New rules designed to boost your mortgage 

Some new changes to Canada’s mortgage rules could open up some great opportunities for you. Whether you’re buying a home, considering refinancing, or approaching your mortgage renewal, these changes may positively impact your mortgage options. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the key updates and what they could mean for you:

1. Renewals – Stress Test Dropped for Uninsured Mortgage Switches
If you’re renewing your uninsured mortgage with the same amortization schedule, loan amount, and at least 20% equity, the stress test will no longer apply to federally regulated lenders as of November 21st. This means you can potentially change lenders and qualify based on the contract rate, not the higher stress-tested rate, giving you more flexibility to shop for competitive rates — potentially lowering your monthly payments and securing better terms.

2. Buying A Home – Changes to Insured Mortgages
Beginning December 15th, buyers will be able to qualify for an insured mortgage up to $1.5 million, an increase from $1 million. Additionally, first-time buyers and those purchasing newly built homes will now have the option of a 30-year amortization. This means you can enter the market with a smaller down payment and increased buying power — bringing you closer to your dream home.

3. Refinancing – Unlock Up to 90% of Your Property’s Value
Starting January 15, 2025, homeowners can access up to 90% of their home’s value through refinancing to fund the creation of rental units (like basement apartments or laneway houses). With this program, you can refinance based on the enhanced value of your property, including the new units, as long as the total property value doesn’t exceed $2 million once the upgrades are complete. With rental demand on the rise, this is a great opportunity to maximize the value of your property and generate extra income.

While more details are to come, these rule changes are set to provide greater flexibility and new possibilities for Canadian homeowners.

New rule changes means more reasons to use a broker

The Government of Canada has just announced new mortgage reforms that could reshape the housing landscape. In a major move that aims to make homeownership more accessible to Canadians.

The new reforms introduced include:

  • Increasing the Insured-Mortgage Cap: Effective December 15, 2024, the cap for insured mortgages will rise from $1 million to $1.5 million. This adjustment, the first since 2012, better reflects today’s housing market and will allow more Canadians to qualify for a mortgage with a down payment of less than 20%.
  • Expanding 30-Year Amortization: First-time homebuyers and buyers of new builds will now be eligible for 30-year mortgage amortizations on insured mortgages, previously capped at 25-years, starting December 15, 2024. This extension aims to reduce monthly mortgage costs and incentivize new housing construction to tackle the ongoing housing shortage.

These reforms build on initiatives from earlier this year, including:

  • RRSP Home Buyer’s Plan: The limit was increased from $35,000 to $60,000 to give Canadians more flexibility in leveraging their savings for home purchases.
  • Permanent Amortization Relief: This measure provides long-term support for existing homeowners facing rising mortgage payments.

While more details are to come, these initiatives intend to help shape a new path for Canadians to achieve homeownership. Whether you’re a first-time buyer, considering a move, or preparing for a mortgage renewal, now is a great time to explore your options.

Newly Built Home Exemption

The Newly Built Home Exemption reduces or eliminates the amount of property transfer tax you pay when you purchase a newly built home.
To qualify, the property must be newly built.

The buyer must be:

  •  an individual
  •  a Canadian citizen or permanent resident 
  •  move into the property within 92 days after registration
  •  reside in the property for at least 1 year

and the property must:

  •  be located in B.C.
  •  only be used as your principal residence
  •  have a fair market value of $1,100,000 or less
  •  be 0.5 hectares (1.24 acres) or smaller

You may qualify for a partial exemption, if the property:

  •  has a fair market value greater than $1,100,000 and less than $1,150,000

First Time Home Buyers Exemption

First Time Home Buyers may qualify for exemption if:

  •  you are a Canadian Citizen, or a permanent resident as determined by Immigration Canada.
  •  you have lived in British Columbia for 12 consecutive months immediately before the date you register the property, or you have filed 2 income tax returns as a BC resident during the 6 years before the date you register the property,
  •  you have never owned an interest in a principal residence anywhere in the world ever.
  •  you have never received a first time home buyers’ exemption or refund.
  •  the land is 0.5 hectares (1.24 acres) or smaller.
  •  the property will be used as principal residence.


