Calgary Real Estate Blog

As you may or may not be aware, lenders offering a mortgage to those purchasing a home with less than a 20 percent down payment usually require that mortgage be backed by mortgage loan insurance; the most familiar provider of mortgage loan insurance is the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, a government of Canada operation. This is a good thing, as it protects banks against defaults, while lowering the barrier to entry into the housing market. Homebuyers can purchase (typically their first) homes with as little as five percent down, so long as they’re willing to pay the CMHC premium as part of their mortgage.

Last month, CMHC announced it was increasing premiums effective June 1, 2015. These new premiums only affect buyers with a down payment of less than ten percent, and are intended to maintain CMHC’s capital holdings.

Homebuyers putting ten percent or less down will now pay a CMHC premium of 3.85 percent, up from 3.35 percent. According to CMHC, this should result in affected buyers paying about $5 per month more in insurance.

Like all insurance companies, CMHC maintains a large amount of capital holdings, which rise and fall as investments do. The money the company makes on these investments helps to pay for claims; by using this model, insurance companies are able to keep premiums relatively low while still having cash on hand to pay claims. So there you go; the more you know.

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As of May 1, CMHC – the Crown Corporation that insures homes purchased with less than a 20 percent down payment – will be raising its rates; a chart breaking down the new premiums is available here. This is a not-particularly surprising move, as the rising average home prices in Canada are increasing CMHC’s exposure to risk, which is not something an insurer likes to see happen.

And now a new announcement: self-employed workers without a means for third-party validation of their income will no longer be eligible for CMHC coverage.

While some first-time homebuyers, the group traditionally unable to come up with a 20 percent down-payment, may be discouraged by this news, it’s not at all a bad thing for the real estate market; indeed, it’s a step to help things stay healthy. As interest rates look to remain low for at least the next couple of years, it can be tempting for people to over-extend themselves financially with the hope that their property’s equity will grow fast enough to make the stretch worthwhile. CMHC’s job is to make sure mortgage lenders don’t end up on the hook for a bunch of homes their owners couldn’t actually afford, and it doesn’t have an endless pool of cash from which to draw to do this. Tightening up the rules a bit can help gently nudge potential homebuyers toward gaining a little more financial security prior to signing on the dotted line, which means a healthier market all around. Foreclosures aren’t good for anyone, and neither is CMHC having to drastically increase its premiums to cover a large amount of losses. Mild corrections like this one are just a way to keep people living relatively within their means, and I’m for it.