Fully charged for 2024!
  
We recently returned from a delightful 12-day family vacation in Hawaii, and it was truly an exceptional experience. Our eldest song had the opportunity to participate in a baseball prospect camp at the University of Hawaii, seamlessly aligning with our vacation plans.
During our stay, we did multiple hikes, visited tourist attractions including an unforgettable fun-filled day at the Polynesian Cultural Center which concluded the night with the best Luau. Interestingly, our favorite activity turned out to be both simple and least expensive – boogie boarding in 4-6 foot waves. Sometimes the simplest joys make the best memories!
Now that I'm fully charged, I'm ready to work! With the interest rates remaining steady, it's looking positive in the real estate world.
How updated is your Will?
As we have begun a new year, it is a good time to reflect and consider our lives and see many changes and updates with our extended families and friends. This is also a great time to consider how up-to-date, your Will is. If this is something that was crafted many years ago, it should probably be reviewed to ensure that the Will is current.
These things are very easy to push off to another time, however the fact is that none of us knows how much time we have, no matter our age.
I would encourage you to think about this and set a goal to review this or craft this for the very first time in 2024!
While there are free and or low cost Will kits available online and in stationary stores, I highly recommend the professional services of a lawyer who will ask you lots of questions about your situation so that your Will can be prepared with your specific circumstances and needs in mind.
I've been a licensed financial advisor since 2016. For the 1st quarter, my insurance team and I are committed to reviewing insurance policies to ensure you have adequate coverage. For those who do not have any insurance, we can sit down and find out your options.
Five-year fixed mortgage rates are falling as government bonds drop
A downward trend in some Canadian fixed-mortgage rates may be welcome news for eager homebuyers, but real estate experts warn that housing affordability challenges persist.
Rates for a five-year fixed mortgage have declined with a drop in government bond yields, which set the lending rates for home mortgages, RATESDOTCA real estate expert Victor Tran explained in an interview.
"We’ve been on a downward trend on fixed mortgage rates for a few months now," Tran told BNNBloomberg.ca on Thursday.
He linked the falling mortgage rates to a decline in the government bond market that has been ongoing for the past few months, as the market anticipates central bank interest rate cuts on the horizon. Tran said he expects mortgage rates to fall further if the trend continues.
"There will be further rate drops to come if this continues and variable rates are also likely to drop next year," he said.
'STILL TOO EXPENSIVE'
The decline in rates is encouraging for potential homebuyers, Tran said. But he added that most people are waiting for rates to fall further before making a move.
"Rates still remain too high in Canada and for most people it’s still too expensive and unattainable to own a home at these levels," Tran said.
Toronto realtor Davelle Morrison said she’s observed the same trend as Tran.
"I haven’t seen buyers jumping at these lower rates yet," Morrison, broker at Bosley Real Estate, told BNNBloomberg.ca in a Thursday interview.
She added that most buyers anticipate getting into the market when rates are lower.
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