2.99% Mortgage Rate
“The Market Is A Buzz With The New 2.99% 5 Year Mortgage Rate”
The mortgage market has started off 2012 with a bang with BMO leading the way with their 2.99% fixed rate five year residential mortgage.
Added to that the news last week that the Bank of Canada will not change the overnight lending rate which has been sitting at 1% for the last 16 consecutive months (new record), and all near term indications are that rates are going to stay where they are, or perhaps even go lower in the short term.
The advertising of the 2.99% mortgage rate has taken the market by storm with lenders, brokers, and consumers getting caught up in a major mortgage product offering a still lower rate than we’ve gotten used to over the last number of years.
But while the rate is exceptional, the overall mortgage product does come with its limitations.
First of all, this is a closed mortgage with an annual prepayment option of 10% when the industry average is 20% per year.
This mortgage product has other stripped out features that are common in most other BMO residential mortgage products.
But lower rates, mean lower risk, so its not uncommon, and even expected that the lowest rate offerings on the market are going to have mortgage feature trade offs to consider.
That being said, if you can work with the 5 year term as written, then this is an excellent rate which is going to be in place for a full 5 years, regardless of what happens in the mortgage market place during that same time period.
In keeping with the cost benefit argument, we also currently have at our disposal a 2.99% mortgage rate product for a term of 4 years where many of the aforementioned standard mortgage features are not stripped out of the product.
So for those of you who are looking at a great rate and all the bells and whistles, this is a great product to consider for a new home purchase or a mortgage refinancing scenario.
Even though the market place is blessed with a large cross section of mortgage products, each lender is trying to differentiate themselves in the market to some degree, so its important to be able to understand not only the selling features of any given mortgage product, but also how they will be applied in real time once you have a mortgage in place.
Therefore, we always strongly advise that you work with an experienced mortgage broker who can go through the mortgage programs most relevant to your requirements, and take the time to help you clearly understand the trade offs from one product to another as well as how each product may impact you projected financial planning.
If you’re interested in learning more about these lower interest rate mortgages on the market, I suggest that you give me a call so we can quickly go through your requirements and discuss mortgage programs that are the best fit for your needs.
About the Author Joe Walsh
I'm a Toronto Mortgage Broker that arranges mortgage solutions on residential and commercial real estate property. With over 30 years of mortgage financing experience, I'm able to quickly assess your financing requirements and provide relevant solutions for your immediate consideration. Joe Walsh Google+ YouTube Channel