Mortgage pre-approval in Ontario.

Two distinct files: GTA/GTHA condo + freehold underwriting, and the rest of the province. Lenders treat them differently on appraisal risk.

Provincial Land Transfer Tax on a sliding scale; Toronto adds a municipal LTT that effectively doubles the bill inside city limits.

• First-time buyer LTT rebate up to $4,000
• Toronto municipal LTT rebate up to $4,475
• Federal First Home Savings Account (FHSA)

• Status certificate review on condos is non-optional, not a formality.
• Some lenders cap exposure in specific GTA postal codes.
• Property tax estimates on new builds often understate year-2 assessments.

Employment letters from Ontario employers are scrutinized for probation clauses; underwriters frequently call HR to verify.

For reference: brokers in Ontario are licensed and supervised by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA), which maintains a public licence registry and handles formal complaints. Before signing, it's worth confirming your broker's licence is active on the ON regulator's public search — a clean licence is the baseline, not a guarantee of a strong file.