If the fair market value, excluding tax, is less than $500,000, a full exemption applies.
If the fair market value is between $500,000 and $835,000 an exemption of $8,000 applies.
If the fair market value is between $835,000 and $860,000 a sliding scale exemption applies.
If the fair market value is over $860,000 there is no exemption

Example of partial exemption, assume purchase price is $845,000
PTT = $200,000 x 1% + ($845,000 – $200,000) x 2% = $14,900
PTT Exemption = ($860,000 – $845,000) / ($860,000 – $835,000) = 60%
Purchaser pays = $14,900 – (8,000 x 60%) = $10,100

2019 Update

The changes to the HBP rules in respect of first-time home buyers announced in Budget 2019

To provide first-time home buyers with greater access to their RRSP savings to purchase or build a home, Budget 2019 proposes to increase the Home Buyers’ Plan withdrawal limit to $35,000. This would be available for withdrawals made after March 19, 2019.

For HBP withdrawals made after 2019, the budget proposes to permit an individual who would not otherwise be considered a first-time home buyer under the HBP at the time of the withdrawal to be considered a first-time home buyer if:

  • at the time of the withdrawal, the individual:
    • is living separate and apart from their spouse or common-law partner because of a breakdown of their marriage or common-law partnership,
    • has been living separate and apart from their spouse or common-law partner for a period of at least 90 days, and
    • began living separate and apart from their spouse or common-law partner in the year of the withdrawal or in the four preceding calendar years; and
  • where the individual owns and occupies a home that was the individual’s principal place of residence at the time of the withdrawal, either:
    • that home is not the qualifying home that the individual intends to acquire with the funds obtained from the withdrawal, and the individual sells the home (or disposes of their interest or right in the home to their separated spouse or common-law partner) no later than the end of the second calendar year after the year of the withdrawal, or
    • the individual otherwise acquires the interest or right of their separated spouse or common-law partner in the home (e.g., where the home is the matrimonial home) no earlier than 30 days before the withdrawal and no later than September 30thof the year following the withdrawal; and
  • if the individual has a new spouse or common-law partner at the time of the withdrawal, the new spouse or common-law partner does not own and occupy a home that is the individual’s principal place of residence.

Example 1:

Morgan and Kelly separated on February 1, 2019 because of the breakdown of their marriage. Morgan and Kelly occupied the matrimonial home, which Morgan owns, up until the time of separation. On June 1, 2020, Kelly, who lives on her own outside of the matrimonial home, wishes to make an HBP withdrawal to build a new qualifying home.

Under the HBP rules, Kelly would not be considered a first-time home buyer on June 1, 2020. This is because, during the four-year period, the matrimonial home was Morgan’s owner-occupied home, which Kelly lived in during their marriage.

However, under the proposed changes to the HBP rules, Kelly would be deemed to be a first-time home buyer on June 1, 2020 because, at that time, she:

  • lives separate and apart from Morgan as a result of the breakdown of their marriage;
  • has been living separate and apart from Morgan for at least 90 days; and
  • began living separate and apart from Morgan in the year preceding the withdrawal.

Provided Kelly satisfies all other conditions under the HBP rules on June 1, 2020, she can make the HBP withdrawal under the proposed changes.

2018 Update

With the newest stress test coming into effect on January 1, 2018, the lending environment has become – once again – a little more complicated. Interest rates for what seem to be the same product can not only vary from lender to lender, but also with the same lender. The three categories below should provide some insight with regards to how lenders are qualifying and pricing mortgages.  These do not cover every option or scenario, please speak to your mortgage professional for personalized advice.

 

Buyers with less than 20% down payment – high ratio mortgages:

– Under government regulation these mortgages must be insured by CMHC, Canada Guarantee or Genworth.

– These loans must meet both lender and insurer guidelines.

– The mortgage loan insurance premium is added to the mortgage (see chart on next page)

– Qualification is based on maximum amortization of up to 25 years.

– Borrowers must qualify at a government-controlled rate – benchmark rate – currently 5.34% (June 18, 2018)

– As these loans are insured, they carry the lowest risk to the lender and investors purchasing mortgage backed securities.

– Due to the lower risk, these mortgages usually offer the best interest rate.

– The purchase price must be under $1,000,000

 

Buyers with 20% or more down payment –  conventional mortgages:

– The maximum amortization is usually 30 years

– Qualification is based on amortization up to 30 years

– Borrowers must qualify at the actual rate plus 2% or the benchmark rate (whichever is higher)

– The risk of default is usually carried by the lender and therefore these mortgages are seen as higher risk than high ratio mortgages.

– Due to higher risk, the interest rates are usually less competitive than high ratio or insurable mortgages.

