Halifax mayor says city is past the worst of its housing crisis, advocates disagree
By Lyndsay Armstrong Andy Fillmore, elected mayor Oct. 19 after resigning over the summer as Liberal MP for Halifax, says the city is coming out the other side of its dire housing shortage because of the new shelter and housing options available. “I have great hopes that we, together with the province, are going to […]
July 24, 2024 Bank of Canada Rate Announcement
The Bank of Canada lowered its benchmark interest rate to 4.50% today, which was expected. The prime lending rate is now 6.7%, putting us back to what the rate was June 2023. This move is aimed at easing financial burdens for Canadian homeowners and those looking to buy homes. It’s the second rate cut since […]
Can Mortgage Rates Improve Much Before Trump’s Inauguration?
While mortgage rates have already seen some improvement since the election dust settled, they remain quite elevated. At last glance, the 30-year fixed was hovering around 6.875%, down about 0.25% from its recent highs. It’s been a good few days, but rates are still at least 0.75% higher than they were in mid-September. The reason […]
Rental supply gains help cool pace of rent growth in 2024: CMHC
By Sammy Hudes The federal housing agency said in a report on Tuesday that the vacancy rate for purpose-built rental apartments sat at 2.2% in October, when it conducted the annual survey. That was up from the record low of 1.5% last year. The average rent for a two-bedroom purpose-built apartment, which the CMHC uses […]
Mortgage demand drops for the first time in 5 weeks, after interest rates rise
Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Mortgage rates moved markedly higher last week, causing overall mortgage demand to drop. Total application volume fell 0.7% compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. That was the first decline in five weeks. The average contract interest rate for […]
September 4, 2024 Bank of Canada Rate Announcement
As anticipated by many, the Bank of Canada lowered its benchmark interest rate by 0.25%, bringing it to 4.25%. The prime lending rate is now 6.45%. This is the Bank of Canada’s third consecutive rate cut following a previous cut in July. In today’s announcement, the Bank said, “With continued easing in broad inflationary pressures, […]
Mortgage Rates Improve After New Treasury Secretary Bessent Announced
As I’ve been saying for a while now, all of the potential bad news (for mortgage rates) has been largely baked in over the past couple months. And then some! Meanwhile, anything potentially positive for mortgage rates, such as easing inflation and higher unemployment, has largely been ignored. Rates can’t seem to catch a break. […]
Mortgage Digest: HELOC usage rises to near two-year high as borrowing picks up
Canadian homeowners are increasingly tapping into their home equity, with HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) usage rising to its highest level in nearly two years, according to data from Statistics Canada. As of September, outstanding HELOC balances totalled $170.8 billion, up 3% from last year, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada. This […]
What that means for you
The Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates by another quarter point on Dec. 18 at the end of its two-day meeting. That would mark the third rate cut in a row — all together shaving a full percentage point off the federal funds rate since September. So far, the central bank has moved slowly as they recalibrate policy […]
October 23, 2024 Bank of Canada Rate Announcement
The Canadian real estate market is undergoing a transformative period, driven by a mix of favourable policy updates and economic changes. On October 23, 2024, the Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate by 0.5% to 3.75%, making the prime lending rate 5.95%. This move aims to stimulate economic growth and maintain inflation near […]