The files that don't fit the brochure.
Every clean pre-approval looks alike. Complex files differ in specific, documentable ways. Find yours.
Self-employed pre-approval
Self-employment is not a problem on its own. The problem is the gap between what your business earns and what your NOA shows after legitimate write-downs.
Open walkthroughNewcomer to Canada pre-approval
If you've landed in Canada in the last five years, you can get a mortgage — but the file is judged on different rules than a borrower with a long Canadian history. The good news: those rules are written down, and you can prepare for every one of them.
Open walkthroughGifted down payment
Gifted down payments are accepted by every major Canadian lender — provided they're documented to FINTRAC and lender standards. The work is in the paper trail, not in the conversation with your parents.
Open walkthroughBonus and commission income
If a big chunk of your pay is variable, the lender is going to average it — not take your best year. Plan around the average, not the peak.
Open walkthroughRental income on existing properties
Rental income helps you qualify — but not as much as the rent cheque suggests. Lenders apply offset or addback rules that shrink the apparent benefit.
Open walkthroughBruised credit pre-approval
A late payment, a collection, even a past consumer proposal does not end your mortgage chances. It changes which lenders will look at the file and what they'll charge.
Open walkthroughCo-signer and guarantor files
Adding a co-signer or guarantor can rescue a debt-service ratio, but it does not erase the underlying problem — and it ties two financial lives together.
Open walkthroughPre-approval on maternity or parental leave
Being on leave does not disqualify you. The right lender will use your full pre-leave salary on a documented return-to-work — and that one policy difference can be worth $100,000 of qualification.
Open walkthroughPre-approval while on probation
Probation is the awkward middle. Some lenders refuse outright; others will look closely at the offer letter and your industry continuity.
Open walkthroughPre-approval with a heavy car loan
Vehicle loans are quietly the most common reason borrowers fail the stress test. The math is brutal: every $400/month of debt cuts your max mortgage by about $70,000.
Open walkthroughPre-approval with student loan debt
Student debt counts against you even when you're not actively paying it. The deferral that helps your cash flow doesn't help your mortgage math.
Open walkthroughSecond property and investment files
Owning two properties is a different game. Different down payment rules, different rental math, different lender appetite.
Open walkthroughRefinance and equity takeout
Refinancing taps the equity you've built. The ceiling is firm: 80% of appraised value, no exceptions, and you re-qualify at today's stress-test rate.
Open walkthroughMortgage renewal vs switch to a new lender
Your renewal letter is not a quote — it's an opening offer. Switching to a new lender is easier than most people think, and the rate difference is usually real money.
Open walkthroughAccepted offer with no pre-approval in place
This is the highest-pressure mortgage scenario in Canada. The financing condition clock is the only thing standing between you and a deposit you can't recover.
Open walkthrough