 

Buyers with more than 20% down payment and the mortgage is “insurable”:

– These mortgages must meet both lender and insurance guidelines

– The maximum amortization is 25 years

– Qualification is based on amortization of up to 25 years

– Borrowers must qualify using the benchmark rate

– The purchase price must be under $1,000,000

– The insurance premium is usually paid by the lender behind the scenes, resulting in a lower risk mortgage than a standard conventional mortgage.

– Due to the cost of the insurance premium, the interest rates are usually between conventional mortgages and high ratio mortgages and often vary depending on how much down payment is made.

 

How is Basement Suite Income viewed?

There are several ways basement suite rent is viewed. The most common two are below:

Rents added to personal income.  There are usually two percentages used 50% (most common) and 100%.  As the rent is being added to personal income, the actual amount of rent offsetting your mortgage cost works out to about 20% to 40% of the actual rents.  This is because lenders generally use between 35% – 39% of income towards housing costs. As a best-case example, $1,000 in basement suite rent would cover $195 in mortgage payments at 50% added to income ($1,000*50%*39%).  With 100%, the amount would double to $390.

Another method that utilizes a higher amount of the rent for qualification takes a percentage of the rent offset against the cost of borrowing.  For example, some lenders use 75% to 90% of the basement rent offset against the cost of borrowing during qualification.  In this case, $1,000 would cover $750 of the housing costs when qualifying using 75% offset.  This calculation requires the mortgage to be conventional and is less commonly used.

 

Qualification Guide:

Benchmark qualifying rate of 5.34% over 25 years was used to generate qualification income on mortgages with less than 20% down and 5.74% over 30 years for mortgages with more than 20% down.  We have used a conservative qualification guideline of 35% of total income for housing costs.   Please use this as a guide only as with good credit and low liabilities, you will likely qualify for more. Actual payments use a rate of 3.34% for less than 20% and 3.74% for more than 20% down payment. Please check current rates for actual numbers. 

Down payment greater than 20% down payment Less than 20%
Mortgage Amount Income Required Actual Payment Qualifying payment Income Required Actual Payment Qualifying Payment
200,000 $54,000 $1,024 $1,249 $52,000 $982 $1,202
250,000 $64,000 $1,280 $1,561 $62,000 $1,227 $1,503
300,000 $75,000 $1,536 $1,873 $73,000 $1,473 $1,803
350,000 $86,000 $1,792 $2,186 $83,000 $1,718 $2,104
400,000 $96,000 $2,048 $2,498 $93,000 $1,963 $2,404
450,000 $111,000 $2,304 $2,810 $108,000 $2,209 $2,705
500,000 $122,000 $2,560 $3,122 $118,000 $2,454 $3,006
550,000 $133,000 $2,816 $3,434 $128,000 $2,700 $3,306
600,000 $143,000 $3,072 $3,747 $138,000 $2,945 $3,607
650,000 $159,000 $3,328 $4,059 $153,000 $3,191 $3,907
700,000 $169,000 $3,584 $4,371 $164,000 $3,436 $4,208
750,000 $180,000 $3,840 $4,683 $174,000 $3,681 $4,508
800,000 $191,000 $4,096 $4,995 $184,000 $3,927 $4,809
850,000 $201,000 $4,352 $5,308 $195,000 $4,172 $5,109
900,000 $212,000 $4,608 $5,620 $205,000 $4,418 $5,410
950,000 $223,000 $4,864 $5,932 $215,000 $4,663 $5,711
1,000,000 $233,000 $5,120 $6,244 NA NA NA

 

Mortgage Insurance:

Mortgage loan insurance is typically required by lenders when homebuyers make a down payment of less than 20% of the purchase price. Mortgage loan insurance helps protect lenders against mortgage default, and enables consumers to purchase homes with a minimum 5% down.

Premiums are calculated as a percentage of the mortgage amount and depend on the down payment relative to the total purchase price; the lower the down payment, the larger the premium. The premium is usually added to the loan amount. Higher premiums may apply.

Down Payment Premium
15% to 19.9% of purchase price 2.80%
10% to 14.9% of purchase price 3.10%
5% to 9.9% of purchase price 4.00%

 

Minimum Down Payment Guide

– For a purchase price under $500,000 > 5%

– For a purchase price over $500,000, the first $500,000 remain at 5%.  For the amount over $500,000, 10% is required.

– For a purchase price over 1 million, a minimum 20% is required for the entire value.

For example, a home costing $700,000 would require a $45,000 down payment – 5% down payment on the first $500,000, added to a 10% down payment on the remaining $200,000.

