Tagmortgage rate forecast

Posted September 5, 2013 Interest rates

Real estate sales up 21% and 52% due to end of low fixed rates.

August real estate resale numbers are in…. and what a jump! Up 21% in the Greater Toronto Area and an incredible 52% in Vancouver. And here’s another interesting stat. The average home price in Toronto is $505,000. That’s a 5.5% increase from the previous month.

REAL ESTATE SALES DRIVEN BY HIGHER RATES..

But here are my thoughts on what caused the increased sales. I think it has more to do with the steady mortgage rate increases that we’ve seen since May. You see, most Lenders and Banks will offer rate holds of 120 days. So that means you could have got a 5 year fixed rate mortgage preapproval in May for under 3.00%…. Those record low Fixed rates definitely forced many homebuyers to buy for fear they could miss out on the low rates. Continue reading “Real estate sales up 21% and 52% due to end of low fixed rates.”

Posted August 19, 2013 Interest rates

5 year Fixed rates are going up.. time to consider Variable rate.

The 5 yr Gov of Cda bond yields hit a 2 yr high on Friday reaching just over 2.00%. That’s up around 0.35% since mid July and up around 0.75% since May. The increase started in May when the U.S. Federal Bank Chair, Ben Bernanke, made some comments about possible easing of the Fed’s stimulus program beginning as early as September.

Fixed mortgage rates are closely tied to the Gov of Cda bond yield. When the yield goes up, mortgage rates are sure to follow. With 5 yr fixed rates expected to rise, it makes for an interesting mortgage market. Which product and term is best to choose today? The answer is different for everyone. We all have different needs, goals and risk tolerances. Continue reading “5 year Fixed rates are going up.. time to consider Variable rate.”

Posted July 16, 2013 Case study

Looking back 5 years.. which mortgage product did your Banker recommend in 2008?

Remember 2008? It was almost 5 years ago that the U.S. sub-prime mortgage scandal erupted. October 2008, to be exact. That’s almost 5 years ago… And with October and November 2013 renewals being less than 120 days away, we can now lock in some rates for those upcoming renewals. So I thought this would be a great time to see what sort of advice and recommendations the Banks were giving to their mortgage customers.

THE BANK’S ADVICE

The funny thing is, Banks have never changed their advice or strategy. ‘Take a 5 year fixed rate’. That’s all the Banks seem to want to promote. And with good reason… it’s the most profitable product FOR THE BANKS. But historically, it’s NOT the best product to take. There is no historical data that I am aware of that shows taking a 5 year fixed is the best strategy. But I’ll get into that in more detail later. Continue reading “Looking back 5 years.. which mortgage product did your Banker recommend in 2008?”