Improving Affordability Today: Support for First-Time Home Buyers introduced in the 2019 Federal Budget To help make homeownership more affordable for first-time home buyers, Budget 2019 introduces the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive. The Incentive would allow eligible first-time home buyers who have the minimum down payment for an insured mortgage to apply to finance a portion of their home purchase through a shared equity mortgage with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation... [read more]

CMHC Tightens Mortgage Insurance Rules Starting July 1 The government-backed Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp said on Thursday it would tighten rules for offering mortgage insurance from July 1, 2020. The move would make it harder for riskier borrowers, who offer downpayments of less than 20 per cent to access CMHC's default mortgage insurance. CMHC is establishing a minimum credit score of 680 instead of the current 600, the group said in an emailed statement. It will... [read more]

Lowest mortgage Rates in History: What It Means for Homeowners and Buyers   The interest rate on Canada’s most popular mortgage, the five-year fixed rate, has fallen to its lowest level in history. In early June, HSBC made headlines when it began offering Canadians a five-year fixed-rate mortgage below 2%. Multiple brokers followed suit, and some are now advertising even lower rates.1 And while many Canadians have rushed to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity,... [read more]