MORTGAGE RATES SET FOR MODEST RISE IN 2016

Mortgage Rate Outlook

While the benchmark qualifying rate for Canadian mortgages has not changed in eight months, offered or discounted mortgage rates at banks and other lenders have recently moved higher. The average 5-year rate offered by lenders has increased about 20 basis points in recent weeks to 2.79 per cent and the discount from prime lending rates on variable rate mortgages has narrowed from 60 to 40 basis points. Rather than reflecting changes in underlying economic factors, these increases are largely due to regulatory and other market structure changes that are pushing banks’ cost of capital higher. Link to ful pdf HERE.