The Globe and Mail Bookmark Please log in to listen to this story. Also available in French and Mandarin. Log In Create Free Account Getting audio file ... This translation has been automatically generated and has not been verified for accuracy. Full Disclaimer Major lenders have hiked fixed five-year mortgage rates over the past few weeks in response to rising government bond yields, but new home buyers willing to take a gamble may be tempted by another option: declining borrowing costs for variable mortgages. All of the biggest banks have widened the discounts offered on their variable-rate mortgages in recent days by between 10 and 20 basis points, putting variable rates in the range of about 1.5 per cent, according to Robert McLister, who tracks rates as mortgage editor at RATESDOTCA. (There are 100 basis points in a percentage point.)