By The Spy on
April 29, 2020
TD Canada Trust rate cuts: Special fixed rates drop from: 3yr: 2.99% to 2.89% 5yr (high ratio): 2.99% to 2.79% Posted rates drop from: 1yr fixed: 3.59% to 3.44% 2yr fixed: 3.74% to 3.54% 5yr variable: 2.65% to 2.35% (P – 0.25%) Every time a bank cuts 1- and 2-year posted rates, it raises the chances of customers paying bigger...
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By The Spy on
April 28, 2020
Tough Sledding: The mortgage industry will remain under pressure “over the near-term as employment trends weaken, credit loss provisioning moves higher, and housing / mortgage activity pulls back materially,” TD says. If government subsidies disappear in 2021, the bank projects 50% higher mortgage defaults industry-wide, peaking in first quarter 2021. But the overall arrears level will stay below the historical...
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By The Spy on
April 27, 2020
Today’s Rate Menu: After a three-week hiatus, variable mortgage rates are back down to prime – 0.50% (a 1.95% effective rate, including cash back) in some provinces—but only if you need a default-insured mortgage. The lowest widely advertised uninsured rates remain HSBC’s 2-year fixed at 2.34% and the fully open Tangerine HELOC at 2.35%. Sales Should Surge Post-Reopening: Home purchases...
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By The Spy on
April 24, 2020
RBC Cuts Again: The nation’s biggest mortgage lender dropped six “Special Rates” today: 1yr: 3.14% to 3.04% 2yr: 2.79% to 2.69% 3yr: 2.99% to 2.89% 4yr: 3.04% to 2.94% 5yr: 3.24% to 3.09% Variable: Prime + 0.25% to Prime +0.00% Quick take: Despite the fact that prime + 0% is nothing to write home about, any improvement in variable-rate pricing...
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By The Spy on
April 22, 2020
Cracks in Real Estate: Home sales have plunged. No secret there. But new data from HouseSigma gives us a hint of how much, at least in the Greater Toronto Area. Raw year-over-year sales data shows that during the first three weeks of April, GTA home sales have nosedived from 11,777 to just 4,027, down roughly 66%. And properties for sale...
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By The Spy on
April 21, 2020
Never before has our government been able to borrow 5-year money so cheaply. With oil in crisis mode, Canada’s benchmark 5-year bond closed at a record low yield of 0.419% on Thursday, according to Bloomberg. Bond yields remain a driving force for fixed rates, even with all the risk and volatility in the market. The reason: numerous other mortgage benchmarks...
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By The Spy on
April 20, 2020
Oil Bloodbath: Crude posted its largest price decline in history today, down 300% in the May futures contract. How is it possible to fall more than 100%? Oil futures traded below $0 a barrel for the first time in history. People weren’t even willing to take a barrel of oil (for May delivery) for free. The June contract was down...
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By The Spy on
April 17, 2020
Crude Unreality: Oil dove to its cheapest level since 2002 on Friday, closing at a staggeringly low $18.27 a barrel (WTI). Three months ago, the lowest analyst forecast for 2020 was $50! Given how important the black stuff is for Canada’s economy, its collapse should add downward pressure to bond yields—which are a leading indicator of fixed mortgage rates. Oil...
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By The Spy on
April 16, 2020
Record Broken: Canada’s 5-year bond yield moves fixed mortgage rates and it closed at another all-time low today. That coincides with a roughly three-week low in risk/liquidity premiums. Together, these two factors are driving fixed mortgage rates lower, with numerous lenders trimming rates 5-15 bps this week. More Hope: “With a vaccine more than likely out of reach for this...
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By The Spy on
April 15, 2020
After slashing rates three times in March and buying billions in bond market instruments to further suppress interest rates, the Bank of Canada pressed <Pause> today. Here’s what happened and how mortgagors should respond. Rate Announcement:No change Overnight rate:0.25% Prime Rate:2.45% (seePrime Rate) Market Rate Forecast:No change until at least 2022 BoC’s Headline Quote:“The Bank’s Governing Council stands ready to...
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