Joel DyckReal Broker SK Ltd.
Saskatoon · From the topic map

Why are mortgage rates still high in 2026?

Mortgage rates track the Bank of Canada's policy rate and bond yields, and both have stayed elevated relative to the unusually low rates of a few years earlier because inflation and economic conditions, not lender preference, set the floor. CMHC tests every insured application against debt ratios of roughly 39 percent and 44 percent.

Fixed rates move with government bond yields, which price in expectations about inflation and growth over the mortgage term, while variable rates track the Bank of Canada's overnight rate directly, so the two can move for slightly different reasons even in the same month.

A lender's own spread on top of that base cost also reflects risk, including a borrower's credit score against CMHC's 600 minimum and debt ratios against the 39 percent and 44 percent guidelines, so two Saskatoon buyers can see different rates in the same rate environment.

The rate itself matters less than what it means for what you can afford against the Saskatoon benchmark of $444,700. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

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