Effective immediately, the Bank of Canada Qualifying Rate Drops to 5.19%
What does this mean for consumers who are shopping for Lethbridge real estate or for a Lethbridge Mortgage?
Well here is a quick refresher. The Bank of Canada created and set a minimum qualifying interest rate in an effort to make sure that homeowners did not take on too much debt just because interest rates are low. (at least that is what they say their motivation is). Because I can currently get you many short term interest rates on terms under 5 years that are around 3% or lower, the Bank of Canada fears that anyone taking those rates might be in for a shock if interest rates were to rise, and may be unable to afford their payments. So as a precautionary measure, even though you may be getting a 1, 2, or 4 year mortgage at approximately 3%, the Bank of Canada makes you qualify for that mortgage as if you were getting a 5.19% rate.
So you can see how they are forcing you to be conservative. They are making sure that even if rates rise, your mortgage will be affordable and you will not have over spent on your real estate purchase.
Lethbridge Real Estate solution: The best way to deal with this situation is to lock into a 5 year mortgage rate. If you lock into a 5 year fixed rate mortgage, then the Bank of Canada qualifying rate does not apply. The justification being that you are protected by having a stable mortgage payment for 5 years and so that should be ample time for you to anticiapte and prepare for interest rate increases or changes in the economy.
Right now 5 year fixed mortgage rates are as low as 3.39%. They may in fact go slightly lower due to the sluggish economy and the fact that the US and Europe are dragging us down.
If you would like to know just how affordable a new Lethbridge mortgage is or if you have a mortgage coming up for renewal, give me a call and lets talk about interest rates.
Here are a few of my favorite past articles from my Lethbridge real estate and mortgage blog you might have missed or wish to recommend them to a friend.
Robert May is a Realtor, as well as the broker and owner of Rainbow Realty of Lethbridge Alberta . He is also a licensed Lethbridge mortgage broker and financing expert with Canada First Mortgage of Calgary Alberta. He has been in the Lethbridge real estate industry since 1993 and offers full Lethbridge real estate services to Lethbridge and surrounding area, as well as Lethbridge mortgage financing, mortgage refinancing , preapprovals, and Lethbridge loans financing to Lethbridge and Southern Alberta. He can be found online at this link: mortgage broker Lethbridge
Let me share my 16+ years experience in the local Lethbridge real estate and financing market with you! It is the first step towards making a profitable real estate decision.
Lethbridge Real Estate on Twitter
Lethbridge Real Estate Youtube
Lethbridge Real Estate Facebook 
Lethbridge Real Estate Blogger
Lethbridge Real Estate Squidoo 
Lethbridge Real Estate Squidoo
Lethbridge Real Estate WP blog
Lethbridge Real Estate Posterous
Lethbridge Real Estate LinkdIn 
Lethbridge Real Estate Tumblr
