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Mortgages, fat addiction, Russia
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March 31, 2010
Mortgages on the move
To lock in or not to lock in: that’s the question now that long-term mortgage rates are on the rise. SFU Business prof Andrey Pavlov says increased yields on corporate and government bonds raise funding costs for the banks, so it’s only natural that mortgage rates are rising. But he stills thinks variable-rate mortgages offer the best value: "With its lower interest rates, a VRM allows homeowners to pay down their mortgage faster so that even if interest rates increase quite a bit in the years to come, those interest rates would be on a smaller mortgage balance. This argument is even more true now that the difference between fixed and variable interest rates has increased." He thinks the government's new tougher qualifying requirements—while unpleasant for homeowners in the short-run—make for a far more stable and sustainable real estate market going forward. "I personally am more willing to buy a home now because the probability of a subprime-style meltdown is decreased," he says.
Andrey Pavlov, 604.763.3696, 778.782.7922; apavlov@sfu.ca
Hooked on fat
A new US study suggests high-fat, high-calorie foods can be as addicting as cocaine and heroin. According to the study, rats that consume high-fat foods in great quantities develop compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction. Too much junk food overloads our brain’s pleasure centres and drives us to overload our plates. Obesity researchers Diane Finegood and Scott Lear can comment on the implications of this study.
Diane Finegood, 778.782.3319; finegood@sfu.ca
Scott Lear, 778.782.7916; slear@providencehealth.bc.ca
Chechen militant claims Moscow bombings
A Chechen militant claimed responsibility for the lethal attacks on the Moscow subway March 29 in an Internet message posted today. The message came just hours after two more suicide bombers struck southern Russia, in defiance of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s call to drag "from the bottom of the sewers" the masterminds of the attacks, which killed 39 people. SFU military strategist and historian Andre Gerolymatos can comment on the bombings and the Russian military’s activities in the North Caucasus that may have helped precipitate them.
Andre Gerolymatos, 778.782.5597; andre_gerolymatos@sfu.ca
To lock in or not to lock in: that’s the question now that long-term mortgage rates are on the rise. SFU Business prof Andrey Pavlov says increased yields on corporate and government bonds raise funding costs for the banks, so it’s only natural that mortgage rates are rising. But he stills thinks variable-rate mortgages offer the best value: "With its lower interest rates, a VRM allows homeowners to pay down their mortgage faster so that even if interest rates increase quite a bit in the years to come, those interest rates would be on a smaller mortgage balance. This argument is even more true now that the difference between fixed and variable interest rates has increased." He thinks the government's new tougher qualifying requirements—while unpleasant for homeowners in the short-run—make for a far more stable and sustainable real estate market going forward. "I personally am more willing to buy a home now because the probability of a subprime-style meltdown is decreased," he says.
Andrey Pavlov, 604.763.3696, 778.782.7922; apavlov@sfu.ca
Hooked on fat
A new US study suggests high-fat, high-calorie foods can be as addicting as cocaine and heroin. According to the study, rats that consume high-fat foods in great quantities develop compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction. Too much junk food overloads our brain’s pleasure centres and drives us to overload our plates. Obesity researchers Diane Finegood and Scott Lear can comment on the implications of this study.
Diane Finegood, 778.782.3319; finegood@sfu.ca
Scott Lear, 778.782.7916; slear@providencehealth.bc.ca
Chechen militant claims Moscow bombings
A Chechen militant claimed responsibility for the lethal attacks on the Moscow subway March 29 in an Internet message posted today. The message came just hours after two more suicide bombers struck southern Russia, in defiance of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s call to drag "from the bottom of the sewers" the masterminds of the attacks, which killed 39 people. SFU military strategist and historian Andre Gerolymatos can comment on the bombings and the Russian military’s activities in the North Caucasus that may have helped precipitate them.
Andre Gerolymatos, 778.782.5597; andre_gerolymatos@sfu.ca