A score alone says little. Lenders look at how recent the late payments are, whether collections are still open and how much of your available credit you are using.
Stabilize before submitting
Some fixes take weeks: getting card utilisation under 30%, clearing a collection. Others need months of clean payments. Knowing which is which tells you when to apply.
Compare cost and exit
If you need an alternative lender, the plan counts for more than the rate: what it costs, how long it lasts and what has to change before you go back to a conventional lender.
Documents to gather
What the lender will ask for.
What the file is for
Income and documents
Debts and credit
Property type
Preferred timeline
Lender options
Frequently asked
How long does the process take?+
A preapproval often takes just a few days after the documents arrive. The delay is rarely the analysis. It’s the employment letter, the bank statement or the appraisal appointment that hasn’t come in yet.
Is the lowest rate always the best choice?+
No. At the same rate, two offers can differ by thousands if you break the term. Check the penalty, the yearly prepayment allowance, and whether the mortgage can move with you to the next property.
Current rates
Today’s rates, with the fine print.
These rates are indicative. Yours depends on your file, the type of mortgage (insured or not) and the lender. And look at the penalty too, it matters as much as the number.
Buying, renewing, refinancing, or something a bit out of the ordinary: tell us where you’re at, even if it’s still fuzzy. Mathieu gets back to you with next steps and the documents to pull together.
