Pre-approval while on probation in Ontario.

Underwriting treats probation as employment risk. A clean offer letter alone is rarely enough.

Ontario adds its own layer. Two distinct files: GTA/GTHA condo + freehold underwriting, and the rest of the province. Lenders treat them differently on appraisal risk. That matters here because underwriters are already scrutinizing the income side of a pre-approval while on probation file — a property or program complication local to Ontario can push a marginal file over the edge.

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

Programs to check eligibility for in Ontario:

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

• Offer letter with explicit probation length and terms
• Letter from HR confirming role is permanent post-probation
• Employment history showing same industry continuity

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

• 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.

Underwriter view of this scenario: Industry continuity matters as much as the probation clause itself. Same role/same industry borrowers clear more easily than career-changers.

• Provide a clean industry-continuity story in writing
• Identify lenders whose policy permits probationary income in the same industry
• Defer the property search until probation ends if possible

• Career-change probation (different industry, different role).
• Probation extended due to performance concerns.