Interest rate increases – Are we done yet?

Tracy Head • November 7, 2022

While many in the mortgage world anticipated rates to increase this year, I don’t think anyone expected them to increase so much and so quickly.


What we’ve seen is unprecedented. If you are in a fixed rate mortgage these rate increases won’t affect you until you reach the end of your current term. At that point you will need to carefully consider where rates are at the time and decide whether you are going to opt for a fixed rate again, and if so for how long.


If you are currently in a variable mortgage there are a couple of things that may be happening for you right now. If you are in an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), your mortgage payment will have increased as prime has increased. That means that your remaining amortization is still on track.


It likely also means, however, you are starting to feel a pinch when making your mortgage payment. I know, I’m in an ARM and my payment has increased by more than $500 per month since March.


If you are in a variable rate mortgage (VRM), your mortgage payment will have stayed the same despite the rate increases but you are now at a tipping point, where the payment you are making may not even be covering the interest due on your mortgage. That can potentially mean either you are no longer paying down any of the principal balance or the principal balance is increasing.

That means the remaining amortization (length of time to pay off your mortgage) will be increasing as well.


For clients who are in VRMs, they are reaching what is known as the “trigger” rate (the tipping point I mentioned above). Financial institutions are starting to reach out to those clients to make alternate arrangements to make their mortgage payments.


Some of the options presented will likely include:


• Increasing your payment based on the current variable rate to bring the payment back to the point that it is paying down principal again.

• Make a lump sum payment and keep your payment the same.

• Convert to a fixed rate which will be increased to keep your amortization on track.


Whether you are in a VRM or an ARM, the increases to your mortgage payments smart.


Before you consider a knee-jerk reaction of locking into a five-year, fixed term, it is important to ask yourself why you are in a variable mortgage in the first place.


It is also important to do some serious thinking about your plans for the next few years.


While locking in for a longer term may feel attractive after how unsettling this year has been, if you are anticipating any kind of a major change to your life or your financial situation it may be a wise choice to stick with your original plan of the variable mortgage.

I am seeing a fair number of people choosing shorter, fixed terms in anticipation of rates softening again.


As a positive sign, I am starting to see rate specials posted by multiple lenders. This week, my favourite lender dropped its five-year fixed rate (for insured mortgages) from 5.84% to 5.44% and then again to 5.29%.


I think we will see rates drop a bit more before the next rate announcement on Dec. 7.


If you are struggling with the increased payments on your mortgage, I urge you to reach out to your mortgage person as soon as possible.


Lenders do not want to be in the foreclosure business, so most are open to working with their clients to find a solution that provides some relief and stability

Tracy Head

Mortgage Broker

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Mortgage Crisis

By Tracy Head • September 5, 2025
A wise broker friend of mine once told me there is no such thing as a mortgage emergency. I think this may depend on whose perspective this is. I’ve thought about her statement over the years. I think what constitutes a mortgage emergency really depends which end of the transaction you are on. One situation I run into regularly is clients who have left dealing with their mortgage renewal until the bitter end. This doesn’t necessarily constitute a mortgage emergency if you are not planning to make any changes to your mortgage and you intend to stay with the same lender. However, if you are in a private mortgage that was intended to be a short-term solution leaving your renewal until the bitter end can put you in a precarious position. Not all private lenders automatically offer renewals. Some charge a significant fee to renew for another term. Some will renew but dramatically increase your rate. If your plan was to move to a traditional lender once your private mortgage comes up for renewal this process can take weeks and in some case months. Depending on your situation a refinance to pay out your private mortgage can be very challenging right now with stricter qualifying guidelines and higher interest rates. Sometimes clients are proactive with their plan to move from a private mortgage and we run into problems and additional document requests from the new lender or challenges like delays in getting appraisals done. Whether you are in a private mortgage or your mortgage is with a traditional lender I suggest you start looking into renewal options about six months ahead of your maturity (renewal) date. We can lock down an interest rate hold for you four months ahead of your maturity date but I love to have a conversation with my clients about six months prior so we can develop a plan as to how we will handle their upcoming renewal. Not all lenders offer an open mortgage at renewal so if you dawdle too long you may end up locked in with your current lender for a bit longer. If you have left your mortgage renewal until it is right around the corner don’t panic. Many lenders do offer an open mortgage so you can opt for this to buy yourself some time if you are planning to make any changes to your mortgage. Take some time to evaluate your options. Small tweaks can potentially make a significant difference to your bottom line so it is key to work with a professional that has your best interests at heart.

Early Renewal

By Tracy Head • August 27, 2025
Does an early renewal make sense? 2020 was a very busy year for home buying and mortgages. This means that 2025 is and has been a busy year for mortgage renewals as the majority of clients seemed to choose five year terms in 2020. I’ve had lots of conversations with my own and new clients about whether it makes sense to renew early. Each conversation is slightly different based on client needs and their individual circumstances. Most of the time I suggest that clients stay with their current lenders until their renewal dates because their current interest rates are anywhere between 1.6 per cent and 2.79 per cent. If you don’t need to make any immediate changes it makes the most financial sense to stay put until your term runs out. We can start the process of either switching or refinancing mortgages four months ahead of your renewal date and lock in a rate for you. As a generalization, when people ask about doing a straight switch (not adding any money to their mortgage) I will do a survey of what interest rates are available so they can go back to their lender to try to negotiate a great rate. Time and time again I’ve worked with clients on switches for them to cancel at the last minute as their current lender finally sharpens the pencil rather than lose the client. This is why I always try to help people negotiate with their current lender rather than put everyone through the work of having a new mortgage approved. If clients are wanting to add money to their mortgage to pay out consumer debt or pay for home renovations that changes things a bit. Some lenders are more aggressive with their refinance rates so it makes sense to make a move. Another situation has popped up this week that has had me crunching numbers for multiple clients. One of my favorite lenders came out with a quick-close rate special that is pretty hard to pass up. The fine print is that the new mortgage has to finalize within thirty days. I have been working on a refinance at renewal for clients that is set to close at the beginning of November. I took a look at how their current lender calculates the payout penalty when they are this close to renewal. It turns out they charge daily interest instead of a three-month interest penalty or interest rate differential. So I did the math. If we pay out early to take advantage of this great interest rate their payout penalty is around the $1000 mark. Over the term of the new mortgage they will save approximately $5500 in interest cost and their monthly payment will be about $85 per month less. Even after they pay out the penalty to move a bit early they will still be $4500 ahead over the term of their mortgage. This is one of the few times I’ve recommended that it makes sense to move forward ahead of the renewal date.  If you have a renewal coming up over the next few months I’d say it’s a good idea to connect with your mortgage person to look at what rates are available now and figure out whether it makes sense to consider making a move sooner rather than later. Lenders will pop up with rate specials from time to time so it is worth having your mortgage professional keep an eye open for you as your renewal date comes closer. It may just save you a significant amount of money.