Fixed Rates Dropping

Tracy Head • December 19, 2022

Most years we see fixed rates start to drop towards the end of the calendar year as lenders try to boost their business to end the year strong. This year has been no exception.


Over the last few weeks I’ve seen fixed rates drop from close to six per cent about six weeks ago to 4.79 per cent and better as of this week. These rates vary depending on whether your mortgage is insured or not, but in relative terms we have seen close to a one per cent drop in many cases.


What does this mean in practical terms?


For one client I’m working with who is a single mom who is searching for a home to call her own, this increase in affordability has increased her purchase price by almost $20,000 which in her community puts her into a house rather than a condo.


For people who have upcoming renewals it may be time to connect and explore your options. If you are coming out of a fixed rate mortgage in the two per cent range, it is likely that you will be looking at a three month interest penalty to switch out of your current mortgage if you choose to do so before your actual renewal date.


I don’t advocate jumping ship really early in every case. Paying a prepayment penalty AND a higher interest rate isn’t always a great plan, but each situation is unique.


The next year is looking to be a bit bumpy with interest rates still, and from what I’m hearing rates will start trending down again towards the end of next year.


However, if you have a renewal coming up in the next four months I encourage you to reach out to explore your options now. With no historical research to support this, what I have seen for many years is interest rates pop up again as the new year starts.


I sat in on a call yesterday with the president of one of my favorite lenders. He had some interesting thoughts on the variable versus fixed conversation. Their firm has been watching delinquency rates carefully, and I was quite surprised to learn that the numbers of variable rate clients in arrears was actually far lower than the number of fixed rate clients in arrears.


I’m not sure whether that has to do with the proportionate split as to how many clients choose fixed over variable, or if there is something else that really affects these stats. I do know I am concerned for some of my variable rate clients as I know I am feeling the pinch with my own monthly mortgage payment increasing substantially.


I was also surprised to hear that most of the lender’s variable clients were choosing to stay the course

rather than lock into fixed rate terms.


If you are exploring whether locking in at this point makes sense for you, I encourage you to do your homework. Reach out to your mortgage person to run the numbers and see if this makes sense for you. With fixed rates now less than variable it may make sense, particularly if you are losing sleep at night.


However, if you are planning to make any changes over the next few years and are variable it most likely makes sense to stay the course.


Grateful to all who have reached out after reading my column to share their thoughts and feedback. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season filled with love and laughter!!

Tracy Head

Mortgage Broker

GET STARTED

Conditions of Mortgage Financing

By Tracy Head • May 5, 2025
When I work with clients that say they are writing an offer on a private sale I always talk about the benefits of working with a realtor. Realtors do so much legwork that happens behind the scenes that clients aren’t even aware of. Most times it is challenging on my end when clients try to tackle the process of writing an offer on a private sale themselves. I joke and say I am going to charge them an extra fee because of the additional work it creates on our end. I don’t actually charge a fee to be clear but I am only half kidding. When you start down the road of buying a home there are many new and unfamiliar terms you may hear. Whether you are working with a realtor or not, arguably some of the most important things you need to learn about are the “subject to” conditions to include in your offer to purchase. When you write an offer to purchase a home, your realtor will offer guidance as to the conditions you include. Common conditions you will see are:  Subject to arranging suitable financing  Subject to a satisfactory home inspection  Subject to arranging home insurance  Subject to review of strata documents  Subject to the sale of your current home If you are purchasing a rural property or are in a unique situation you may also see:  Subject to a water potability test  Subject to an inspection of the septic system  Subject to the seller finding a suitable home to purchase These lists are not all-encompassing by any means. The purpose of adding conditions to your offer is to protect you in case there are any issues with the home you are looking to purchase. In previous columns I’ve written about the potential dangers of writing a subject-free offer. The high- level, quick position is that if you write a subject-free offer you’d better have cash on hand to buy the home. I have worked with several clients over the last few months that have written private offers. We do absolutely everything ahead of time to try to ensure they will be successful with their financing. These files stress clients more than you can imagine. They have to either find templates to fill out or pay a lawyer or notary to prepare the documents for them. Either way they need to quickly learn about the conditions I listed above and understand key dates involved in the buying process. The clients need to deal directly with the sellers on any issues that may arise. When you are working with a realtor they handle these issues on your behalf. A knowledgeable realtor also helps avoid issues by taking any of the personal contact and emotions out of any potential areas of conflict. Make sure you do your due diligence and have your ducks in a row as you move forward with an offer to purchase whether writing an offer with a realtor or on your own. Now that the sun has come out and the election is over I’ve seen my clients more actively shopping which is encouraging. As always, my advice is to work with a realtor that you are comfortable with and who knows your area well.

Not all lenders are created equal

By Tracy Head • April 21, 2025
Not all lenders are created equal Just as no two clients are the same, not all lenders are created equal. For the majority of clients getting the best interest rate is their primary concern. For me as a broker it is as important to find a lender that provides a smooth process from start to finish and excellent customer service once a mortgage has finalized. What do I mean by this? When new lenders pop into the mortgage market they often offer low interest rates or better compensation to encourage mortgage brokers to send files their way. Sometimes these new lenders are amazing, and sometimes not as much. Once in a while more established lenders will offer brilliant rates in order to increase the number of mortgages they have on the go. We see lenders float in and out of the competitive rate market based on how much money they have available to lend at any given time. While this can be great for clients, it can also be a nightmare. If a lender does offer rates much lower than other lenders they end up flooded with applications. They may or may not have the staff / staff with expertise to handle larger volumes and increased time pressures. If we are working on a refinance with flexible dates this isn’t necessarily a problem. If we are working on a purchase application with deadlines this can become stressful for all involved. On top of that lenders have different processes for handling the legal paperwork that goes to your lawyer’s office. Some lenders handle everything in-house and have very responsive teams to handle getting the documents to your lawyer and addressing any changes that need to be made. Other lenders hire third-party service providers to produce their documents and this adds an extra day or two to the process. As a broker I try to learn about my clients’ longer term plans and find the right fit lender-wise. I look at lenders’ policies for portability, pre-payment options, flexibility with respect to their guidelines, broker support, and equally as important client service experience after the mortgage finalizes. Does the lender have a portal? Will they allow me as a broker to help my clients or do they require clients to work with them directly for any changes? We sent applications to two newer lenders over the last month because they had fantastic rate specials available. Both files ended up being very stressful as we were down to the wire waiting for mortgage instructions to be sent to the clients’ respective lawyers. I prefer not to have to deal with last-minute stress on my files.  Rate is of course incredibly important to your long-term financial health. In my mind a smooth process before and after your purchase or refinance is also important. There are many considerations that go into choosing the right package for our clients. My recommendation one day may change the next depending on both your situation and what I am seeing behind the scenes with various lenders. I hope you had a beautiful Easter weekend!!