Bank of Canada Raises Benchmark Rate

After more than a year at a record low level, Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney raised the benchmark interest rate for the first time since 2007 by one-quarter percentage point to 0.5 per cent. This is the first time since 2007 that that rate has increased and the Bank of Canada is the first in the Group of Seven to do so since the financial crisis and recession began in 2008.

In a statement Carney emphasized that the increase should not be interpreted as just the first of more to come.

"This decision still leaves considerable monetary stimulus in place, consistent with achieving the 2 per cent inflation target in light of the significant excess supply in Canada, the strength of domestic spending and the uneven global recovery,'' the central bank said. ``Given the considerable uncertainty surrounding the outlook, any further reduction of monetary stimulus would have to be weighed carefully against domestic and global economic developments.''
[Source - mortgagebrokernews]

Watch a discussion on the rate increase from CBC News - Click Here.

TD led the way raising Prime to 2.5% with CIBC and RBC shortly afterwards. Many other banks and mortgage lenders have also followed with a .25% increase in the prime rate.

New report indicating that home prices will stabilize

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) released a new report indicating that home prices will stabilize, and remain stable for some time.

This means that Canadian homeowners are unlikely to experience a US-style decline in the value of their homes.

“The relationship between average price and income has recently been cited as portending a US-style correction in Canadian home prices,” said Gregory Klump, Chief Economist, CREA. “However, such warnings ignore the longer-term relationship between prices and income, and disregard typical Canadian housing market cycle dynamics.”

Click here to read the CREA report.

Home prices in Canada are overvalued by 14%

Home prices in Canada are overvalued by 14%, while affordability is eroding dramatically in some parts of the country, say two new reports on the state of the housing market. 

“When it comes to prices, by almost any measure, Canadian home prices are overshooting their fair value,” CIBC Senior Economist Benjamin Tal said in a report Tuesday. “The pace of appreciation has been quicker than justified by housing market fundamentals.”

The bank says the average price of a home has risen by almost 23% since the cyclical low of January 2009, and about 7% above recession levels.

As a result, at least 1.5 million homes across Canada are overvalued, particularly in Western Canada, and a price drop of 5% to 10% over the next 12 months would not be unlikely, said Tal. 

Click here to read the full article in The Star.

Fixed or float? Combination mortgages increasing in popularity: RBC poll

The popularity of combination mortgages – which offer both fixed and floating rate segments – is on the rise, according to RBC’s 17th Annual Homeowners Survey. 

In fact, 40% of Canadians who are likely to purchase a home within the next two years plan to take out a combination mortgage, compared to 32% in 2009.

The surging popularity of combination mortgages indicates that Canadians are trying to maximize low interest rates while at the same time retaining the security of a fixed mortgage. The poll also revealed a marked gender split with more women (46%) than men (35%) preferring a combination mortgage.

“Although interest rates are expected to rise, our study shows that not all Canadians intend to automatically opt for a fixed mortgage with a longer term,” said Marcia Moffat, Head, Home Equity Financing, RBC Royal Bank. “As consumers begin to learn about the benefits of mortgage diversification, we’re seeing more homebuyers gain a better comfort level with adding floating-rate mortgage options.”

While combination mortgages are gaining in popularity, fixed-rate mortgages continue to be the most common choice for potential buyers and are preferred by 44% of Canadians likely to buy a home within the next two years. Atlantic Canadians are most likely (54%) to opt for a fixed rate, with Ontarians (41%) least likely to do so.

Click here for more details on the RBC study.

86% of real estate professionals said they worry.

Realtors polled in a recent cross-Canada survey indicated that the country’s real estate market is both highly competitive and provides the necessary safeguards to protect consumers. 

 

Eighty-six percent of real estate professionals said they worry that severe deregulation in the real estate industry would erode standards of customer service for Canadians who are buying or selling a home.

 

According to the online poll of 1,726 realtors by Royal LePage Real Estate Services, the proposed changes to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) will do little to improve an already competitive industry.

 

Eighty-six percent of agents surveyed said they are “concerned that the push to foster increased competition in the industry will result in lower customer service standards.” When asked about the state of the current marketplace, 76% of respondents said the industry is “highly competitive.” 

 

Click here to read more from the Royal LePage survey.

 

Neither recession, global uncertainty nor growing joblessness appears to have stayed Canadians’ appetite for spending money they don’t have.

 

A new report by the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada shows that household debt in the country kept rising through the recession and peaked in December at $1.41 trillion.

 

That’s $41,740 on average per Canadian, or debt to income ratio of 144%, which is the worst among 20 advanced countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

 

“This report is another indication of Canadians’ readiness to consume today and pay later,” said association President Anthony Ariganello. “The concern is do they understand the full cost of paying later?”

 

The Bank of Canada has also voiced similar concerns, with Governor Mark Carney having repeatedly advised Canadians to ensure they will be able to meet their mortgage commitments once rates increase. Ottawa has put that cautionary principle into effect by stiffening the means test chartered banks must apply when issuing open-ended mortgages.

 

Most Canadians don’t yet share that concern. The accountants’ survey found that almost 60% of Canadians whose debt had increased still felt they could manage it or take on more obligations.

 

Click here to read more from CBC.

Islamic mortgages now in Canada

Source [cbc.ca - May 7, 2010]
A Manitoba credit union has become the first major financial institution in Canada to offer mortgages geared towards the needs of devout Muslims


On Wednesday, Winnipeg-based Assiniboine Credit Union (ACU) announced it was launching an Islamic Mortgage Program.

Currently, the majority of the Winnipeg's roughly 13,000 Muslims rent or don't own the homes they live in, the credit union said.

For-profit loans are problematic for people of the faith because the Qur'an forbids the payment of interest.
Under the program, the credit union and the homebuyer enter into what ACU calls a "declining partnership agreement." Both parties co-own the home and its title.

"During this time, the family has exclusive rights to live in the home and in exchange they agree to pay ACU a profit. At the end of the contract the Muslim family is the sole owner of the home," the credit union said in a press release.

The would-be homeowner must contribute a minimum of 20 per cent of the home's price at the start of the agreement, ACU said.

The plan was developed with the help of Islamic religious scholars in Canada and the U.S., the credit union added.

What’s Taxable Under the HST and What’s Not?

Here are examples of common products and services and how they will be affected by the HST.

Click the link above to open a PDF document.