By The Spy on
January 29, 2021
Tangerine has ratcheted up its competitiveness. For non-default insured mortgages, it is suddenly the national leader on four fixed terms: 2-year fixed at 1.64% 3-year fixed at 1.59% (lowest refi rate in the country) 4-year fixed at 1.69%, and 10-year fixed at 2.14%. These are exceptional rates for uninsured mortgages (which include refinances and purchases over $1 million), particularly if...
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By The Spy on
December 14, 2020
Only fools lock in for a decade. That’s what many thought prior to this year, and some still do. But at least now it’s more debatable. That’s because, for the first time ever, there’s a 10-year mortgage with a 1-handle. On Monday, a few mortgage brokers started advertising a 1.99% 10-year fixed, breaking Tangerine’s prior record of 2.14%. The move...
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By The Spy on
December 7, 2020
—The Mortgage Report: Dec 7— HSBC’s 0.99% variable-rate special remains the talk of the industry. Consumers have noticed, too. Online mortgage searches are up nearly 50% in the last week, according to Google Trends. Here’s more of the latest on HSBC’s headline-making offer: January 3, 2021, is officially the last day to apply, according to HSBC’s terms and conditions. It’s...
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By The Spy on
December 4, 2020
Canada’s fifth-largest bank reportedly has an unpublished 1.49% 4-year fixed special right now. That’s a new 4-year fixed record-low, and the lowest uninsured fixed rate in the country. It’s also available on default-insured mortgages. Four-year fixed rates are nowhere near as popular as 5-year rates. They’re an oft-overlooked term with only 1 in 16 Canadians choosing them, according to Mortgage...
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By The Spy on
December 3, 2020
Never in history has a Canadian bank advertised a mortgage rate with a zero to the left of the decimal point. Fortunately, there’s a first for everything. Effective December 4, 2020, HSBC Canada—who’s made a name undercutting its big bank competition—is launching the lowest rate in Canadian history: 0.99%. This is a milestone rate, akin to landmark rates like BMO’s...
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By The Spy on
November 23, 2020
—The Mortgage Report: Nov. 23— Bond yields stopped falling three months ago but that hasn’t stopped Tangerine from launching one sweet 10-year special. If you: think the economy will turn around in 2021, and think rates are near a medium-term (or longer) bottom, and want maximum protection from future rate increase, thenTangerine’s new 10-year fixed rate might just check your...
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By The Spy on
September 30, 2020
—The Mortgage Report: Sept. 30— The costs you’re expected bear to carry a new mortgage have never been higher—at least based on how lenders assess you as a mortgage applicant. Rocketing home prices and a stubbornly high “stress test rate” have pushed the basic inflation-adjusted cost to carry a home (i.e., average mortgage payment + heat + property taxes) to...
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By The Spy on
September 15, 2020
—The Mortgage Report: Sept. 15— Never before has Canada seen an uninsured 5-year fixed nationally advertised for 1.84%. But on Tuesday we saw it, courtesy of Tangerine. At 1.84%, Tangerine’s rate is now just 4 basis points above the lowest nationally advertised uninsured variable rate. As usual, you’ll find even lower default-insured and insurable 5-year fixed offers if you shop...
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By The Spy on
August 27, 2020
—The Mortgage Report: Aug. 27— Closer to Free Money Never on record has a fixed-mortgage contract rate undershot 1.40% in Canada, until Thursday. This one-year fixed offer launched exclusively on RateSpy.com and it’s one more sign of the times. A sign that markets expect no significant boost in rates for as far as the eye can see. Just 18 months...
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By The Spy on
August 21, 2020
—The Mortgage Report: Aug 21— Boldly Going Where No 5-Year Fixed Rate Has Gone Before For the first time, pricing on Canada’s most in-demand term is now effectively as low as 1.59%. That’s for default-insured 5-year fixed mortgages in Ontario. Consider that just 18 months ago rates were double what we see today. On the uninsured side, we’re getting multiple...
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