The next BoC rate meeting is April 20.

90 Day Rate-Hold available. Call John now for more information!

(604) 710-1500

1. All borrowers must meet the standards for a five-year fixed rate mortgage even if they choose a mortgage with a lower interest rate and shorter term
2. The maximum amount one can withdraw in refinancing their mortgage will be reduced to 90% from the current 95% of the value of one’s home
3. Non-owner occupied properties will require a minimum down payment of 20%.

There were no changes to down payment requirements or length of amortizations for owner-occupied residences.

While these changes were not dramatic, they will still effect the odd borrower who will have to come up with a little more money to buy the house they want.  Although, the 80% rental rule will pose a problem to those wanting to invest in rental properties.  Please feel free to call and discuss!

A growing number of Canadians are opting to use mortgage brokers instead of going to the bank branch, a recent study said.

According to Maritz Research, which conducted the study on behalf of CAAMP, the mortgage broker channel handled 23 per cent of all mortgage activity in 2008. This number was higher in Western Canada, (34 per cent in Alberta and 27 per cent in British Columbia), as well as amongst females (26 per cent), who were more likely than men (20 per cent) to deal with brokers.

“In the past, the first or only place a person would go when looking for a mortgage was to their local bank, however more and more Canadians are now seeking out the services of Mortgage Brokers to help them navigate the biggest purchase of their lives,” said study author Rob Daniel, managing director, Maritz Research Canada, to the Financial Post.

Another strong demographic for mortgage brokers was with young Canadians. In the 18 to 34 demographic brokers represented a 28 per cent share. With 53 to 54 year olds this decreased to 24 per cent, and with the 55 and older crowd it was even lower, at just 17 per cent.

It’s nice to see Canadians understand the value in the service we provide.  In the US, people use brokers for everything – health, auto, home & life insurance etc.  So rather than heading straight to the bank (with their 5-10 products) and accepting their ‘lowest’ rate… why not submit your application once and have all the mortgage products from over 50 lenders in Canada at your disposal?  Keep this in mind: Banks always look out for themselves.  As your mortgage broker, I am always fighting for your best interests.  Unbiased advice at no cost to you, along with greater savings and selection make this the growing trend.  Who wouldn’t want a tailor-made mortgage along with huge savings?

Once again, the Bank of Canada announced it would keep the key interest rate at a record-low 0.25 per cent to achieve its inflation target of two per cent.

While the Bank said economic growth in Canada resumed in the third quarter of 2009 and there has been a slightly higher than expected rate of inflation in recent months, it reiterated that the economy is still lagging, particularly due to factors like a strong Canadian dollar and low levels of U.S. demand.

Repeating many of the same projections as its October monetary policy report, the Bank predicted the economy to return to full capacity and reach a two per cent inflation rate in the third quarter of 2011. It forecast the economy to grow by 2.9 per cent in 2010 and 3.5 per cent in 2011.

The next Monetary Policy Report will be released Friday and the next rate announcement will be made March 2.

Call John @ (604) 710-1500!

If you’re currently in a Variable Rate mortgage and are considering converting to a Fixed product… STOP! I may be able to:

1. Pay out your penalty.
2. Get you a brand new 5 yr+ Product. (If you have 2-3 years left on your mortgage, do you really want to renew your mortgage when rates could potentially be a lot higher in a few years?)
3. Get an interest rate that is much lower than the conversion rate within your current mortgage; saving you thousands.
   

The time to ask these pertinent questions is right now.  We are seeing some of the lowest rates in Canadian mortgage history.  Why not take advantage of what many are calling the “bottom” of interest rates?  I can help you plan your long-term goals while taking advantage of these savings.  It’s smart-planning and free to boot!  Call now!