Buying a Home · Ontario

Buying a home when your file isn't straightforward.

If you're self-employed, newly incorporated, rebuilding credit, or you've already been turned down once, a purchase is still a file that needs the right lender fit. That is the work.

Tell me about the purchase → Book a call

No credit pull to start About 3 minutes FSRA Lic. M26000144

Who This Page Is For

Does any of this sound like your purchase?

You don't need all of these to be worth a conversation. One is enough.

You're self-employed, incorporated, or paid on commission, and your tax returns don't show what the business actually earns.
You already applied somewhere and were declined, and nobody explained which part of the file caused it.
Your credit history has an event on it, or you are still rebuilding after one.
Part of the down payment is a gift, coming from a sale, or arriving from outside the country.
You're new to Canada, or new to the workforce, and you don't yet have the history a standard process expects.
You're buying with someone whose situation is different from yours, and you're not sure how the two get read together.

What a Review Covers

What I actually look at before saying anything.

A purchase file gets read in roughly this order. None of it needs documents from you on day one.

How the income is earned

Employed, self-employed, incorporated, commissioned, or a mix. How you're paid changes which documentation approaches may be worth pursuing, and which lenders may be able to consider the file.

The down payment

How much, where it comes from, and how long it has been where it is. Source of funds is something every lender asks about, so it is better understood early than late.

Credit and existing obligations

What is on the bureau, what is still being carried, and how those get read alongside the new payment. No credit pull happens for this first conversation.

The property and the timeline

What you're buying, where, and when you need to close. Timelines are set by the lender and the file, and a realistic one becomes clearer once the full picture is understood.

Whether any lender would approve a purchase, and on what terms, depends on that lender's program and a full application. Nothing on this page is a guarantee of approval, timeline, rate or amount.

The Process

Three steps. No runaround.

Tell me what's happening

Fill out a short intake form. It takes about 3 minutes. No SIN or documents are needed for this first step, and please do not enter account or ID numbers or financial records.

Start the intake →

Review the situation

Book a call that fits your schedule. I'll review what you submitted before we connect, so the conversation is focused and useful, not generic.

Discuss available paths

Whether the next step is an application, more information, or a longer-term plan, the review outlines which documentation approaches may be worth pursuing and what would need to be gathered.

Questions

Buying, specifically

I haven't found a property yet. Is it too early to talk?

No. If anything, that is the easier time. Understanding how your income and credit are likely to be read, and what documentation would need to be gathered, is more useful before you are working against an offer deadline than after.

Is a pre-approval the same as being approved?

No. What a pre-approval means, and how binding it is, varies by lender. A full application on a specific property, with the documentation the lender requires, is a separate step. Treat a pre-approval as an indication of where a lender may be willing to start, not as a decision on your file.

I'm self-employed. Can I buy without two years of returns?

Not always required. Traditional lenders typically look for a two-year track record. Some alternative lenders may consider a shorter history, depending on the lender's program, the documentation and a full application. The specifics depend on your situation, the lender, and how your income is structured.

Does the down payment source really matter?

Yes. Lenders ask where down payment funds come from and how long they have been held, and each lender sets its own requirements for evidencing that. A gift, proceeds from a sale, or funds arriving from outside Canada are all handled differently. Knowing which applies to you early avoids a scramble later.

Will a credit check happen on the first call?

No. The first conversation is just that, a conversation. No credit pull, no documents, no commitment. The purpose is to understand your situation and whether there's a reasonable path forward before anything formal starts.

Is there a cost to work with you?

In most residential mortgage transactions, I am compensated by the lender at closing, with no direct cost to you. In some situations involving alternative lenders where lender-paid compensation is not available, a mortgage agent fee may apply. If that is the case for your file, it is disclosed and agreed to in writing before anything moves forward. Private mortgages are outside the scope of a Level 1 mortgage agent and are not arranged here, so no fee for one is quoted on this site; a file that appears to fit only a private lender is referred to a licensed mortgage broker at Centum Financial Services Limited Partnership.

Other Situations

Not quite it?

Self-employed Bank declined Renewal or refinance Debt consolidation

Illustrative and general information only. Every file is different, and what any lender would do depends on the lender, its program and a full application. Nothing here is a guarantee of approval, timeline, rate or amount. Private mortgages are outside the scope of a Level 1 mortgage agent and are not arranged here; a file that appears to fit only a private lender is referred to a licensed mortgage broker at Centum Financial Services Limited Partnership.

Ready?

Tell me about the purchase.

The intake takes 3 minutes and I review what you share before we connect, so the conversation is useful from the start.

Start Your Review

About 3 minutes · No SIN or documents needed for this first step · No commitment