https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/toronto/article-latest-interest-rate-hike-jolts-toronto-real-estate-market/ The recent interest rate hike by the Bank of Canada, raising the benchmark rate to 4.75%, has caused surprise and concern among Toronto-area real estate market participants. One immediate effect, predicts Leah Zlatkin, a mortgage broker and expert with LowestRates.ca., is that many potential buyers with preapproved mortgage agreements will rush to use them within […]

https://www.mpamag.com/ca/mortgage-industry/industry-trends/canada-housing-market-whats-in-store-for-the-rest-of-2023/449576 Mortgage Outlet broker and chief operating officer Leah Zlatkin (pictured top) told Canadian Mortgage Professional that two weeks prior to the Bank’s latest decision, she would have forecast a “red-hot market” with prices continuing to rise and activity ramping up, but said the outlook is now more uncertain following the rate hike. “We saw people starting to […]

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/what-happens-if-you-only-pay-interest-on-your-home-1.1936107 Leah Zlatkin, a mortgage broker and expert with LowestRates.ca, said in an interview with BNNBloomberg.ca that the cost of variable rate mortgages has been going up in accordance with interest rate hikes from the Bank of Canada. There are two types of variable mortgage products, she said, one where your payment changes in line […]

https://www.narcity.com/5-things-you-should-do-before-applying-for-a-mortgage-according-to-an-expert Leah Zlatkin says that “young buyers [have to] make sure [they’ve] got consistent income coming in to qualify for a mortgage and many of them don’t understand that or feel confused as to why they can’t get a mortgage when they’ve got a great contract for six months where they’re making $150,000 and they […]

https://www.iheartradio.ca/am800/audio/28-of-homeowners-in-ontario-downsized-in-the-past-year-1.19722360?mode=Article Leah Zlatkin explains the trend in downsizing: “As these generations get older, we’re starting to see a lot of these baby boomers ageing out of the homes that they are in”. “People are looking to make a change” she says. “It may be due to financial stress or a lifestyle change that they don’t […]

https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/more-than-one-quarter-of-ontario-homeowners-downsized-in-past-year-report “There may be some people who have been impacted by job changes, fear of mortgage costs, things like that,” said LowestRates.ca mortgage broker Leah Zlatkin in a statement. “But I think that is a very small percentage of the population. As the population ages, there are a lot of people who don’t want to […]

https://www.iheartradio.ca/newstalk-1010/audio/podcasts/who-are-canada-s-real-estate-investors-and-where-are-they-buying-1.19706671 Leah Zlatkin says that “A lot has changed” since 2020. “I don’t know if we can really base this on the profile of existing investors.” She also explained that 2020 trends reflecting out-out-province investors in the East Coast remain relevant to the current housing market. “For many Ontario investors who want to get into […]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/canada/who-are-canada-s-real-estate-investors-and-where-are-they-buying-1.6411443 Leah Zlatkin says that “A lot has changed” since 2020. “I don’t know if we can really base this on the profile of existing investors.” She also explained that 2020 trends reflecting out-out-province investors in the East Coast remain relevant to the current housing market. “For many Ontario investors who want to get into […]

https://www.mpamag.com/ca/mortgage-industry/industry-trends/what-impact-has-the-bocs-rate-pause-had-on-canadas-housing-market/445589 The Bank of Canada’s decision to keep its policy rate frozen at 4.5% for the second consecutive meeting in April will likely play a significant role in client dynamics in the very near future, Leah Zlatkin told Canadian Mortgage Professional. “For borrowers who have existing mortgages [and] who have renewals a little bit further […]

https://www.mpamag.com/ca/mortgage-industry/industry-trends/what-market-shifts-should-brokers-be-on-the-lookout-for/445289 Significant policy shifts might also be on the table. “We also need to keep a pulse on the fact that [the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions] might be changing regulations soon,” Zlatkin said. “[Brokers] need to make sure that they’re staying on top of all those regulations.”