Our committment to thought leadership
We have assembled a collection of thought provoking articles, reports, surveys, industry information, and other interesting content for your enjoyment.
by Yvonne von Jena | November 30, 2018
The top US financial regulators have released a proposal that would increase the appraisal requirement from $250,000 to $400,000, meaning that certain home sales of $400,000 and below would no longer require an appraisal. The change would have a sizable impact on the real estate market, affecting an estimated 40% of home sales.
by Yvonne von Jena | November 23, 2018
Bank of Canada deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins spoke recently about how monetary and macro-prudential policies interact with each other and how they affect financial stability. She provided some clear, interesting and insightful examples that highlight the impact.
by Yvonne von Jena | November 14, 2018
A little-known HELOC policy is increasingly being adopted by lenders and has received attention in the media. Under this policy, applicants must prove they can afford the theoretical monthly HELOC payment based on the limit of that HELOC, rather than the amount that has actually been used. Notes Rob McLister in the Globe and Mail, “every credit-policy tightening adds up and weighs on home prices.”
by Yvonne von Jena | October 31, 2018
CMHC’s Evan Siddall spoke about regulatory changes and B-20 at the MPC Expo in Montreal this past weekend. The discussion revolved around federal mortgage rule changes, including the new stress test introduced as part of the revised B-20 guidelines, refinance restrictions and much more.
by Yvonne von Jena | October 11, 2018
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) is signaling that it will be taking more action to address mortgage approvals that rely on the equity in the property at the expense of assessing the borrower’s ability to pay the loan.
by Yvonne von Jena | October 10, 2018
It’s just about here. We are now one week away from cannabis being legalized in Canada, which includes the ability to grow cannabis at home if allowed by the given jurisdiction. Here is some of the latest information that you need to know.
by Yvonne von Jena | October 6, 2018
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) says it will soon be adding historical sales data to its realtor.ca website without a password.
by Yvonne von Jena | October 5, 2018
This week, the Minister of Finance Bill Morneau launched an Advisory Committee on Open Banking. As many countries around the world have either launched or are launching open banking, it will be interesting to see if open banking comes to Canada also.
by Yvonne von Jena | October 2, 2018
In his most recent MacroMemo, RBC Global Asset Management chief economist Eric Lascelles, notes that the unusual weakness experienced by Canada’s housing market in the past year is likely a recalibration rather than the beginning of the end of a housing boom. However, he continues to look for rather more sluggish growth, pockets of housing weakness, and a variety of other factors to continue to impact the market.
by Yvonne von Jena | September 28, 2018
According to RBC’s latest Housing Trends and Affordability report, its affordability measure and home ownership costs continued to deteriorate due to higher mortgage rates.