Minimum Down Payment Guide

for Home Purchase Price over $500,000
Home Purchase Price Minimum DP Percentage Minimum DP Amount
$500,000 & below  5.0% up to $25,000
$600,000  5.8% $35,000
$700,000  6.4% $45,000
$800,000  6.9% $55,000
$900,000  7.2% $65,000
$999,999  7.5% $75,000
$1,000,000 & above  20.0% $200,000 & up

Stress Test 2.0.

Effective January 1, 2018, people with 20% or more down payment will be qualified at a rate 2% above the actual rate or the benchmark rate set by the government of Canada – whichever is greater.  We believe the amortization will remain at 30 years.  The full guidelines have not been released – please note that the the information below is based on how we believe things will unfold.   Currently the benchmark rate is 4.99%.

People with less than 20% down will continue to be require to qualify at the benchmark rate.  As the maximum amortization is set at 25 years, the qualification is still slightly less than those with 20% down.

 

Below is how one lender will be handling the change to the new rules.  We expect others to be similar.

–  If an approval on a legally binding purchase and sale agreement is issued before January 1 2018, the customer will qualify under the old rules.

– If an approval on a legally binding purchase and sale agreement is issued after January 1, 2018, the new rules will apply.

– Lender commitments are usually valid for a maximum of 120 days after the date an approval is issues or after a rate has been held.

 

The numbers below use 35% of total family income to qualify for a mortgage.  With excellent credit and low liabilities, lenders will often allow up to 39% of family income to be used for housing.  In the chart below, the qualifying payment is ONLY for qualification – actual payment will be Monthly payment.

Down payment greater than 20% approved before    Jan 1, 2018 Down payment greater than 20% approved after   Jan 1, 2018 Down payment less than 20%
Mortgage Amount Income required Monthly Payment Income Required Qualifying payment Income Required Qualifying Payment
200,000 $41,000 $883 $49,000 $1,114 $50,000 $1,145
250,000 $49,000 $1,104 $59,000 $1,393 $60,000 $1,431
300,000 $56,000 $1,325 $68,000 $1,672 $70,000 $1,718
350,000 $64,000 $1,546 $78,000 $1,950 $79,000 $2,004
400,000 $71,000 $1,766 $87,000 $2,229 $89,000 $2,290
450,000 $83,000 $1,987 $101,000 $2,507 $103,000 $2,576
500,000 $91,000 $2,208 $110,000 $2,786 $113,000 $2,863
550,000 $98,000 $2,429 $120,000 $3,065 $123,000 $3,149
600,000 $106,000 $2,650 $129,000 $3,343 $133,000 $3,435
650,000 $118,000 $2,870 $144,000 $3,622 $147,000 $3,721
700,000 $125,000 $3,091 $153,000 $3,900 $157,000 $4,008
750,000 $133,000 $3,312 $163,000 $4,179 $167,000 $4,294
800,000 $140,000 $3,533 $172,000 $4,458 $176,000 $4,580
850,000 $148,000 $3,754 $182,000 $4,736 $186,000 $4,867
900,000 $156,000 $3,974 $191,000 $5,015 $196,000 $5,153
950,000 $163,000 $4,195 $201,000 $5,293 $206,000 $5,439
1,000,000 $171,000 $4,416 $210,000 $5,572 $216,000 $5,725

 

  • Monthly payments are using a rate of 3.34% with 30 year amortization
  • Qualifying payment for approvals after Jan 1, 2018 is 5.34% (3.34% plus 2%) with 30 year amortization
  • Qualifying payment for less than 20% down payment is 4.99% with 25 year amortization.
  • Numbers to be used as a GUIDE ONLY. No guarantees to accuracy.  Verify with your mortgage professional.

CMHC to Increase Mortgage Insurance Premiums

CMHC is increasing its homeowner mortgage loan insurance premiums effective March 17, 2017. For the average CMHC-insured homebuyer, the higher premium will result in an increase of approximately $5 to their monthly mortgage payment.

“We do not expect the higher premiums to have a significant impact on the ability of Canadians to buy a home,” said Steven Mennill, Senior Vice-President, Insurance. “Overall, the changes will preserve competition in the mortgage loan insurance industry and contribute to financial stability.”

Capital requirements are an important factor in determining mortgage insurance premiums. The changes reflect OSFI’s new capital requirements that came into effect on January 1st of this year that require mortgage insurers to hold additional capital. Capital holdings create a buffer against potential losses, helping to ensure the long term stability of the financial system.

