Omicron Has Some Doubting Current Rate-Hike Forecasts

[ad_1] ZOLO Ottawa Real Estate The arrival of the Omicron variant and an expectation of persistently high inflation have some doubting current rate-hike forecasts. While bond markets continue to price in five quarter-point rate hikes in 2022—which would bring the overnight rate to 1.50%—others say that’s unlikely. “Investors are paring back bets for rate hikes […]

2022 Housing and Interest Rate Forecasts

[ad_1] ZOLO Ottawa Real Estate For the second straight year—and in the face of an ongoing pandemic—the Canadian real estate market has continued to defy gravity. Projected figures for 2021 suggest home sales will end the year 21% higher than 2020 (to a total of 668,000 transactions), while home prices will end the year up […]

Can You Qualify for a Mortgage While on Probation at Your Job?

[ad_1] ZOLO Ottawa Real Estate Last year, we noticed an increase in the number of mortgage applicants who are still on probation at their jobs. In the past, we tended to advise these clients to wait until their probation was completed, because lenders view them as a higher risk of not making their mortgage payments […]

2021 – Year in Review

[ad_1] ZOLO Ottawa Real Estate As we turn the page on yet another tumultuous year headlined by Covid and its emerging variants, we wanted to take a look back at some of the top mortgage-related stories of 2021 and how mortgage rates fared. Consumers grappled with rising prices in all aspects of the economy, including, […]

The Latest in Mortgage News: Canadians Divided Over Home Price Expectations

[ad_1] ZOLO Ottawa Real Estate Following a record year of home price increases, Canadians remain divided over where they expect (and hope) prices will go from here. A new survey from Angus Reid shows a nearly even split among those who want to see home price increases continue, and those who would prefer to see […]

How Mortgage Brokers Can Harness the Power of Local Search

[ad_1] ZOLO Ottawa Real Estate Search engine optimization (SEO) has become synonymous with many aspects of digital marketing. Optimizing websites and blogs for search engines is critical for success. However, search itself has changed over the past few years. In an era of convenience, being found is more than just a webpage showing up on […]

CMHC-Backed Report Calls for Annual Surtax on Homes Valued at $1M+

[ad_1] ZOLO Ottawa Real Estate A new report backed by Canada’s national housing agency is calling for a home equity tax on houses valued at $1 million and more. On Wednesday, advocacy group Generation Squeeze released a report entitled Housing Wealth and Generational Inequity, which explored policy incentives to solve Canada’s “housing unaffordability crisis.” The […]