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Real Estate Insights: The Connection Between Markets and Mortgage Rates

Real Estate Insights: The Connection Between Markets and Mortgage Rates

Welcome to the Canguard blog, your trusted source for insightful perspectives on real estate and mortgage funds in the Canadian landscape. Today, we delve into an essential yet often overlooked aspect of the real estate realm: the powerful interplay between market dynamics and mortgage rates.

Understanding the correlation between market shifts and mortgage rates is pivotal for investors, homeowners, and industry professionals in the ever-evolving real estate ecosystem. 

Throughout this blog, we will explore how changes in market conditions influence mortgage rates and subsequently impact real estate transactions.

 

The Impact of the Market on Mortgage Rates in Canada

Mortgage rates follow a complex pattern shaped by the interaction of many market trends in the interplay of economic forces affecting the Canadian housing market. Several external factors have been prominent in Canada’s economic landscape in recent years, influencing the mortgage industry. These influences include changes in unemployment rates, commodities prices, and international trade relations. The Bank of Canada’s rate choices are crucial to this dynamic and are frequently influenced by these underlying currents. For example, the bank may lower rates to encourage borrowing, spending, and investment during regional or worldwide economic downturns. On the other hand, a rate increase is frequently necessary to curb inflation and calm an overheated economy.

Changes in interest rates regularly affect Canadian mortgage rates, directly impacting both the profits for investors and how easy it is for people to afford home loans.

Interest rates significantly impact the housing market. The appeal of purchasing a home in Canada is impacted when the Bank of Canada modifies its benchmark interest rate, which trickles down to impact mortgage and other interest rates. 

The relationship between mortgage rates and market forces is not limited to the choices made by legislators; it can also be seen in Canada’s streets and neighborhoods. The effects can vary as widely between regions as they do inside a nation. Unlike relatively tranquil markets like Halifax or Winnipeg, local supply and demand dynamics can push mortgage rates in different directions in thriving urban centers like Toronto and Vancouver, where the real estate markets are seen as scorching. The impact of local economies, population growth, and the balance between housing supply and demand all play a part in setting mortgage rates that suit the unique characteristics of each region’s economy.

A person in a suit using a pen and a laptop, analyzing the impact of the market on mortgage rates.What Influences Mortgage Rates in Canada?

Your mortgage is more than just a loan; it’s a financial transaction with a goal for profitability. Understanding the dynamics behind your mortgage interest rates is key to making informed decisions. In this section, we’ll unravel the factors that influence your mortgage costs, from funding expenses to global economic trends and the role of the Bank of Canada. Join us as we simplify the complexities and offer insights for navigating the landscape of mortgage financing.

  • Profitable Transaction: Your mortgage is more than a loan; it’s a transaction where the lender seeks profitability through the interest you pay.
  • Interest Dynamics: Most of your mortgage’s interest rate is influenced by funding costs, which are impacted by interest rates. The operational expenses of your lender and the amount required to insure the lender against defaulting on the loan are additional variables.
  • Economic Impact: Economic growth plays a crucial role, with a strong economy leading to higher interest rates and a weak economy resulting in lower rates.
  • Global Connection: Canadian banks, often borrowing internationally, are interconnected with global financial markets, leading to rate adjustments based on international events.
  • Bank of Canada’s Role: The Bank of Canada influences rates through policy adjustments, affecting both short-term and long-term interest rates, including the prime rate.

Magnifying glass and laptop on the table showing factors affecting mortgage ratesWhat Is Happening with Mortgage Rates in Canada?

It usually takes several months to a year for the effects of rising interest rates to become completely noticeable in the economy. The continuous increase in prices, indicating inflation, shows that there’s a higher demand driven by economic growth. Even with the rise in interest rates, most provinces have seen better home sales, showing that the demand remains strong. The transition to a buyer’s market is now assessed through sales to new listings ratios (SNLR).

Contrary to initial expectations of rate relief by the end of 2023, experts now project a gradual decrease of 25 basis points per quarter from Q2 of 2024. Looking back at 2023, marked by three quarter-point rate hikes, Canadian mortgage holders faced increased payments, especially for certain variable-rate borrowers and mortgage renewals.

While there has been a slight increase in mortgage delinquency rates, borrowers have demonstrated resilience. Approximately 40% of mortgage holders have already experienced a higher rate upon renewal. However, the real impact is expected to surface in the coming years, with around $251 billion in mortgages up for renewal in 2024 and an additional $352 billion in 2025.

The Bank of Canada anticipates that by the end of 2025, at least eight out of ten mortgage holders will face a “relatively large” rise in mortgage payments. Nonetheless, the expected reductions in interest rates in the coming years aim to mitigate the impact. Additionally, a recovery in property prices and sales is forecasted for 2024, although the extent of growth remains uncertain among forecasters.

Real estate mortgage rate concept with house on graph on blue background.Navigating High-Interest Rates to Save Money on Your Mortgage

The interest rate hikes will impact consumer demand, as their full consequences will be noticed over the following year. Rates will decline along with demand, so how you manage them to save money will depend on your circumstances. 

Anything that rises must also fall, albeit it might not do so quickly enough for everyone. Although a decline in mortgage rates is anticipated, this may not coincide with most Canadian mortgage renewals on schedule. In particular, if they qualified in 2021, those holders of variable-rate mortgages would be most impacted by rate rises.

 

Reducing Interest Rate Risk with Fixed-Rate Mortgages

The conventional wisdom is to lock yourself into a fixed-rate mortgage as soon as interest rates decline. However, if bond rates are a leading factor and inflation is a lagging signal, waiting for the proper time to lock in is the best course of action. 

Arranging oneself so that you can benefit from reduced rates is a deliberate strategy. For anyone navigating this volatile rate environment, this is the ideal choice. 

Sticking with a shorter fixed-term mortgage could be a wise choice, but you might need to lock in again since the rates might not have hit their lowest point. The Bank of Canada estimates that moderate inflation may take 1.5 to 2 years.

Locking in for a longer period—say two or three years—makes strategic sense to allow inflation more time to stabilize.

 

Final Thoughts

In exploring the Canadian real estate and mortgage landscape, we’ve uncovered the crucial interplay between market dynamics and mortgage rates. This intricate dance, influenced by legislative choices, global events, and local dynamics, shapes the rhythm of Canadian mortgage rates.

The projected gradual decrease in rates aligns with expectations for a property market recovery in late 2024.However, challenges are on the horizon, with many mortgages due for renewal in the coming years. The key takeaway is clear: proactive navigation is essential. Whether opting for fixed-rate mortgages or strategically timing decisions, staying informed and adapting to the evolving landscape is crucial in Canadian real estate and mortgage financing.

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Disclaimer:

This website is provided for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. No securities regulatory authority has assessed the merits of these securities or the information contained in this website. Potential Investors should conduct their own due diligence before investing. All statements in this website, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Canguard expects to occur are forward looking statement. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe” or “continue”, or the negative thereof, or similar variations. Please see the Offering Memorandum for a complete description of the risks associated with investing in Canguard Mortgage Investment Corporation. Purchase of Canguard Shares may be made through Kite Financial Solutions Ltd or a Dealer/Advisor.

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