CMHC's 2026 Mortgage Consumer Survey is out, and Dan and I dig into what the numbers actually say about Canadian homeownership right now.
The headlines: 35% of renewers felt financial pressure with payments up $375/month, but default concern dropped from 53% to 39%. 28% of first-time buyers needed a co-signer (54% leaned on parents). 23% got a down payment gift, median $30K. First-time buyers rented 7.6 years before buying. And 16% of researchers are now using AI in their mortgage journey.
The through line: stress isn't collapse, but adaptation isn't health. The Bank of Mom and Dad is now mortgage infrastructure, the path to homeownership is an endurance sport, and the trust layer in mortgage advice is fragmenting fast.
Canadian housing is stressed, adapting, and quietly being reshaped by family balance sheets and AI all at once.
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