Archive for the 'Money Matters' Category

Are Mortgage Rates Headed Up?

Do we have a looming threat of stagflation in the Canadian economy, which would trigger higher inflation and mortgage rates?  This week’s guest post by mortgage planner, Dave Larock, looks at this very topic.  Anyone keeping an eye on Canadian mortgage rates should pay special attention to our Labour Force Survey (commonly referred to as [...]

Georgian Triangle Real Estate Barometer April 19 – 25, 2013

This market summary includes data for Collingwood, Blue Mountains, Wasaga Beach, Clearview, Grey Highlands and Meaford. The information was obtained from the MLS® statistics provided by the Georgian Triangle Association of REALTORS®. Previous week(s) in brackets. Single Family Residential New Listings:  68 (68, 68,  61) Average List Price: $378,362 Range of List Prices: $134,900 – [...]

Has the Bank of Canada Discovered Life on Mars?

The Bank of Canada has consistently been warning Canadians that higher interest rates are on the way yet, global economic conditions continue to deteriorate and rates held steady again last week. In today’s article by David Larock, a Mortgage Planner in Toronto, he ponders what the BoC is thinking. The Bank of Canada (BoC) left [...]

Bank of Canada Holds Steady at 1%

For 21 consecutive policy decision meetings, the Bank of Canada has kept their Overnight Rate at 1%.   Citing an economy that is underperforming, the rate is being kept steady … for now.  Outgoing Bank of Canada Governor, Mark Carney, in his penultimate target rate policy decision, predicts that the Canadian Economy will grow in 2014, [...]

Georgian Triangle Real Estate Barometer April 12-18, 2013

This market summary includes data for Collingwood, Blue Mountains, Wasaga Beach, Clearview, Grey Highlands and Meaford. The information was obtained from the MLS® statistics provided by the Georgian Triangle Association of REALTORS®. Previous week(s) in brackets.  Single Family Residential New Listings:  68 (68, 61, 76) Average List Price: $394,262 Range of List Prices: $95,000 – [...]

Is There a Prime-rate Cut In Our Future?

Darn, I just couldn’t get to this yesterday but I would suggest you take a visit over to Dave Larock’s blog for his Monday morning Interest Rate Update. In it, he discusses how the Bank of Canada surprised market watchers last week by removing its oft-repeated warning about mortgage rates rising faster than most borrowers were [...]

Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (January 21, 2013) – Why Chinese Growth is Good for Canadian Variable-rate Mortgage Holders

Guest Post by Dave Larock Last week’s big news was that China clocked a Q4, 2012 GDP growth rate of 7.9%. This was significant because it reversed a seven-quarter decline in that country’s growth rate. (By comparison, China’s Q3, 2012 GDP growth rate was 7.4%.) From a Canadian variable-rate mortgage perspective, it can be argued [...]

How You Build 20% Equity in Your Blue Mountain Condo In Just A Few Months

Do you think this is not possible?  Beleive it or not, it is.  Yes, you CAN build 10, 20 or even 30% equity in a property here if you have vision and courage.  Here is a classic case in point. Earlier this year, I had a condominium listed for sale in a prime location opposite [...]

Greener Home: More Green in Your Wallet

Saving the downpayment is often the most challenging part of purchasing a home.  Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Genworth Canada each offer mortgage loan insurance to lenders so that qualified home buyers can realize their dream of homeownership with only 5% downpayment.  Each of these insurers now offer incentives for homes that are energy efficient. [...]

Monday Interest Rate Update

Guest Post By David Larock Happy New Year indeed. Markets are up, bond yields are rising and there is renewed optimism about the green shoots of economic recovery in the air. (Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.) The U.S. government swerved at the last minute to avoid the dreaded fiscal cliff, the latest U.S. [...]

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