Prudence is paying off for Canadian mortgage holders

Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals releases spring survey report on residential mortgage market

TORONTO, May 10 /CNW/ - Canadians appear well prepared to face the new phase of the residential mortgage market, where interest rates are rising and house activity is easing off, according to the sixth bi-annual review of the Canadian mortgage market by the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP), released today.

    
    Highlights:
    -   Consumer concern about rising rates is offset by increasing home
        equity
    -   Many mortgages were renegotiated at lower rates; amortization periods
        are declining
    -   Many Canadians have used cost savings from low rates to pay more than
        required, providing flexibility to deal with mortgage rate increases
    -   Mortgage debt is a priority - the vast majority of Canadians have
        never missed a payment
    -   A high percentage of Canadians still believe it is a good time to buy
        a home
    

The report entitled Prudence Paying Off For Canadian Mortgage Borrowers is authored by CAAMP Chief Economist Will Dunning and based on information gathered by Maritz Research Canada in a survey of Canadian consumers conducted in April 2010.

Canadians positive about prices, but not rushing to buy

Canadians are positive about the housing market in their communities, but very few (3.4 per cent) said they were very likely to buy, suggesting activity may slow during the remainder of this year. This number is slightly lower than that of previous surveys.

Still, Canadians across the country are bullish about house prices. Almost one half of those surveyed (49 per cent) expect prices to rise and 44 per cent expect them to remain stable. These numbers, when tabulated with previous survey results, show the highest number of Canadians indicating they expect house values to increase rapidly. Previously, attitudes varied between provinces, but this spring, optimism is nationwide.

Mortgage holders more conservative about borrowing and focused on repayment

The CAAMP survey report reveals the average outstanding principal is $138,000 and for mortgage borrowers the average amount of equity represents 53 per cent of the average value of homes ($297,000). Approximately 11 per cent of mortgage borrowers withdrew equity from their home in the past year, totaling $20 billion, a substantial reduction compared to the $34 billion estimate of 2009. The results indicate caution on the part of borrowers.

This view is accentuated by the fact that among mortgages transacted during the past year, 65 per cent are fixed rate, 29 per cent are variable or adjustable, and six per cent are combination mortgages. Most terms are long - 70 per cent are five years or longer, nine per cent have short terms of two years or less, and 21 per cent have terms of three or four years. Significantly, of the 65 per cent with fixed rates, 12 per cent locked in from a variable rate during the past 12 months and a further 10 per cent had locked in more than a year ago in anticipation of rising interest rates.

The vast majority (93 per cent) of mortgage holders has never missed a payment and of the seven per cent who have, four per cent did so during the past year. The survey data indicates that recent purchases and extended amortization periods are no more risky than are prior purchases and shorter amortization periods.

Opportunities to weather rate increases

Mortgage holders have also been flexing their muscles - negotiating significant discounts on posted interest rates. Over 80 per cent of borrowers negotiated a discount of one percentage point or more. Last year, the average five year fixed rate was 4.10 per cent while the average posted rate was 5.57 per cent. For new mortgages taken out in the last year, fifty per cent obtained their mortgage from a Canadian bank, 30 per cent from a mortgage broker.

"Our spring survey report reveals a remarkably mature borrower," said Jim Murphy, AMP, President and CEO of CAAMP. "We find that Canadians have taken advantage of the low interest rates to increase their regular payments (16 per cent) and make lump sum payments (13 per cent). This planning puts them in a stronger position to weather more expensive borrowing."

The report simulates the impact of mortgage rate increases up to 5.25 per cent and finds that about 375,000 mortgage holders are already challenged by their current payments, and another 475,000 might be if their rate rises to 5.25 per cent. "But," Dunning noted, "many borrowers are paying more than required, they already have significant equity, and they have flexibility to adjust payments in the event of future challenges. The very high percentage of Canadians who have never missed a payment confirms that Canadians take their mortgage obligations seriously."

The CAAMP survey report contains a wealth of industry information, including consumer choices and borrowing behavior, regional breakdowns of responses, and an outlook on residential mortgage lending. For a copy of the report, please visit www.caamp.org under Resources.

About CAAMP

Established in 1994, the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP) is Canada's national mortgage industry association. CAAMP has assumed a leadership role in the industry it serves and has set the standard for best practices for Canada's mortgage practitioners. In 2004, CAAMP created the Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) designation as part of an ongoing commitment to increasing the level of professionalism in Canada's mortgage industry.

As a membership-based organization, CAAMP strives to develop its network of professionals and to represent the interests of these individuals to government, media and consumers. CAAMP has attracted 12,000 members and 1,600 companies from across Canada - representing over 90% of Canada's mortgage activity. CAAMP members make up the largest and most respected network of mortgage professionals in the country. CAAMP's membership base consists of mortgage lenders, brokers, insurers and other industry participants.

For further information: or to request an interview, please contact: Renée Mellow, Media Profile, [phone], [email protected]; Jim Murphy, CAAMP, [phone], [phone], 1-888-442-4625, [email protected]