Rise in Mortgage Rates Won't Slow Home Buying - 2004-04-02
A much stronger than expected U.S. March employment report pushed U.S. interest rates higher on Friday but lenders and industry analysts do not expect the rise in borrowing costs to curb the appetite for home buying.

The yield on Treasury 10-year notes -- a close proxy for mortgage rates -- rose to 4.12 percent at midday on Friday, up from about 3.90 percent late Thursday.
Read the full story at IWon

Mortgage refinancings freed up billions: CIBC - 2004-04-02
Canadian homeowners have taken out $29 billion from their home equity in the past two years while saving an additional $7 billion in interest by refinancing their mortgages, a CIBC economic study revealed.

The report "identifies the real estate market as the sole champion of the current economic cycle," the bank said in releasing the report, entitled Home Is Where the Money Is.
Read the full story at Toronto Star Business