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Fixed mortgage rates are moving higher, inflation is back at 3%, and expectations are growing that the Bank of Canada could raise interest rates again. So what does all of this actually mean for Canadian home buyers and homeowners?

In this episode of The Closing Table, Keith Bagg and Austin Simon break down what’s happening in the mortgage market, the Canadian economy, and the housing market, and more importantly, how it could affect you.

We discuss why rising bond yields are pushing fixed mortgage rates higher, how higher rates reduce buyer purchasing power, and why that could put additional pressure on home prices.

We also get into the wave of Canadian homeowners renewing mortgages that were originally taken out near historically low rates. As those households adjust to larger mortgage payments, what happens to consumer spending and the broader economy?

Then we tackle the latest inflation numbers. Headline inflation is sitting at 3%, but the underlying numbers tell a more complicated story. We discuss energy and food prices, supply-side versus demand-side inflation, and whether raising interest rates would actually address the inflation Canadians are experiencing.

Plus, we cover:

• Why fixed mortgage rates and Bank of Canada rates don't move together
• The importance of getting properly pre-approved before buying
• What rising rates mean for purchasing power
• Canada's mortgage renewal wave
• Why Keith changed his outlook on future Bank of Canada rate hikes
• Whether Canada's economy is performing better than expected
• Jobs, wages and hours worked
• Canada's immigration and labour-market challenges
• Oil prices, refineries and Canada's energy infrastructure
• Whether reducing bureaucracy could help unlock investment and housing construction

Keith brings the real estate perspective from Barrie and Simcoe County, while Austin breaks things down from the mortgage side.

The Closing Table is a weekly conversation about Canadian real estate, mortgages, the economy, and what we're actually seeing on the ground.

New episodes every Friday.