Mortgage Rate Forecast

MORTGAGE RATES SET TO RISE AGAIN IN 2018

Mortgage Rate Outlook Canadian mortgage rates rose substantially in 2017 and are forecast to rise further in 2018. After beginning the year at or near historical lows for both the qualifying rate as well as 5-year contract rates, an acceleration of economic growth prompted a shift at the Bank of Canada and a withdrawal of stimulus implemented to help the economy absorb the oil-shock of 2015.

After the hawkish turn by the Bank of Canada, the Canadian 5-year bond yield, the key benchmark for the mortgage qualifying rate, seemed set on a higher trajectory before a slowing economy and the tepid inflation resulted in markets reassessing the likelihood of further rate hikes.

The 5-year mortgage qualifying rate now sits at a three-year high of 4.99 per cent, while most lenders offer a discounted rate of 3.24 per cent. Our baseline forecast for 2018 is for those rates to increase to 5.15 per cent and 3.44 per cent, respectively. One complicating factor will be the impact of new mortgage regulations, which require borrowers with more than 20 per cent equity to qualify at a rate at least as high as the 5-year posted mortgage rate. This will erode purchasing power by as much as 20 per cent, and will likely cause some prospective buyers to delay home purchases. Since non-federally regulated lenders such as credit unions do not need to comply with those regulations, large bank lenders could hold off on raising mortgage qualifying rates to remain competitive.

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