Prime Change

Tracy Head • June 18, 2024

On June 5 The Bank of Canada announced they were dropping their key policy rate. In practical terms this meant that prime rate dropped by a quarter per cent (.25 per cent).


I’ve had many conversations since the announcement about how this affects (or does not affect) my clients’ mortgage rates.

Fixed rates change based on many criteria; the key factor I watch is the overnight bond yields. When this figure drops, ideally fixed rate mortgage products will drop also.


Key to note that this means new mortgages may be offered lower rates. If you are already locked in to a fixed rate mortgage, your rate stays the same until your mortgage reaches its renewal date. 


If you are in a variable rate mortgage this will affect you in one of two ways.


If you have a static payment on your variable rate mortgage (the payment does not change based on changes to prime until there has been a dramatic increase to the prime rate) this change to prime rate means more of your payment will be going towards the principal of your mortgage and less to interest.


If your variable mortgage has an adjustable payment this means your payment should go down next month because you will be paying less interest.


For the last few months it has felt like many people have been waiting for this announcement. It has been interesting to see what has happened to the fixed rates offerings from lenders since the change to prime.


Coincidentally the overnight bond yields have been dropping for the last few weeks as well. 

We are seeing rate drops and specials from multiple lenders. 


I feel like this has created a flurry of activity with home purchases from clients that have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for positive news.


If you have been shopping and have a pre-approval or rate hold in place, I suggest you connect with your mortgage person to see if there is a better rate available for you.


Changing gears a bit:

If you are already a homeowner, make sure you claim your Home Owners Grant to ensure your property taxes are calculated correctly for this year.


If you purchased a home over the last year and your lender is collecting your property taxes, check the upper right corner of your property tax bill to confirm your lender is listed. If the lender’s name is not there, reach out to your lender directly to make sure they are set to pay your taxes appropriately. 



Sometimes with the first year there can be a disconnect. Its easier to be proactive and catch this before you get a surprise bill with a penalty for not paying your taxes on time.

Tracy Head

Mortgage Broker

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By Tracy Head August 2, 2025
What does your mortgage broker bring to the table? I love what I do. Every day I learn something new. I meet amazing people. Each day is different and knowing that what I do is important is good for my soul. I had someone call the other day to ask some questions about a pre-approval and he finished up the call with a genuine question. Why would he want to work with a mortgage broker instead of his bank? There are many ways to answer that question. This isn’t intended to be a sales job about working with me but rather with mortgage professionals in general. Before you read any further understand that working with your bank may be the easiest solution for you. There are some amazing employees within the branch system so this is not intended in any way to make light of the work they do. As licensed professionals we work with mortgages every day. Most of us seem to live and breathe mortgages all the time including evenings and weekends. For many of us our families are annoyed by the constant distraction of our work. Boundaries are important of course and some brokers work a strict schedule. Many of us do make ourselves available evenings and weekends to help our clients because not everyone has the flexibility in their workday to deal with their mortgage. We work for you rather than one specific lender or financial institution so are looking for options that fit your situation rather than making your mortgage fit within one product. One of the most important differences between working with your bank and working with a mortgage professional is options. Not every client fits a cookie cutter approach. There are some situations where clients’ income doesn’t support their application in the traditional lending world. Sometimes clients have credit challenges. Sometimes clients are looking at a unique property. Mortgage professionals have access to a wide range of lenders, some of whom offer specialty products not available at your bank. Product knowledge and expertise can be another difference. As an example I work with many clients who are self-employed. There are mortgages specifically geared for self-employed clients that are available at banks as well but often the employees are unaware of these options.  For me, the relationship I build with my clients is the main differentiator about why I say clients should work with a mortgage professional rather than their bank. I take the time to get to know my clients and their situations and longer-term goals. I will still be here when their mortgage comes up for renewal and am able to answer questions in the meantime. I’ve had many clients comment over the years how much they appreciate the personal approach rather than feeling like a number at their bank - having to start from scratch with someone new each time they need help.
By tracy Head July 11, 2025
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