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Well some good news! The Bank of Canada has decided to pause rate hikes. This is following a reported decline to GDP, core inflation lowering slightly, and increasing unemployment rates, suggesting a softening economy. This is good news for variable rate mortgage holders, and anyone with lines of credit.

GDP in simple terms is the total value of goods and services produced in a specific time frame. It is the main measure used to evaluate how healthy our economy is.

With another Bank of Canada rate announcement scheduled for the first week of September, it’s important to understand some of the other factors besides inflationary tracking that influences the decision to raise, lower, or hold interest rates.

Because interest rates have risen rapidly over the past year, if you are up for renewal you may have heard of people choosing to extend their mortgage amortization period to 30 years.

Inflationary numbers came in higher for July at 3.3% than the previous months report of 2.8%.

We saw the most significant increases to energy categories with electricity coming in 11.7% higher than a year ago. We also saw very minimal changes to gasoline prices. Likewise, mortgage interest costs and accommodation continues to lead inflationary increases.

When purchasing or refinancing in a market with higher interest rates, you may find it more challenging to qualify for the amount you originally had planned for. However, there are many lenders out there that will consider a variety of different income sources other than your employment income.

Here is a quick reminder of the different types of income you can use:

Canadian inflation has slowed to 3.4% from the April’s previous report of 4.4%. This is the lowest inflation has been in almost two years. However, much of this decrease can be attributed to fuel and energy costs being significantly lower than this time last year when we saw a spike in energy prices resulting from the Ukraine/ Russian war. Mortgage interest costs also continue to heavily influence inflation with an increase of 29.9% over the last year. We continued to see increases to categories including restaurant food, while grocery prices have remained elevated with no sign of any notable changes from April. Although this…

Just a reminder if you are pre-approved or thinking about starting that house hunting journey. 🙂

It’s recommended that your offer should be subject to viewing various strata documents

A form B will be required by your lender from the last 30 days. This form confirms the current state of the strata including any outstanding levies or special assessments as well as how much money is in the contingency fund.

More good news! ⭐️

Inflationary numbers for March came in at 4.3%. This is down from the 5.2% we saw the month prior.

The government of Canada has introduced a Multi-Generational Home Tax Credit

✨Inflation drops again, down to 5.2%✨

Inflation numbers fell from 5.9% in January to 5.2% in February, below the target prediction of 5.4% for this past month.

Earning monthly cashflow is an important component of qualifying if your goal is to purchase more than one investment property or a primary residence in the future.

Getting in the market is key, however putting more money down allows for more options when it comes to extending your amortization to lower your monthly payment, utilizing different sources of income, customizing options if you are self-employed, and accessing Home Equity Line of Credit programs.

A few things to know about capital gains. ..

There are short and long-term capital gains that you can potentially be taxed on.

Bank of Canada announced no change to their overnight policy rate, leaving it at 4.5%.

A strong credit score not only helps you get approved, but it can also help you secure a better interest rate. ✔️

Not all debt is bad… in fact there are some forms of debt that are positively impactful on your financial future, help generate income, and grow your net worth.

✔️For Instance, having a primary residence with a mortgage helper that allows you to earn equity, and pay down your mortgage instead of a landlord’s mortgage can be considered good debt.

With tax season upon us, here is something to think about:

Many people who are self employed tend to capitalize on annual expense write-offs with the intention of lowering their annual income. Whilst this can be very beneficial come tax season, from the view point of the lender, it can have the opposite effect when looking to get a mortgage.

It might not be as hard as you think to get in the market right now….

➡️Let’s break down what purchasing a condo in the Fraser Valley could look like..