Resources

Know before you sign

Plain-language guides to qualifying, rates, and the parts of a mortgage that cost people money. No jargon, no sales pitch. Just the information you need to make a confident decision.

Guides

Start here

Each guide covers one decision you will face: what it is, how it works, and what to watch for.

First-Time Buyers

First-Time Home Buyer's Guide for Alberta

What Calgary and Alberta first-time buyers need before shopping: down payment minimums, land transfer costs, and the CMHC insurance basics.

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Rates

Variable vs Fixed Mortgage Rates: Which Fits You?

A plain-language breakdown of how variable and fixed mortgage rates behave in Canada's rate environment, and how to weigh the tradeoffs.

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Qualifying

The Mortgage Stress Test, Explained

How Canada's mortgage stress test qualifying rate works, why lenders use it, and what it means for how much you can actually borrow.

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Down Payments

Down Payments: How Much You Really Need

Minimum down payment rules by purchase price, how CMHC insurance premiums scale, and ways to put together a stronger down payment.

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Self-Employed

Mortgages for the Self-Employed

How lenders assess business and contract income, which documents make your file stronger, and options when your file gets turned down.

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Renewals

Mortgage Renewal vs Switching Lenders

Why signing your renewal letter without shopping around can cost you, and how to compare a renewal against switching lenders at term end.

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Insights

From the desk

Real files, and what they show about how lenders actually read an application.

October 2026

How Much Home Equity Can You Borrow in Alberta & Saskatchewan? The 80% Refinance Limit Explained

A clear breakdown of Canada's 80% Loan-to-Value refinance rule, worked equity calculations on $500k to $850k homes, and what determines how much equity you can unlock.

6 min read
October 2026

HELOC vs. Mortgage Refinance in Canada: Which Costs Less When Borrowing $50,000+?

Comparing a 65% revolving Home Equity Line of Credit against an 80% lump-sum mortgage refinance: interest rates, monthly payments, penalties, and when each wins.

6 min read
October 2026

Should You Break Your Mortgage Early to Consolidate Debt? Weighing the Penalty Against Monthly Savings

How to calculate whether your monthly cash-flow relief from paying off 19.99% credit cards and loans beats a 3-month interest or IRD prepayment penalty.

6 min read
October 2026

Consolidating Credit Card and Line of Credit Debt at Mortgage Renewal: The Zero-Penalty Window

Why the 120 days before your mortgage maturity date is the cheapest time to fold outside balances into your mortgage with $0 prepayment penalty.

5 min read
October 2026

Refinancing a Mortgage While Self-Employed in Alberta & Saskatchewan: Add-Backs, Stated Income, and Equity Options

How incorporated business owners and contractors unlock up to 80% home equity using T1 add-backs, corporate financials, or 6-to-12-month bank statement programs.

7 min read
October 2026

How High Credit Utilization Hurts Your Score, and How an Equity Consolidation Refinance Rebuilds It

Even with zero missed payments, maxed-out revolving credit cards can pull your credit score below bank thresholds. Here is how an equity refinance resets utilization.

6 min read
September 2026

Funding Home Renovations in Alberta & Saskatchewan: Refinance Lump Sum vs. Staged HELOC Draws

Financing a legal basement suite, kitchen remodel, or addition using your home's equity instead of high-rate contractor loans.

5 min read
September 2026

How a Spousal Buyout or Co-Owner Refinance Works in Alberta & Saskatchewan

How to remove a spouse or co-owner from title, equalize home equity, and pay out joint matrimonial debt up to 80% (or up to 95% under insured buyout rules).

6 min read
September 2026

From Cash-Poor to Cash-Rich: How Consolidating $50,000 of Debt Into an Alberta Mortgage Frees Up $1,200+ Every Month

A real balance sheet breakdown: swapping 8.45% lines of credit and 19.99% credit cards for a 4.39% mortgage to instantly eliminate monthly cash-flow bleed.

5 min read
September 2026

The CRA Tax Trap: How Self-Employed Homeowners in Alberta Are Clearing Compounding Penalties With Equity

Why traditional banks reject applications with CRA arrears, and how alternative equity lenders structure direct payouts at closing to halt 10% compounding penalties.

6 min read
August 2026

Self-Employed and Under Two Years of Tax Returns: Why Four Brokers Gave One Couple Four Different Answers

A couple selling and rebuying, a self-employed spouse without two full years of tax returns, and four brokers who read the same file four different ways.

6 min read
Tools

Run the numbers yourself

Free calculators that show you real figures: payments, affordability ceilings, closing costs, and how switching lenders at renewal compares.

Payment Calculator

See your monthly payment for a given price, rate, and amortisation.

Affordability Calculator

How much home your income and debts actually support.

Closing Cost Estimator

The costs beyond the down payment that catch buyers off guard.

Rate Comparison

Compare two mortgage options side by side over the full term.

Renewal Calculator

What switching versus staying costs you over the next term.

Land Transfer Tax

Provincial land title registration and transfer fee estimates.

All calculators
Next step

Find out what you qualify for

A quick pre-qualification gives you a real number to work with. No obligation, no credit pull.

Get pre-qualifiedCall (639) 571-1105