For those of you who missed it, Canada’s finance minister – Hon Jim Flaherty, thinks Canadians are struggling with too much debt. His answer to combat this is simple – “Make it tougher for Canadians to get Mortgages”.
“Mr. Flaherty said in an interview with CTV the government would consider raising the minimum down payment from 5 per cent “to a higher figure” and reducing the amortization period of 35 years to “something less.”
But the minister stressed that the government has not yet made that decision.
“If there is, in the future, evidence of a residential real estate bubble, the tools we have are the tools we’ve used before, relating to insured mortgages, lending standards, amortization periods and down payments, which is what we acted on in the summer of 2008,” Mr. Flaherty said in an interview with The Globe and Mail. In the summer, the government said it would no longer insure zero-down-payment mortgages or mortgages with an amortization period of more than 35 years. “
Clearly Mr. Flaherty has never had to save 5% for an entry level home that costs $200,000.00 to $250,000.00.
Mr. Flaherty, in my opinion, is nothing but an ambulance chaser. Seriously! His roots are deeply embedded in auto accident injury claims and I question just how much this pseudo watch dog really knows about the typical Canadian consumer…especially when it comes to mortgages.
While his desire to see Canadians carry a lower debt load is admirable, he is flawed in his perception to actually fix it by increasing the minimum down payment criteria. Quite frankly – it is not the people buying homes right now that are causing the problem – so why would we punish them? It’s the credit seekers and constant “refinancer’s” that are causing this grief. Here’s a thought – why not put a “Premium” on mortgage refinances? Think about it – that might deter a few out there from spending lavishly don’t you think?
Well, far be it for me to say I have it figured out – but I would rather take my chances listening to a mortgage professional than a bloated gas bag (you know who you are – ambulance chaser).
If you really want some good insight – call your local mortgage professional – better yet, find an accredited mortgage professional to answer your questions. You can visit the CAAMP.org website to find an AMP in your area! I wager they know a heck of a lot more about our current mortgage market and the typical Canadian consumer than this other fella!
To those of you who think Mr. Flaherty is the messiah – I am sorry that my words about him are abrasive. Trust me, it was intentional. Mr. Harper, Mr. Harper, Mr. Harper – tsk tsk tsk. While you have made a plethora of mistakes since you have been in office – I think your appointment of Mr. Flaherty may be your worsts – at least in my opinion.
