Canada first-time buyers hit by new dilemma
The Canadian housing market’s bull run is proving increasingly costly for would-be buyers
By Ephraim Vecina
22 Jul 2021
In the current environment, many first-time home buyers are wrestling with a troubling dilemma: go for mortgages that either permit them to borrow the funds needed for their down payment, or loans that provide cash back after the closing.
Sherry Corbitt, a broker based in Whitby, Toronto, said that her business is seeing more clients go for these unconventional loans, which bear a remarkable similarity to those seen in the United States just before the Great Financial Crisis of 2008.
However, Corbitt takes heart in the fundamental robustness of the Canadian housing market, which has so far defied all doomsaying predictions in its roughly 25-year run of buoyant conditions – including a 21% across-the-board price gain since the pandemic took hold, Bloomberg Economics reported.
“We’re never going to see what happened in the States,” Corbitt told Bloomberg. “It’s just not possible here.”
At the same time, the broker admitted that “a lot of first home buyers are not ready,” with much of her transaction volume in the past year coming from former renters whose landlords have decided to sell their properties.
“‘Well if I have to be evicted, maybe now’s the time to buy,’” Corbitt quotes her clients as saying.
The Bank of Canada is taking a more cautious tone, saying that consumers are taking on increasingly unsustainable debt loads.
“The initial equity stake – or down payment – is the most economically significant factor associated with future financial stress. Generally, a high loan-to-value ratio (a smaller equity share) increases the likelihood of falling behind on loan payments,” the central bank said in its latest Financial System Review.
“Previously introduced mortgage stress tests and higher interest rates had slowed the accumulation of household debt and improved the quality of mortgage borrowing leading into 2019,” the BoC added. “But since mid-2020 this trend has reversed. Some households have taken on significantly more mortgage debt, which is reflected in an increase in the share of new mortgages with high loan-to-income ratios.”
These trends are shaping up to be a potentially fatal risk to the market’s bull run.
“Key developments in the housing market – exceptionally strong demand relative to supply, rapidly rising prices, expectations becoming extrapolative – all point to growing imbalances compared with a year ago,” the bank’s report warned. “Increasing house prices relative to income contribute to rising leverage for homebuyers. Also, a misalignment of house prices in comparison to fundamentals can lead to a correction in Calgary prices in the future.”
FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS
The First-Time Home Buyer incentive
The First-Time Home Buyer Incentive is a program designed to help qualified first-time homebuyers reduce their monthly mortgage payments without adding to their financial burden. This program, offered by the Government of Canada, is a shared-equity mortgage, where the government has a shared investment in the home.
The incentive offers 5% or 10% for a first-time buyer's purchase of a newly constructed home, 5% for a first-time buyer's purchase of a resale (existing) home and 5% for a first-time buyer's purchase of a new or resale mobile/manufactured home. This shared-equity mortgage allows the borrower to not have to save as much of a down payment to be able to afford the payments associated with the mortgage. This results in a smaller mortgage and ultimately lower monthly costs.
The homebuyer will have to repay the Incentive based on the property's fair market value at the time of repayment. If a homebuyer received a 5% Incentive, they would repay 5% of the home's value at repayment. If a homebuyer received a 10% Incentive, they would repay 10% of the home's value at repayment. The homebuyer must repay the Incentive after 25 years, or when the property is sold, whichever comes first. The homebuyer can also repay the Incentive in full any time before, without a pre-payment penalty.
For more information on the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive and other homebuying tools and resources, visit the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) website. The website offers a variety of resources including homebuying step by step guide, workbook, calculators, and information in multiple languages to help you make informed decisions and have a better homebuying experience.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER INCENTIVE
Looking for homebuying tools and resources?
Knowing what to expect throughout the entire homebuying process can lead to more well-informed decisions, and a better homebuying experience overall.
Check out all of CMHC’s homebuying tools and resources to help you make your homebuying decisions with confidence.
Guides
- Homebuying Step by Step Guide and Workbook – Find everything you need to help you buy a home in Canada, including worksheets, calculators and checklists.
- Condominium Buyer’s Guide – Get detailed information on buying a condominium.
- Newcomers’ Buying Guides – Read homebuying information in 8 different languages!
Calculators
- Affordability Calculator – Estimate how much mortgage you can afford.
- Debt Service Calculator – Compare monthly debt payments and expenses to income.
- Mortgage Calculator – Explore rates, payment frequency, amortization options and more.
Other useful information
- Your Credit Report – Learn more about the simple steps you can take to maintain a good credit history and improve your chances of being approved for a mortgage.
- Mortgage Planning Tips – See how planning your mortgage in advance can help you save money in the long run.
- Mortgage Fraud – Read these valuable insights that can help protect you from mortgage fraud.
I make challenging process of first-time home buying as easy as water falling into a river