Lowest Rates Blog: Mortgage

Unless you’ve been out ice-fishing for the last week and a half, you’ve probably heard about mortgage rates falling.

The gateway between Canada’s traditional manufacturing heartland and the newer resource sectors, Manitoba is changing in ways that are unlike many of the other provinces.  Whereas many regions across the country are seeing limited economic investments from the private sector, the ratio of private vs. public growth in Manitoba actually favours the private market.

Ever since 2007, the economy of Saskatchewan has been booming stronger than any province in Canada, rivaling the economic strength of Alberta.  Economic growth contributed to strong net gains in housing sales and average prices, with new housing starts rising or falling based on supply. 

The conventional wisdom in Canada that “mortgage rates have nowhere to go but up” has been proven wrong – again. Yesterday RBC cut most of its fixed rates by 10 basis points in response to “competitor pricing,” and other banks are expected to follow suit. Even more significant is the growing likelihood that variable rates will fall too as the Bank of Canada considers cutting the overnight rate. That’s right – borrowers who rolled the dice and went variable will soon have some extra money in their pockets thanks to BoC governor Stephen Poloz. The freshman governor will be cutting rates in a matter of months if current economic trends continue.

Thousands of people are migrating to Alberta from all over the country for new opportunities.

British Columbia is one of the most interesting housing submarkets in Canada.  The province is home to the largest and most expensive regional market in the country, but also offers more affordable homes along the interior and to the north.

Does that mean you can afford a home in the country’s most western province?  Well that depends on a number of factors, including what BC can expect from 2014 onward.