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Tageconomy

Ask the Expert: Steve Garganis – What’s your Canadian mortgage strategy in Trump’s tariff war?

Make no mistake, we are in a war — an economic war. President Donald Trump has threatened, imposed, or temporarily reversed tariffs on just about every country in the world, including Canada.

Canada will now see a 25% tariff on aluminum, steel, Canadian automobiles and non-CUSMA-compliant traded goods.

The U.S. accounts for 75% of all Canada’s exports. As much we want to tough it out, some Canadians will find it tougher than others. Layoffs and job losses have already begun. My office has been contacted by clients asking for help after being laid off.

There’s no point in sugar-coating it: We’re in for a bit of a rough ride. But there are some things you can do to come out of this all right.

Does bad news for the economy mean good news for your mortgage rate?

Negative economic news has been rolling out over the past several weeks, such as inflation increasing to 2.6% in February from 1.9% in January, and the unemployment rate increasing to 6.7% over the same period, leaving another 36,000 people without a job. At this point, we have to stand back and look at what this means for interest rates and the housing market. Read more – Interview with Steve

I hope you will enjoy this article and if you have any questions or would like to discuss I am always available.

Your best interest is my only interest. I reply to all questions and I welcome your comments. Like this article? Share with a friend.

Steve Garganis: 416-224-0114; steve@canadamortgagenews.

New $1.5 million price cap, 30 year extended amortization.. Is it enough?

The Federal Government announced they would be extending the current amortization on insured mortgages (those buying with less than 20% down) to 30 years.  ONLY if you are a First-time buyer or you are buying a newly built home. I applaud this move but I would have liked for these 2 limitations to have been excluded. 

I would go further and say we should extend it to 35 or 40 years, maybe even 50 years!

Continue reading “New $1.5 million price cap, 30 year extended amortization.. Is it enough?”

Bank of Canada Rate Cut July 2024: Impact on Mortgages and Economy

The Bank of Canada just cut the overnight rate by another 0.25%. For the second consecutive month, they’ve lowered the rate. In total, a 0.50% drop in two months. (not enough, but it’s a start) Great news for anyone in a Variable rate mortgage. It means you will be paying 0.50% less on your mortgage. We can expect further cuts this year and next. Read on for more details.

Continue reading “Bank of Canada Rate Cut July 2024: Impact on Mortgages and Economy”

As expected, rates are beginning to fall

Some good news on mortgage rates

Mortgage Brokers are receiving good news this week from many financial institutions.  Wholesale fixed mortgage rates are falling.  Great news for anyone buying, refinancing or renewing their mortgage in the near future.  

The news comes as a reaction to lower than expected inflation rates. We saw  2.7% vs the expected 2.9% reported.  And the US economy is finally seeing signs

Continue reading “As expected, rates are beginning to fall”

The News Says Home Prices Are Falling… But Are They?

At work, on Twitter, on the news – wherever you are, it seems like everyone is talking about home prices plummeting. That’s the big headline. It’s a neat and tidy story that seems to make sense on the surface: home prices skyrocketed. Then rates went up. Then home prices started slipping. It’s the kind of story that gets clicks and sells newspapers. But if you look beneath the surface you’ll see the full story – one that’s a lot more optimistic, and one that the media often fails to report.

Continue reading “The News Says Home Prices Are Falling… But Are They?”