New mortgage guidelines aimed at Canada’s sizzling real estate market might not be as ironclad as Finance Minister Mark Carney may have hoped. That’s because credit unions, which are provincially regulated, are not under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI). This loophole may provide community credit unions with an important competitive advantage and borrowers with an attractive alternative to traditional lending sources. Continue reading
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Consumer Debt Hits A New High
A report released this morning by TransUnion shows that, despite repeated warnings, Canadians are back on the borrowing bandwagon, pushing consumer debt to a new record high.
According to the report, the average Canadian’s non-mortgage debt hit $26,221 in the second quarter of 2012, up $192 from the previous quarter. This is the highest per person debt level since the credit bureau started tracking this type of data back in 2004.
The increase in average debt spanned the country, although Saskatchewan reported a slight dip on a quarterly basis and Alberta recorded a decreased annual debt growth. Continue reading
HELOC Lending Limits On The Way?
Rumour has it that lending limits for home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) could be slashed come the end of this month. These moves, which relate to the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions’ new mortgage underwriting guidelines, will limit federally regulated lenders to limit all new HELOCs to 65 percent loan-to-value, down from the current rate of 80 percent.
Canada’s big banks are required to comply with new guideline by the end of the fiscal year – October 31, 2012. However many lenders are already planning changes to take effect in September. Continue reading
What’s the Deal With One Man Bidding Wars?
Bidding wars are a common side effect of hot real estate markets. Whether you’re bidding against one or five buyers, the situation is always tense. It’s often an all or nothing offer – go big or go home. When multiple offers are on the table, the only strategy is to aim high, which is great for sellers. So great, in fact, that some sellers are trying to profit off of “fake” bidding war situations.
A Toronto realtor is calling for tougher bidding war rules after her client was duped into paying $90,000 over asking for a midtown home. The couple believed that they were in competition with three other bidders for the property, when in all actuality they were the only interested party. Continue reading
New Mortgage Rules Will Dampen Economic Growth?
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty stated last week that he realizes tightening mortgage rules could slow economic growth by force-cooling the housing market, and also that he was prepared to take this risk. Since then, TD Bank Mortgage professionals have estimated that Ottawa’s move to reduce the maximum amortization period to 25 years could curtail growth by as much as 0.2 percentage points in 2013. Continue reading