Analyzing BMO’s Go-Fixed Advice – ask a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Fixed rates are now “superior,” said BMO in this report released Thursday. “While we have in the past supported going variable,” circumstances now “favour…locking in…” That’s been BMO’s rally cry since 2010 when it proclaimed “Time to Say Goodbye…to Variable.” In retrospect, that advice would have cost mortgagors handsomely. But BMO was far from alone in that […]

Canadian first-time home buyers’ budget rises to $316,000, 6% more than last year – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

TORONTO — A Bank of Montreal report on first-time home buyers says the average budget has increased to $316,100. That’s up nearly 6% from an average of $300,000 in last year’s report on first-time home buyers. The BMO study says a sample of prospective buyers in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary had even higher budgets for […]

Fixed mortgages now trump variable, report says. Not everyone agrees – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Fixed-rate mortgages have gained an edge over variable-rate mortgages given the improving economy and attractive offers on longer-term deals, says a new report from economists at one of Canada’s big banks. “Fixed now modestly trumps variable,” according to a BMO Nesbitt Burns study published Thursday. While many mortgage brokers agree with that assessment, others caution […]

Five ways to save for your child’s education – other than RESPs- Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

ROMA LUCIW– The Globe and Mail Most Canadian parents know about RESPs (which doesn’t necessarily mean they have them) but few are aware of alternative ways of saving for their child’s post-secondary education, says a new report. The report, released Wednesday by the Bank of Montreal, says a study conducted last year found that 83 per […]

Spring Mortgage Wars for Vancouver Home Mortgages? – Consult with a Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Spring Mortgage Wars for Vancouver Home Mortgages? That’s the big question that many people in the mortgage business are asking themselves these days. There is no doubt that mortgage lending has slowed somewhat because of the recent rule changes made by the Feds in the mortgage industry. So, what’s in store for Vancouver home mortgages […]

Now is the time to invest in property for your business: BMO

Garry Marr |   Low interest rates, low vacancy rates and tight supply are a cue to look at buying a building for your business, according to the Bank of Montreal. “Now may be a particularly good time for businesses to invest in commercial property for their own use,” said Steve Murphy, senior vice-president of commercial […]

New Mortgage Rules Kick In

Effective today, mortgage shoppers with less than 20% equity are subject to thenew mortgage rules announced recently by the government. These regulations will cut buying power and refinance ability for a minority of Canadians. If these changes shut you out of the market, and if renting is not appealing, you don’t have a ton of options. One […]

15 Years to Go

That’s the average time remaining before the typical mortgage holder will be free and clear, according to a BMO survey released today. In addition, only 12% of Canadians have greater than 25 years left until their mortgage is repaid. (Not surprisingly, a disproportionate number live in B.C. where prices are 38% above the national average.) […]

BMO sends a warning to brokers

Brokers, consider yourselves warned, with a BMO exec laying out explicit plans to grow the number of mortgage specialists, needed to “take business” from competitors in a slowing market. “We’ve been … pretty clear about our objective, which is — we’ve been at 2 per cent mortgage growth for quite some time now and our […]

Report hints at why BMO went to 2.99%

New analyst reports are hinting at why BMO moved to offer that trendsetting 2.99 per cent rate, at the same time suggesting the offer may come back to bite it – and, indeed, the industry. The big bank trod out that historical interest rate early last month, kicking off three weeks of the unprecedented originations […]