A 50% tariff is going in. Canada is matching it dollar for dollar as of September 8. And the bond market moved the same morning the news landed. In this episode Stephen Green connects the trade-war headlines to the number that actually shows up on your mortgage statement.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The 50% tariff, where the negotiation broke down, and Canada's dollar-for-dollar response
• Why the provinces are willing to play ball — but only within reason
• Bond yields dropped, and why fixed mortgage pricing follows the bond market
• Monoline lenders repriced last week, the big banks held, one moved the other way
• Pre-approvals, holds, and float-down monitoring — broker side versus bank side
• Tariffs as an inflationary force and what that means on the variable side
• Inflation at 3% — and the fuel story sitting underneath the headline
• The Bank of Canada's September 2 meeting and why a knee-jerk move is unlikely
• Waterloo Region and London / St. Thomas: prices are declining year over year
• The seller who turned down $900,000 chasing $950,000 in a falling market
• Why a disconnected realtor, broker and lawyer is how good deals die
• Renewals: there are no bad mortgage products, only bad recommendations

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Fixed mortgage pricing tracks the bond market. Watching bonds is watching your mortgage.
2. Get pre-approved and get a hold in place — then make sure somebody is actually monitoring it for you.
3. Headline inflation and the story underneath it are two different things.
4. Know the market you are selling into. Yesterday's offer is not coming back on its own.
5. Your realtor, broker and lawyer need to be on the same email chain. That is what closes files.

If this episode was useful, follow the show and leave a five-star review — it helps other Canadian homeowners find it.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZwLHIk2V8EIkDeRVx4EjwA
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-green-effect-podcast/id1434969273
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6iKdA4EY2crIuYymE9SZd9
Website: https://thefinancialcollective.ca
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgmortgageadvice/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgmortgageadvice/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SGMortgageAdvice

Questions? Call 519-500-1789 or email stephen@thefinancialcollective.ca

Stephen Green, Mortgage Broker — The Financial Collective | Better Mortgage Choice, FSRA Lic. #13496

General information and commentary only. Not financial advice. No guarantees of any kind.

Ontario's unemployment rate dropped to a two-year low — and Stephen Green isn't convinced. In this episode of The Green Effect Podcast, Stephen walks through the four forces moving the Canadian mortgage and housing market right now, and what each one means for you if you're buying, renewing, or waiting.

In this episode:
• Ontario added 52,000 jobs, Canada added 75,100, and unemployment fell to roughly 6.4% — Stephen explains why a workforce survey may not match what's happening on the ground
• Why unemployment is the key number that drives spending, hiring and the entire economic cycle
• The 5-year Government of Canada bond yield jumped, pushing fixed rates slightly higher — and how a broker rate hold protects you in both directions
• A new US tariff dated August 19, weak US GDP, and why tariffs on Canadian goods hit American consumers first
• A TRREB survey naming tariffs the number one reason buyers are sitting out
• Single-family building permits near zero and the supply squeeze that's building — while condos stay oversupplied for four to five more years
• Which Ontario markets Stephen sees real opportunity in right now
• Two practical reminders: get your documents organized, and never auto-sign a bank renewal letter

Key takeaway: The headline numbers and the ground-level reality aren't lining up right now. Understanding the gap — and knowing where supply is actually tightening — is what separates a good decision from a rushed one.

If this episode helped, subscribe and leave a five-star review — it genuinely helps other Canadian homeowners find the show.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZwLHIk2V8EIkDeRVx4EjwA
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-green-effect-podcast/id1434969273
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6iKdA4EY2crIuYymE9SZd9

Questions? Email stephen@thefinancialcollective.ca or call 519-500-1789.

Stephen Green, Mortgage Broker — The Financial Collective | Better Mortgage Choice, FSRA Lic. #13496

Fixed mortgage rates moved up this week — not by much, but enough to notice. In this episode, Waterloo mortgage broker Stephen Green traces the line from a trade dispute, to the bond market, to your mortgage payment, and then looks forward at where this market actually goes from here.

IN THIS EPISODE:
• Proposed 50% US tariffs on autos, dairy and alcohol — and whether CUSMA blocks them
• The bond yield connection: why fixed rates followed, and by roughly how much
• Bank of Canada's hold, June inflation, and what the next print could look like
• Unemployment near 6.5% and why it's the number that matters most right now
• CREA's lowered national forecast — with Ontario as the one bright spot
• Waterloo Region: average price down 6.4%, sales down 2.9%, Cambridge sales up 15.2%
• Single-family building permits near zero while rentals flood the supply pipeline
• Stephen's mid-2027 bottom call and why he doesn't believe a crash is coming
• First-time buyers: strong inventory, best affordability in years, and why your offer stands out
• The strategy conversation to have before you buy with a home still to sell
• Current fixed and variable rate landscape
• Gifted down payments now appearing on more than half of first-time buyer files
• Public service announcement: do not auto-sign your bank renewal letter

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. Fixed rates follow bond yields — trade news reaches your mortgage faster than most people realize.
2. Employment is the foundation. Watch the unemployment rate more closely than the rate announcements.
3. Gradual and bumpy beats a boom. Smaller peaks and valleys are a healthier market than 2021 was.
4. If you're renewing, a letter from your bank is a starting point — not an offer you have to accept.

Enjoying the show? Please subscribe and leave a 5-star review — it genuinely helps more Canadians find these breakdowns.

WATCH & LISTEN:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZwLHIk2V8EIkDeRVx4EjwA
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-green-effect-podcast/id1434969273
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6iKdA4EY2crIuYymE9SZd9

Questions about your renewal, purchase or refinance? Email stephen@thefinancialcollective.ca or call 519-500-1789.

Stephen Green, Mortgage Broker — The Financial Collective | Better Mortgage Choice, FSRA Lic. #13496. General information only, not financial advice.