make me a laugh a little… BMO’s NO FRILLS mortgage was a way to gain market share and entice borrowers into a restricted and closed mortgage product…  Mortgage Brokers already had access to this rate and a NO FRILLS product through another lender… but it’s not a great product and the restrictions are costly…Most brokers will not recommend or even offer this product to their clients.

The ripple effects of this ‘truce’ are that wholesale mortgage rates have started to climb… ING and National Bank have also increased their rates.  This could be temporary but if the Greeks get their act together and the U.S. economy starts to improve, we will see rate hikes….  My advice is get your mortgage preapproval now…. These are historical low interest rates…  I’m not sure they will be here for much longer.