Kurt Woock
Beth BuczynskiDisclaimer: The rates displayed do not include any taxes, fees, insurance, or other additional charges. These rates are estimates and are not guaranteed. The actual rate and loan terms you receive will depend on our partner’s assessment of your creditworthiness, loan amounts, and other relevant factors. Please note that any potential savings figures provided are estimates based on the information you and our advertising partners have provided. Terms and conditions apply.
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Calgary mortgage rate update: December 2024
The Bank of Canada delivered an early Christmas present for Calgary variable-rate mortgage fans on December 11, when it reduced its overnight rate by 50 basis points. When the rate cut is absorbed by lenders, variable rates should decrease by 0.5%.
That will bring the lowest advertised variable rates down to around 4.3% at some mortgage brokerages. Variable rates remain closer to 5% at the country’s biggest banks. Another rate cut could be in the cards for January, when the Bank is scheduled to make its next overnight rate announcement.
Fixed rates aren’t quite as exciting these days. Even though bond yields, which determine fixed mortgage rates, have cratered over the past several weeks, lenders haven’t lowered their fixed rates in response. Canada’s lowest advertised five-year fixed rates are currently around 4.15%.
Shorter-term fixed rates, the option of choice among many recent home buyers, will cost you a little more. (That’s the unfortunate result of higher demand.) Two-year terms might cost 4.6% or more, while one-year terms are closer to 6%.
The Calgary housing market
Current home prices in Calgary
According to the Calgary Real Estate Board, the benchmark price for homes sold in Calgary in September 2024 was $596,900, up 5.5% year-over-year. Sales over that period were down almost 18%, the result of the rapid price increases Calgary, and much of Alberta, have experienced over the past two years.
Buyers are getting some help in the form of increased listings. New listings in September increased by 15.5% year-over-year, while active listings rose by almost 50%.
Calgary home sales and price forecast
Many Canadians wonder how the Bank of Canada’s rate cuts will affect the housing market. Will it compel buyers who have been cautiously watching from the sidelines, or will they continue to wait, hoping that rate cuts are just getting started? These are the questions real estate experts — and home buyers — will be watching through the end of 2024.
A report released by real estate company Royal LePage forecasts home prices increasing 9% in the last three months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. A report from the Canadian Real Estate Association stated that listings are up this summer compared to 2023 but still below historical averages.
Royal LePage’s report said Calgary will have one of Canada’s hottest markets in 2024, with prices expected to rise 8% by year’s end.
Prices in Calgary were up 7.9% year over year in the second quarter of 2024 — and buyers can expect similar price growth through the end of the year.
How to get the best mortgage rate in Calgary
Whether you’re buying in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer or some other community in Alberta, following these tips will put you in a position to get the best possible mortgage rate.
1. Save up a significant down payment
A bigger down payment means you’ll have more equity on day one of home ownership. It also means you can borrow less, and smaller mortgages are less risky in the eyes of a lender — exactly what you want when trying to score a lower interest rate. Proving that you have the ability to save a substantial amount of cash may signal to lenders that you know how to prioritize your spending, too.
2. Strengthen your credit score and lighten your debt load
When lenders encounter a low credit score, they generally come to two conclusions: Either the person has difficulty keeping on top of their debt obligations or they have a short, untested credit history. Either scenario could make a lender think twice about offering you a mortgage, let alone one with a low interest rate.
If you have a strong credit score, but are carrying lots of debt, lenders may still be hesitant to offer you a competitive rate because your credit utilization ratio is too high. (It’s recommended that this ratio be no higher than 30-35%.) Lenders may even ask you to completely pay off one or more of your outstanding balances before they can make you a reasonable offer.
Paying off a substantial chunk of debt with little notice can be difficult to do, so it’s best to whittle your debt down before reaching out to a lender or mortgage broker. It should make the pre-qualification process easier.
3. Consult a mortgage broker
Using a mortgage broker can lighten the burden of hunting for the best mortgage rate. Experienced mortgage brokers have relationships with multiple lenders and can compare their offers with your homeownership goals in mind.
Working with a broker isn’t legally required. You can always fund your next real estate purchase in Calgary by working with one of Canada’s Big Six banks or an alternative lender. But these institutions will only offer their own products.
A mortgage broker can advocate on your behalf when dealing with lenders. Brokers can negotiate lower rates and better terms for their clients, and when they know a person’s personal and financial history — the good, the bad and the improving — they can use that information to convince a lender of their client’s creditworthiness.
Where can you get a mortgage in Calgary?
Being a large city with an active real estate market, Calgary has no shortage of financial institutions that offer mortgages, including:
- Canada’s major banks: RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC and National Bank.
- Alternative lenders like True North Mortgage, Paradigm Quest, MCAP, and First National.
- Private lenders including MortgageTree, Freedom Capital, and Private Capital Mortgage Ltd.
You can also consider applying for a mortgage with one of Alberta’s many credit unions, including Servus Credit Union, Vision Credit Union, and Bow Valley Credit Union.
Credit unions often offer their members competitive interest rates, and if borrowers can provide a down payment of at least 20%, they may not have to pass the mortgage stress test when applying for a home loan.
Frequently asked questions about Calgary mortgage rates
Mortgage rates are expected to decrease somewhat in the first half of 2025. The Bank of Canada might reduce its overnight rate another two times, which would lower variable mortgage rates by 0.5% versus today’s levels. Fixed mortgage rates will likely continue hovering between 4% and 4.5%. for much of next year.
As of December 2024, 5% would be considered higher than average for both fixed and variable mortgage rates in Calgary.
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