Insights
Mortgage guides in plain English
The Insights articles are short, practical guides for Ontario home buyers and homeowners. The articles explain how mortgages work, with no rates and no sales pitch.
When you buy a home
- First-time buyer checklist for Ontario: from budget to closing day
- A step-by-step checklist for first-time buyers in Ontario: budget, pre-approval, a conditional offer, lender approval, closing, and the programs that help.October 23, 2026 · 5 min read
- Minimum down payment rules in Canada, with a worked example
- How much you need to put down on a home in Canada, when mortgage default insurance applies, what it costs, and a worked example for a $700,000 home.October 23, 2026 · 5 min read
- Ontario closing costs: what to budget for beyond the down payment
- Closing costs when buying a home in Ontario: land transfer tax in Ontario and Toronto, legal fees, title insurance, inspection, PST and adjustments.October 23, 2026 · 5 min read
When a lender decides how much you can borrow
- Self-employed mortgage: what lenders look at and what to prepare
- How lenders assess self-employed income in Ontario: two years of T1 Generals and Notices of Assessment, incorporation, taxes owing and other options.October 24, 2026 · 5 min read
- Pre-qualification vs pre-approval: what each one tells you
- The difference between a mortgage pre-qualification and a pre-approval, what a rate hold is, and the common things that can undo a pre-approval.October 23, 2026 · 5 min read
- The mortgage stress test explained: what it is and how it affects you
- Canada's mortgage stress test: the qualifying rate, who applies it, a worked example, and when you can switch lenders at renewal without being re-tested.October 23, 2026 · 5 min read
When you choose, renew or refinance a mortgage
- Refinance, HELOC or second mortgage: three ways to borrow against your home
- How a refinance, a home equity line of credit and a second mortgage work in Ontario, the 80% and 65% limits, what each costs, and when each one fits.October 24, 2026 · 5 min read
- Fixed vs variable mortgage: how each works and how to choose
- How fixed and variable mortgages work in Canada, how their interest compounds, what it costs to break each one, and questions to help you choose.October 23, 2026 · 5 min read
- Mortgage renewal checklist: what to do in the four months before
- A month-by-month renewal checklist for Ontario homeowners: when to start, how to compare staying with switching, and what switching lenders can cost.October 23, 2026 · 5 min read
When you weigh your bank, a broker or a private lender
- When a private mortgage is the right bridge, and when it is not
- A private mortgage is a short-term bridge that costs more and needs a clear exit back to a bank or alternative lender. When it fits, and when it does not.October 24, 2026 · 5 min read
- Mortgage broker vs your bank: how they differ and how brokers are paid
- How using an Ontario mortgage broker differs from going straight to your bank, how brokers are usually paid, and what a broker can and cannot do for you.October 23, 2026 · 5 min read
No cost to talk
Ask a mortgage broker to call you back
Tell us what you're planning for a home in Ontario and a good number to reach you. We call back within one business day, usually sooner. We ask for documents only once we know which ones your mortgage needs.
You can also call us at (416) 371-2077.