Government of Canada is helping first-time homebuyers with Canada’s First-Time Home Buyer Incentive. It makes buying a home more affordable and accessible.[……]
Tag Archives: mortgage
Buying a home is likely the biggest purchase you’ll ever make.
But before you can pack up and move in, you’ll need to secure a mortgage. This is of[……]
Renewing your mortgage is an important step, and you should never underestimate the financial impact. Angela Iermieri, a financial planner with Desjardins Group, has a few ideas.
What’s right for you right now?
“Our financial, personal or professional situation often changes,” she says. “If your salary went up, you’re thinking about selling your home in the near future or you want to remodel your kitchen, this new information will have a significant impact on the type of mortgage that will be right for you.”
You also need to consider other factors, like current interest rates and how well you tolerate fluctuations.
Your personal finance advisor will take this information into account when recommending a personalized solution for you.[……]
Once you’ve settled the question of open or closed term, you will inevitably have to decide between a fixed and variable rate. Which is best for your situation?
When the time comes to choose your mortgage term, there are a number of elements to take into account, including your financial means, your risk tolerance and the economic situation. To demystify it all and equip you to make the best possible decision, here’s some information that will help you make an informed choice about your mortgage type.
Fixed- versus variable-rate: which is lower?
As a general rule, variable-rate mortgages tend to be lower than fixed-rates. To understand the difference, you need to look at how these rates are calculated. Essentially, a financial institution’s variable interest rate corresponds to its preferential rate. This is established based on the Bank of Canada’s overnight rate. Add a certain percentage to this, and you have the variable rate.
As with fixed-rate mortgages, the monthly payment amount usually stays the same, but the ratio of interest to principal is subject to market fluctuations. There are also certain types of variable-rate mortgages where the monthly payment varies based on the fluctuation of market interest rates. With a fixed-rate mortgage on the other hand, you are guaranteed to always have the same amount dedicated to repaying your principal, regardless of what the market does.[……]
It was bound to happen one day. The Bank of Canada decided to raise its interest rates on July 12th for the first time in years. Every large bank followed suit the next day. It is now time to revise your budget accordingly.
This first hike does not mean there will be a second one on September 6th of this year, and that the interest rates will keep rising afterward. But, better be safe than sorry, especially given the fact that the total Canadian household debt has reached a record high.
[caption id="attachment_15646" align="aligncenter" width="580"]
iStock[/caption]
The Bank of Canada is anticipating an increase in the inflation rate. CIBC Bank economists, who issued the “Canadian Inflation: What’s Gone Wrong?” report, also believe the inflation rate will hike soon. Mortgage holders living on a tight budget should prepare accordingly.[……]
Everyone wants a place to call home. If you’re ready to take the plunge into home ownership, you may come across a new vocabulary and terms you haven’t heard before. Are you sure you know what they all mean?
Take our 10-question quiz to test your mortgage-term savvy and learn a few things along the way.[……]
You’ve decided to buy your very first home in 2017. You’re about to start looking for houses on the market. Let’s review your decision to ensure that you’re in fact ready for this step.[……]