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with timely information and a comprehensive overview
of GTA price trends.
NOTE: You can often negotiate a discount of 0.3 - .5%
or more off posted rates. "Best" Mortgage
Rates
BANK PRIME RATE
As of
March 4, 2011
the Bank Prime Rate
was
3.00%
On December 7th the Bank of Canada announced
no change in the bank rate, read
more. On September 8th, 2010 the Bank of Canada increased the
prime lending rate another .25% to make it 1.00%. Bank prime rate is 2%
higher than this, so Bank Prime is now 3%
On July 20th the Bank of Canada increased
their prime rate another .25% to 0.75% The last increase was June 1st 2010
and it was increased by .25% to 0.50%
The major banks in Canada charge their
best customers 2% above the Bank of Canada Prime Rate, which means that
the Bank Prime or Prime Rate that we see is now 2.75%
Bank Prime Rate means "best" and this
is the rate that banks charge their absolute best customers for loans,
which is usually only other lending institutions.
Changes in the Bank of Canada prime
rate influence changes in other interest rates, including variable interest
rate mortgages. This "bank rate" rate fluctuates based on economic
conditions.
Some mortgage companies offer interest
rates starting at Prime minus .1% (or more) as an incentive to borrow
from them! These are known as "SUB PRIME" Mortgages
and we know what happened in the US when too many sub-prime mortgages
were given out in the mid 2000's One
of the dangers with sub-prime mortgages is when they come due too early
in the mortgage term and rates have increased, it's difficult to make
the change to much larger payments. Read more about Sub-Prime
Mortgages
Prices were up and sales down for February 2011 GTA
Resale Housing Market
Average price in the GTA for December
was $454,423, representing an increase of over 5% per cent compared
to the average of $431,509 reported in February 2010 - see
graph of prices here
In February, the median price
was $379,000, up from the $366,300 recorded during February
of 2010.
The Bank of Canada Prime Lending Rate is 3.00% read more
Mortgage Interest Rates are on the rise, read more
February
2011 was another strong month for sales and prices in the GTA.
Although last month sales were down about 14% for last month, comparing
year over year, the volume of sales year to date continue to be strong.
Average prices are up considerably when you compare year over year. Prices
year over year are up over 5%
Historically, March is one of the stronger months and this March 2011
seems to be starting with a large amount of sales. There
continues to be "pent
up" demand and with such low inventories, anything that comes on the market
that shows well and is priced well get's sold very quick.
I hope this finds you healthy and happy!
All the best,
Mark
Variable rates are now about Prime or just a little less at Prime MINUS about .2% to .5% or so, read more
Mortgage interest rates have risen slightly over the past month or so, due to the bank rate increase. Bank of Canada is predicting rates will increase again in mid year, read more
Any way you look at it, interest rates are at or near all time lows with bank prime at 3.00% , read more.
Our market continues to do very well, prices are up and sales volumes are good. There are a good number of homes currently for sale in Mississauga, we need good homes to sell!
It will be interesting to see what the first quarter of 2011 brings
as the spring market is just around the corner and there seems to be
a large amount of demand for properties in Mississauga and the GTA.
I predict that it will be a very strong market with more properties
coming on the market in March giving a slightly larger selection to
buyers. Average
prices will likely increase every month for the next 3 months. Volume
of sales will also increase every month in the next quarter, if you
are thinking of buying now is the time to do it!.
My observations for the Mississauga marketplace is that we continue to see that prices continue to be strong and increase slightly in many areas over the next few months.
You are reading the latest newsletter
March News Report
Last months Resale Housing Results Show Balanced Market!
This is the latest monthly report for TREB for the average prices and the number of sales in previous month, both were very strong last month.
This is the latest report from the Toronto Real
Estate Board on prices for March 2011
GTA Real Estate Market Prices UP Sales DOWN in February 2011
TORONTO, March 3, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported
6,266 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in February
2011.
This result was 14 per cent lower than the record sales reported
in February 2010.
While not representing a record, February 2011 sales were 50 per
cent higher than the number reported in February 2009 during the
recession and slightly higher than the average February sales over
the previous ten years.
“Continued improvement in the GTA economy, including growth
in jobs and incomes and a declining unemployment rate, has kept
the demand for ownership housing strong,” said Toronto Real
Estate Board (TREB) President Bill Johnston.
The average selling price for February 2011 transactions was $454,423,
which was more than five per cent higher than the average selling
price reported in February 2010.
“Market conditions remain quite tight in the GTA. There
is enough competition between home buyers to promote continued
price growth,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager
of Market Analysis.
Median Price
Median Price In February, the median price was $379,000, from the
$366,300 recorded during February of 2010.
Read more reports on the Greater Toronto Resale Housing Market
You may wish to read about the Power of Sale section at my website that will show you the pitfalls to avoid and the clauses to put into your offer when you buy a Power of Sale property in Ontario. This new section will also explain Power of Sale and Foreclosure in detail. Read more here.
Last month was another strong month for sales. Prices and sales volumes were high, read more
I have a few 2011 calendars left in hand. If
you would like to receive one of my calendars, please
fill in your information at this form and I
would be happy to send you a calendar once they
arrive!
I found this very interesting mortgage rate website on the internet where they survey mortgage experts to gauge the state of mortgage rates over the next 30 to 45 days: Will rates rise, fall or remain relatively unchanged?
You may read about Sold Stats for W16, W19 and W20. If you want the stats for your area, just email me and I will send them to you.
Listing inventories are low, so if you are thinking of selling, this is a good time to list your home. The market has been 'very good' for the past month or so and new listings are need. Would you like a Complimentary & Quick Over-The-Net Home Evaluation of your property?
It appears as if rates may hold steady for the short term. Many feel The Bank of Canada may hold the course in the near future on their current level of 4.75% prime, (Current Bank prime is shown here), so this should keep mortgage interest rates at their current levels.
Average single family residential prices were
UP compared to the previous month. This
is typical for this time of year. Price
trends over the past 13 years indicate that
prices will likely increase over the next month
or so.
Last month was another very solid month to add to another banner year in real estate in the GTA. See graphs of the sales figures, read more
My blog is moving along, a little over 1,000 posts to date. I enjoy posting to it and keeping you current on the real estate market. I will update the blog throughout each month to keep you current with the real estate market. This newsletter will continue to be published monthly. Read my Mississauga Real Estate Blog
P.Eng. Broker (since 1987)
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Mortgage Rate Watch and Comparison
