5 ROADBLOCKS TO AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP (AND WAYS TO MOVE PAST THEM) Dreaming of a new home but feeling priced out? You’re not alone! A 2024 survey by Royal LePage found that 46% of Gen-Z and millennial Canadians who don't already own a home have doubts as to whether they’ll ever be able to afford one.1 According to data from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Equifax, average monthly payments for new mortgage loans have risen 47% since the... [read more]

Top 4 Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Mortgage With home prices and rates still relatively high, securing a mortgage can feel daunting––even to the most experienced borrowers. But don't let that deter you: If other homebuyers’ experiences are any indication, odds are you'll eventually find a home loan that works well for you.  In fact, research from the Real Estate and Mortgage Institute of Canada (REMIC) found that even after the Bank of Canada... [read more]

Bank of Canada Increases the Overnight Lending Rate to 0.5% The Bank of Canada today increased its target for the overnight rate to ½ %, with the Bank Rate at ¾ % and the deposit rate at ½ %. The Bank is continuing its reinvestment phase, keeping its overall holdings of Government of Canada bonds on its balance sheet roughly constant until such time as it becomes appropriate to allow the size of its balance sheet to decline. The unprovoked invasion... [read more]

Ottawa unveils new mortgage stress test rules that will make it easier to pass On February 18, Minister of Finance Bill Morneau announced changes to the benchmark rate used to determine the minimum qualifying rate for insured mortgages, also known as the stress test. The new minimum qualifying rate will be the weekly median five-year fixed insured mortgage rate from mortgage insurance applications, plus two percentage points. TRREB has long called for adjustments to the... [read more]

Bank of Canada maintains target for the overnight rate The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at the effective lower bound of ¼ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly ½ percent and the deposit rate is ¼ percent. Incoming data confirm the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy. This impact appears to have peaked, although uncertainty about how the recovery will unfold remains high. Massive policy responses in... [read more]