Beware of early renewal offers! Why? If your mortgage is coming up for renewal this year there is a good chance that your current mortgage lender will contact you months ahead of your actual renewal date and offer you the “opportunity” to renew your mortgage ahead of time. If this was fall 2021 or spring […]
2023 Fall Federal Economic Statement
The 2023 Fall Federal Economic Statement was recently released in the past few weeks. With Canadians facing increasing financial pain through generationally high inflation, which has resulted in the Bank of Canada raising interest rates to 20-year highs; the federal Liberal government has been subjected to mounting political pressure for them to offer some relief. […]
Bank of Canada Announces Pause to Interest Rate Hikes
On Wednesday, October 25th, the Bank of Canada made their latest scheduled rate announcement, that they were holding the overnight rate at 5%. This translates to a hold in the Prime lending rate with lenders, which is currently at 7.20% For anyone with a variable rate mortgage, line of credit or credit card date this […]
The Bank of Canada Strikes Again!
Despite earlier indications from the Bank of Canada back in January that they would be pausing further rate hikes, they just initiated their second hike since that time. The most recent 25 basis point increase on July 12th, adds to the previous 25 basis point hike, bringing the Bank of Canada overnight rate to 5%. […]
Mortgage Rate Update June 2023
Mortgage Rate Update for June 2023 – The Bank of Canada ended its four-month rate increase pause on Wednesday, raising the overnight lending rate by 25 basis points (bp), or .25% to a 20-year high of 4.75%. In fact, you would have to go back to 2000 to experience rates that high! This brought an […]
Can the New First Home Savings Plan Help Me?
As of April 1st, First Time Home Buyers in Canada will have a new tool to help them save for the down payment for a home purchase. The First Home Savings plan or FHSA (First Home Savings Account) as it will be known, is a registered savings plan that will be administered by qualified, participating […]
Is Now the Right Time to Choose a Variable or Fixed-Rate Mortgage? | The Real Cost of Renewing Your Mortgage
If your mortgage is coming up for renewal and you are experiencing a bit of “rate shock,” you are not alone! If you currently have a fixed-rate mortgage, your interest rate will most likely be going up, and likely substantially, depending on your term. If you currently have a variable-rate mortgage, your interest rate has […]
The Trigger Rate and Your Variable Rate Mortgage
What is the trigger rate? If you currently have a variable rate mortgage you may have had the unpleasant experience of hearing the term “trigger rate” by your current mortgage lender, or you may have heard it in the news. Don’t feel bad for not being familiar with the term as historically it has rarely […]
Happy New Year!
Well, that was quite a year! Unfortunately, not for the better when it comes to interest rates and housing prices. Like all change, it’s not always welcome or for the better however we need to identify both threats to mitigate and opportunities to take advantage of. As your Hamilton Mortgage Broker, I am constantly looking […]
How a Renter Can Help a Renter Be a Home Owner
This might seem like part of a Dr. Suess rhyme but it is actually a legitimate and very pertinent question especially for first time home buyers. Read on to learn more about how a renter can help a renter be a home owner! As a Grimsby mortgage broker, I see and feel the pain of […]