Mortgage brokers, home buyers concerned about new 'stress test' rules

Guidelines requiring financial test for uninsured buyers go into effect Jan 1, 2018

New guidelines that will soon place restrictions on uninsured borrowers looking to secure a mortgage have — as one Ottawa realtor puts it — kicked the pursuit of a home into "overdrive."

Earlier this month, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) released guidelines for the mortgage industry that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2018.One of the major new rules is a requirement to subject uninsured borrowers to a "stress test." At the moment, anyone who puts down more than 20 per cent of the value of a home doesn't have to pay for mortgage insurance, and is considered an uninsured borrower.Only insured borrowers — those who put down less than…

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6 Reasons Why Your Home Did Not Sell

6 Reasons Why Your Home Expired Without An Offer

When a home listed for sale expires off of the market without so much as an offer there are a number of common reasons as to why that happened.  Some of the causes of having an unsold home are the responsibility of the real estate agent if there is one involved.  Other aspects of selling a home are done in coordination with the real estate agent but is the primary responsibility of the home seller (setting the listing price for example).  If a home seller still has in mind the goal of selling their home this list of six common reasons why a home does not sell will help home sellers get back on track and get their home sold.

1.  Pricing

Overpricing is one of the main reasons a house will not sell. …

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OSFI sets new mortgage rules, including stress test for uninsured borrowers

Previously only those with less than 20% down were tested, but now all borrowers will be.

Canada's top banking regulator has published the final version of its new mortgage rules, which include a requirement to "stress test" borrowers with uninsured loans to ensure they could withstand higher interest rates.

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) released new guidelines for the mortgage industry on Tuesday. The regulator floated a similar version of these rules earlier this summer in draft form, but Tuesday's release makes them official as of Jan. 1. Among the major new rules is a requirement to stress test uninsured borrowers. Previously, only insured borrowers had to undergo such a test.

By law, borrowers with a down…

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Canadians turning part of their homes into Airbnb units to cover their mortgage

Canadians facing ever increasing house prices — and debt — are turning to short-term rentals to make ends meet, according to a new survey.

AltusGroup, which provides real estate research, said its FIRM survey from the summer of 2016 found four per cent of all households had used a short-term rental accommodation service in the past year. The number rises to seven per cent for those with a mortgage.

“There has been a lot of speculation lately about potential investor involvement in short-term accommodation rental services like Airbnb,” said Altus in its release. “But focusing on households rather investors, how extensive is the practice of short-term rentals of space in principal residences?”

Altus noted impact is even greater among millennials,…

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What Can We Expect from the NDP Housing Minister?

With Selina Robinson, MLA for Coquitlam-Maillairdville, sworn in this week as the new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, what can we expect her priorities to be over the coming months?

As former NDP housing critic David Eby has now become BC’s new Attorney-General, Robinson will be facing a lot of pressure to make good on promises that both she and Eby made on the campaign trail. She told voters in the run-up to the May election that the NDP’s key housing priorities were to introduce a speculation tax in Metro Vancouver and Victoria, in an attempt to calm those hot real estate markets.

The NDP’s housing platform also pledged to introduce a 2% annual property tax, based on the assessed property value, for owners of Vancouver real estate who…

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How to Maintain the Value of Your Biggest Asset

Owning real estate is a privilege, and in doing so, you are committing not only to serving your own personal interest, but potentially that of your family for years to come. A success story is increasingly possible, and for many of us real estate is our single most important asset when it comes to retaining value. When managed well, the rights in land associated with the building on it, not only maintain their value while factoring in inflation, but increase in value. The key to retaining your home’s value while ensuring comfort is good maintenance and a few simple upgrades.

Outside

Gutters

If you property has, or is surrounded by trees, your gutters may need to be cleaned multiple times each year. As a good rule of thumb, it’s best to access…

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Why choose Kamloops?

So you are looking to move to Kamloops.

So what are the advantages to living in Kamloops opposed to lets say Kelowna or Merrit? Kamloops is strategically located at the intersection of Western Canada’s four major highways: the Coquihalla (Highway 5), TransCanada (Highway 1), Yellowhead (Highway 5), and Highway 97; is serviced by both national railways, is the meeting location of the South and North Thompson Rivers and home to the Kamloops Airport. The city has a growing population of almost 86,000 within the city, and 128,473 including the city and regional district. Kamloops is home to Canada’s most comprehensive university, Thompson Rivers University, is Canada’s Tournament Capital and has a lifestyle like no other with 82 parks, over 200 lakes…

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BC Election: What's Next for Housing Affordability?

On May 9, British Columbians cast their votes for the next provincial government.

It took a couple of weeks to get the final results, and now the elected parties—the Liberals, the NDP and the Greens—must work together to govern this diverse province.

A topic that all three elected parties agree on is the importance of housing affordability. Housing was a key election issue throughout the campaign period, and all three parties made numerous policy promises about it in their election platforms.

The parties took differing positions on some aspects of housing affordability. The Liberals highlighted financial incentives for home buyers and homeowners that they introduced in the last legislative session, proposing a gradual approach to expand these…

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Housing Supply Not Keeping Pace with Demand in Most BC Regions

Vancouver, BC – June 13, 2017. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 12,402 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in May, down 7.9 per cent from the same period last year. Total sales dollar volume was $9.33 billion, down 4.0 per cent from May 2017. The average MLS® residential price in the province was $752,536, a 4.2 per cent increase from the same period last year.

"Market conditions have tightened considerably this spring as an upturn in consumer demand has not been accompanied by a rise in homes listed for sale," said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. "The supply of homes for sale in the province has fallen 50 per cent over the past five years."

"The entire…

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Are B-Lenders the Last Hope for Many BC Home Buyers?

In our changing mortgage market where traditional lenders shy away from risk, some buyers may have to consider the alternative

For those not familiar with mortgage lenders, alternative lending agencies – including B-lenders – have previously been thought of as the car salesmen of the lending world. They were the last resort; the place you went only when there was nowhere else to go. Today, however, they might also be the only lender willing to do business with you.

Recent changes to Canada’s mortgage regulations, coupled with the fury of Vancouver’s real estate market, has made B-lenders highly sought after, and, quite frankly, for some the only option. But are B-lenders the last hope for many BC home buyers?

The reality of today’s market is that…

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