For the second time since the beginning of the pandemic, the Bank of Canada has lowered the benchmark qualifying rate a further .15% to 4.79%. For a buyer with an annual income of $80,000 that is approximately $6,300 of additional mortgage space compared to the previous qualifying rate of 4.94% and approximately $11,000 more than the qualifying rate of 5.04% that was in place at the beginning of the pandemic.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in an attempt to protect the economic future of Canadians, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced in early June that it would be tightening its qualification rules for mortgage insurance from July 1, 2020. Fortunately, they are two other mortgage insurers: Genworth and Canada Guarantee and neither of them are changing their qualification rules.
Are you planning to buy a new house but don’t know where to begin when it comes to financing it? If you’re struggling to make sense of the mortgage system and the different options available, you’re not alone. Mortgages can be complicated if you aren’t aware of how they work. Moreover, it isn’t easy to make the right decisions based on your needs and capabilities if you don’t understand what your choices are. To help you make sense of mortgages, Keith Uthe Demystifying Mortgages has explained the different types of mortgages available to you.
One of the most intricate and difficult parts of the home-buying venture is the mortgage process. While most prospective homebuyers hire a mortgage agent to assist them with the process, there are many who avoid enlisting the services of a mortgage agent because of the myths and misconceptions they’ve come across.
The problem with this new stress test is that the central bank is still allowing the 6 central banks to dictate the average interest rate that will be used as the benchmark stress test. This is unfair to those that know they get better rates and products from monoline lenders.
A New Year brings another opportunity to cultivate healthy financial habits and manage your money better. When you consult a mortgage expert, you will receive unbiased advice on how to make wise investments and help set you up for the future. As a mortgage broker or specialist in Calgary, Alberta, I, Keith Uthe, want to ensure you become more financially secure, and to do so, I have put together a list of five tips to help you improve your finances in 2020.
The Bank of Canada has once again decided to hold the prime lending rate at 1.75%. What this means for borrowers is that the prime rate used for most lenders is 3.95% in calculating adjustable/variable-rate mortgages. Contact me with questions or requests for more information. https://globalnews.ca/news/6445742/bank-of-canada-rate-announcement-jan-22-2020/
Debt is a familiar battle people are faced with today as they depend on credit to bridge almost every financial gap from buying groceries to purchasing a house and even getting an education. As a result, debt instruments like mortgages and credit cards have become a norm to improve living standards. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, getting into debt without a financial plan or an exit strategy can eat away your savings and push you to the point of irreversible financial distress.
If you’re considering purchasing a house or investing in real estate, chances are you need to obtain a mortgage to fulfill your dream. Your knowledge of the various mortgage products and lenders may be limited, which may make selecting the right option a little challenging.
Most home buyers understand that the path to home ownership is through a mortgage. However, to avoid the additional costs, many miss out on the opportunity to enlist the services of a mortgage advisor. Also known as an independent broker, these professionals simplify the mortgage process and take care of all the leg work involved.