Bruised credit pre-approval in Alberta.

Prime lenders want clean 24-month credit histories. B-lenders accept credit events with documented context and a repair plan.

Alberta adds its own layer. Calgary and Edmonton run on different employment-cycle assumptions. Oil-sector commission and bonus income is heavily averaged. That matters here because underwriters are already scrutinizing the income side of a bruised credit file — a property or program complication local to Alberta can push a marginal file over the edge.

No land transfer tax. Land Titles registration fee plus mortgage registration fee — a few hundred dollars typical.

Programs to check eligibility for in Alberta:

• FHSA
• Home Buyers' Plan (RRSP withdrawal)

• Letter of explanation for each credit event
• Proof of resolution (paid-in-full letters, consumer proposal completion certificates)
• Current credit report

Alberta nuance: Bonus and commission income require 2 years of T4s; many Alberta files are killed by overstating recent strong years.

• Variable income from energy-sector roles is averaged over 24 months minimum.
• Acreage and rural files trigger MLI restrictions over a hectare.
• Condo board documents are commonly thin — request the full reserve study.

Underwriter view of this scenario: Underwriters look for what caused the event, how it was resolved, and what has changed since. A documented one-off (medical, divorce, layoff) clears differently than a pattern.

• Pay every account on time for 24 consecutive months
• Keep utilization under 30%
• Resolve any collections before applying

• Any active collection at application time.
• Unfiled or unpaid taxes.
• A consumer proposal that has not yet been discharged.