Are You Overpaying on Your Mortgage? New Mortgage Rules, the Impact of Tariffs, and the Fixed vs Variable Rate Mortgage Dilemma

If you own a home, are thinking about buying or selling a home, or have a mortgage renewal coming up, today’s episode is here to help you make the best financial decisions in this changing market. Ultimately my goal is to save you some money when it comes to all this, or at least make things less stressful for you.

We’re bringing back our trusted mortgage expert and best-selling author, Sean Cooper, to first, break down the potential impact that the new US tariffs may have on our mortgage and real estate market here in Canada. 

Sean also goes over the new mortgage rules that you need to be aware of if your mortgage is coming up for renewal, or if you’re getting a brand new mortgage.

We also cover:

What’s happening in Canada’s housing market right now? Is it a buyer’s or seller’s market?

We cover the different ways that you can make changes to your mortgage if you’re finding cashflow to be a little tight. 

We also give an update on the fixed vs. variable rate mortgage debate. Which is the better choice based on the current state of the mortgage market and interest rates here in Canada?

Enjoy the episode.

Links from the Episode:

A big thanks to Sean for offering to answer questions from Build Wealth Canada listeners at no cost. You can set up a meeting to speak with Sean over at: BuildWealthCanada.ca/sean

Questions Covered:

1. Sean, can you give us an update on what’s happening in the real estate market, in Canada, right now? and can you touch on what the repercussions might be of the new tariffs between the US and Canada? Is this something that could potentially affect our Canadian mortgage rates and real estate market?
2. Is it more of a buyer’s market or a seller’s market? What should we expect if we’re considering buying or selling our home currently, here in Canada?
3. One interesting finding, is that more than 4 million mortgages, or about 60% of all outstanding mortgages, will renew over the next 2 years, in 2025 and 2026. What should Canadians know when their mortgage is coming up for renewal, and they are shopping around for a mortgage in 2025?
4. Sean, before we continue with more questions, I just wanted to say that you’ve been the podcast’s resident mortgage expert for years now, helping many listeners of the show. Thank you for that! For anybody that has mortgage questions, or would like to know the best mortgages that you’ve been able to find here in Canada, can you briefly explain how it works when working with a mortgage broker like yourself, especially when it comes to payment, just so that anybody new to all this doesn’t maybe think that there are some fees they have to pay to get their questions answered or to see your research. 
5. With all these interest rate fluctuations, I’m sure many Canadians are wondering, if there is an opportunity for savings, with their current mortgage. Can you speak to this?
6. Cash flow is a concern for a lot of Canadians. What are some strategies for homeowners to lower their mortgage payment?
7. Let’s talk about Fixed mortgage rates vs variable rates. Which one make the most sense right now for Canadians when choosing a mortgage, considering the current interest rates and economic environment?
8. Can you talk about all the new mortgage rules that were introduced since our last podcast in March 2024?