The Rate Debate

General Michele McGarvey 16 May

One of the first questions that potential buyers want answered is: “What is your interest rate?”It is easy to think that this is the most important question, but there is a lot more to your mortgage contract than just the rate. And so, the rate debate continues! The rate debate is a hot topic in […]

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Your Home Buying A-Team

General Michele McGarvey 3 May

There are four major components to any successful home buying A-Team: your mortgage professional, realtor, home inspector, and lawyer. Each of these individuals is important to various aspects of the home buying process. MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL While many people think a real estate agent is the most important person when it comes to buying a new […]

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Holy Smokes! Canadian Inflation Is At 6.7%

General Michele McGarvey 25 Apr

Canadian Inflation Spikes to 6.7% in March. StatsCanada today reported that consumer prices rose a whopping 6.7% year-over-year in March, a full percentage point above the 5.7% reading the month before. Market-driven interest rates shot up on the news as the prospects increase for another half-point rise in the overnight rate when the Bank of […]

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Labour Market Tightens Further

General Michele McGarvey 11 Apr

Another Strong Canadian Jobs Report–We Are At Full Employment. Statistics Canada released the March Labour Force Survey this morning, reporting a 72,500 jobs gain from the whopping 337,000 surge in February. Employment increased in both the goods- and services-producing sectors. Gains were concentrated in Ontario and Quebec. The unemployment rate fell to 5.3%, its lowest […]

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New Listings Finally Show Some Life

General Michele McGarvey 21 Mar

Canadian Home Sales Rose in February as New Listings Increased Sharply. Statistics released today by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) show that national home sales were up in February 2022 as buyers jumped on the first spring listings. The number of newly listed properties surged a welcome 23.7% from extremely depressed levels, hopefully portending […]

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Interest Rates & Commodity Prices Surge

General Michele McGarvey 7 Mar

Interest Rates & Commodity Prices Surge On Economic Rebound Optimism. Canadian 5-Year Bond Yield Surges  In an unprecedented move, bond yields are spiking around the world. Yields globally are now at levels last seen before the coronavirus spread worldwide. At the same time, commodity prices are surging, including energy, metals and minerals, agricultural products and lumber. […]

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Inflation Ticked Up Again in January

General Michele McGarvey 17 Feb

Canadian Inflation Rose Again in January to 5.1% y/y, Pressuring The Bank of Canada to Hike Rates in March. StatsCanada today reported that consumer price inflation rose to 5.1% from year-ago levels in January, compared to 4.8% in December. This was higher than expected but still well below US inflation posted at 7.5% for the […]

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Major Setback in Canada’s January Employment Report

General Michele McGarvey 7 Feb

No Wonder The Bank of Canada Didn’t Hike Interest Rates Last Month Statistics Canada released the January Labour Force Survey this morning, reporting a much more extensive than expected decline in jobs last month. The Omicron shutdowns and restrictions took a much larger toll in Canada than expected, as employment fell 200,100 in January and […]

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No Rate Hike Until March

General Michele McGarvey 31 Jan

No Rate Hike Until March–BoC Assures Inflation Will Return To 2% over 2023-24. Bank Will Hike Rates At Next Meeting While markets were 70% certain the Bank would hike their overnight target rate today, we remained of the view that the Governing Council would hold off until March or April because of the slowdown in […]

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Canada’s Fiscal Response To COVID is the Largest in the Industrialized World

General Michele McGarvey 1 Dec

Federal Fiscal Update–Finance Minister Freeland’s Debut   Justin Trudeau’s government, which has delivered the biggest COVID-19 fiscal response in the industrialized world, announced plans for another dose of stimulus and vowed to continue priming the pump as long as needed. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unveiled $51.7 billion of new spending over two years in a mini-budget Monday, […]

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