Resources

Plain-English guides written by people who actually do mortgages.

Updated quarterly. No SEO fluff. If we can’t fit it on one screen of advice, we break it into chapters.

First-time buyingApril 2026 · 8 min read

The 2026 first-time buyer playbook for Canadians.

Stress test, CMHC minimums, RRSP Home Buyers' Plan, FHSA, FTHBI — what each is, when each helps, and how they stack. Updated for the new $1.5M insured-mortgage threshold.

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Stress testMarch 2026 · 6 min read

Why 'qualifying rate' isn't your real rate (and why you should care).

OSFI's B-20 stress test forces lenders to qualify you at a rate higher than the one you actually pay. We walk through the math with three real examples.

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Self-employedMarch 2026 · 10 min read

Mortgages for the self-employed: how lenders read your T2125.

Declared income vs. take-home reality. Add-back rules, two-year averaging, gross-up factors. Why an A-lender can say no when a B-lender says yes — and vice versa.

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RefinanceFebruary 2026 · 7 min read

Break the mortgage or wait it out? A simple decision tree.

When the prepayment penalty pays back, when it doesn't, and the three sneaky lender tactics to watch for in IRD calculations.

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RenewalFebruary 2026 · 5 min read

The 120-day renewal window: every day you wait costs you.

Your bank's renewal letter is a starting offer, not a final one. Here's how to use the rate-hold window like a negotiating tool.

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CreditJanuary 2026 · 9 min read

How to fix your credit in 12 months for a mortgage.

If you've been told you don't qualify, here's the playbook: utilization ratios, secured cards, derogatory item dispute timing, and a realistic month-by-month plan.

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