During the first nine months of 2016:

  • The average CMHC-insured loan was approximately $245,000.
  • The average down payment was approximately 8%.
  • The average gross debt service ratio (GDS) was 25.6%. To qualify for CMHC insurance, a homebuyer’s GDS should not exceed 32% of their total monthly household income.
Down payment between 5% and 9.99%
Loan Amount $150,000 $250,000 $350,000 $450,000 $550,000 $850,000
Increase to Monthly Mortgage Payment $2.82 $4.70 $6.59 $8.47 $10.35 $15.98

Based on a 5 year term @ 2.94% and a 25 year amortization 

*Premiums in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec are subject to provincial sales tax — the sales tax cannot be added to the loan amount.

Premiums are calculated based on the loan-to-value ratio of the mortgage being insured. The premium can be paid in a single lump sum but more frequently is added to the mortgage principal and repaid over the life of the mortgage as part of regular mortgage payments. Additional details and scenarios are included in the backgrounder below.

CMHC regularly reviews its premiums and sets them at a level to cover related claims and expenses while also reflecting the regulatory capital requirements.

CMHC is Canada’s most experienced mortgage loan insurer. Our mortgage loan insurance enables Canadians to buy a home with a minimum down payment starting at 5%. As a Crown corporation, CMHC is the only mortgage insurer whose proceeds benefit all Canadians.

As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need and offers objective housing research and information to Canadian governments, consumers and the housing industry.

For additional highlights please see the attached backgrounder.

B.C. budget: New homes get transfer-tax cut

A B.C. budget move designed to open up the Vancouver housing market could stimulate homebuilding in Victoria and improve affordability for buyers.

The province announced changes Tuesday to the property transfer tax, including an exemption from the tax when buying new homes worth up to $750,000.

That change was designed to stimulate the supply side of the housing equation and establish more options, especially in places like Vancouver, which, according to budget documents, has seen single-family homes increase in price between 45 per cent and 70 per cent over the last five years.

The current property transfer tax is set at one per cent on the first $200,000 and two per cent on the remaining price. Buyers of older homes will continue to pay the property purchase tax at current rates.

In Victoria, the effect of the change is likely to be less pronounced, though it should mean an increase in homebuilding activity and easier access to new homes, said Casey Edge, executive director of the Victoria Residential Builders Association.

“This will be a significant improvement in housing affordability,” said Edge. “B.C. has the highest average price in Canada for a home by more than $200,000 so housing affordability is a critical issue. The property transfer tax has been a significant hurdle so a reduction is an improvement.”

A survey of member builders last year pegged the cost of a small basic new home at $562,000 on the West Shore.

Victoria Real Estate Board president Wendy Moreton said the new rules appeared to be aimed at the Vancouver market.

“This will help some buyers but it would have been nice to see some adjustment to the property transfer tax on existing home sales, that’s what we were hoping to see,” she said. “But we can hope that now they’ve made a change, they could make future changes.”

Finance Minister Mike de Jong told reporters he hoped the changes to the property transfer tax will stimulate building and provide more opportunity for first-time buyers to get into the housing market.

A purchaser of a new home worth $400,000 would save $6,000 in property transfer tax, while the exemption means a savings of $13,000 in tax on a new home or condo priced at $750,000.

To get the full exemption, a purchaser must live in the home as a principal residence for one year.

B.C. Real Estate Association chief economist Cameron Muir said the changes were positive, but cautioned it could take some time to see the effect. “It will likely stimulate some new construction, but, unfortunately, for places like Vancouver, major condo projects take many years from inception to completion so the impact of that supply will not be immediate.”

Gord Stewart, senior vice-president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, suggested buyers, scared off by an over-heated market, might start to look at jumping in. “We think [government] has done exactly the right thing. It’s a market-based approach and reducing the cost of a new house is going to encourage more people to get into the market and it will bring some supply on.”

The measure means the province could lose an estimated $75 million in tax revenue. That money is expected to be offset with the addition of a third tier to the property transfer tax — the rate of tax applied to sales of properties valued at more than $2 million will increase to three per cent from the current two per cent.

The government also announced it will collect information to determine who is buying property in B.C. and if foreign buyers are having an inflationary effect. Starting this year, people who buy property will have to identify themselves as Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and if they are not they will need to divulge their citizenship and country of residence. The government stopped collecting that data in 1998.

De Jong would not get into details of what the government might do if the information shows high levels of foreign ownership. It is about getting more information to help explain the sharp rise in prices in some areas of the province, he said.

– See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/b-c-budget-new-homes-get-transfer-tax-cut-1.2174489#sthash.4vYt9g6t.dpuf