Rate markets ended last week with just enough hope to annoy the pessimists.

The optimism came from Chair Powell, who hinted that America's wobbling job market and "restrictive" rates "may warrant" Fed easing. That's despite "upside" inflation risk.

His remarks sent U.S. rates skidding downhill, dragging Canadian yields down a few notches in the process.

The question is whether any of this actually shifts the math for Canadian mortgage shoppers. Let's unpack it.

Worrying about mortgage burdens late in life is becoming a national pastime. With Canada's oppressive cost of living and tax burdens, plus poor savings habits, homeowners increasingly fear their mortgage will outlast them.

While such realities may keep people in debt longer and boost industry mortgage volumes, it’s hardly the ideal societal outcome.

Earlier this year, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) conducted a survey that revealed intriguing trends about late-in-life mortgages. Here's what they found, along with specific ways that mortgage advisors can turn these trends into a business model.

Many mortgage experts can ballpark debt ratio calculations in their heads.

Meanwhile, first-time buyers often don't know the difference between GDS and GPS.

That's a problem that Canadians need to solve every time they go home hunting.

Usually, they call a broker or lender to tell them if/when they're qualified to buy. But Homie's got another idea: use its free app.

The company says its app shows first-time buyers what they can afford in about three minutes.

For more on how it pulls that off, and who might care, read on.

Inflation gave the rate market a breather, undershooting estimates on both headline and average core measures. But this is not a dovish report. Thus, Macklem’s finger is probably closer to the snooze button than the rate cut button.

Canadian rates nudged higher ahead of the most critical report of the month: domestic CPI.

Bay Street expects the key inflation gauges to keep drifting apart, with a:

• 1-tick slowdown in headline inflation to 1.8% (prior 1.9%)
• ½-tick acceleration in average core inflation to 3.1% (prior 3.05%)

We’ll return with the full play-by-play after StatCan hits “Send” at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Last week's Canadian macro calendar was enough to put people to sleep.

On Tuesday, however, we get a wake-up call: July CPI.

Traders will be locked on the data, waiting to see if Canada's price level momentum speeds up further—as it's doing south of the border.

More Canadian homebuyers tiptoed into the market last month. It was enough for realtors to claim a small victory and give lenders a lift in purchase business.

The sales uptick drew applause from the real estate cheering section, even though month-over-month price moves—in most markets (not all)—ranged from half-hearted to clinically depressed.

For more, here's the monthly read of CREA data, reality check included.