Your Mortgage Made Simple

We provide personalized mortgage solutions designed for every stage of your financial journey. Whether you're refinancing, buying your first home, or purchasing your 2nd, 3rd, or even 5th property, consolidating debt, or simply exploring your options, we tailor each plan to your unique needs here in Sarnia and Lambton County.

We specialize in helping clients with non-traditional income—self-employed borrowers, those with less than two years in their job, unique income situations, or bruised credit. No matter your starting point, we work to match you with the right lender and the right strategy so you can move forward with confidence.

Yes — when you work with us, there’s no cost to you on traditional or alternative mortgage files. We’re paid directly by the lender, not by you.

If a private lender ends up being the best fit for your situation, we’ll walk you through the costs in advance. Any fees are fully disclosed upfront so you can make an informed decision with no surprises.

Beyond the cost, the real value is the support:

• We coordinate directly with your realtor and lawyer to keep the process smooth
• We guide you with expert, unbiased advice
• We handle the details, follow-ups, and paperwork so you don’t have to stress
• We’re here to answer questions anytime and keep you confident from start to finish

Our job is to make this experience easy, informed, and fully supported — just like we’d do for our own family.

We partner with a wide range of lenders so we can match you to the mortgage that truly fits your goals — not just what one bank offers.

Some of our lending partners include:

• Traditional banks: TD & Scotiabank
• Monoline lenders (specialize only in mortgages): MCAP, First National, Strive, Manulife, CMLS, RMG, and more
• Alternative lenders: Community Trust, NPX, Home Trust, and other flexible-income lenders
• Credit unions: Meridian, FirstOntario Credit Union
• Reverse mortgage providers for equity-based solutions

This variety gives you access to competitive rates, flexible qualification options, and products tailored to your unique situation — whether you're buying, refinancing, renewing, self-employed, or rebuilding credit.

We compare everything for you and guide you with clear, unbiased advice so you can choose the best fit confidently.

Your qualifying amount depends on your past income, current liabilities, and credit history. We review your documents upfront so you know your true maximum purchase price before you start shopping—no surprises, no guessing.

Most lenders ask for proof of income (paystubs, job letter, tax docs), recent bank statements, government ID, and a snapshot of your debts. If you’re self-employed, have variable hours, or unique income, you may need a few extra documents to present the strongest file. If you are keeping your property, you will need an up to date mortgage & property tax statement too.

A pre-approval is usually completed within 24–48 hours once your documents are uploaded. This gives you a clear picture of your budget and what you qualify for before you start shopping.

For a full approval on a purchase, most lenders take 3–10 business days, depending on the complexity of the file and whether an appraisal is required. We keep you updated at every stage so you always know where things stand.

For refinances or switches, the full process from application to funding typically takes 3–5 weeks. The faster your documents are provided, the faster we can review, submit, and move your file forward — and we send reminders along the way, because we get it, life is busy.

Our goal is to make the process smooth, transparent, and stress-free from start to finish.

Not always. The “2-year rule” is one of the biggest myths in mortgage qualifying.

Many lenders will accept a shorter employment history if:

• Your job is full-time, permanent, or guaranteed hours
• Your role is consistent with your experience or education
• Your income is predictable and stable
• You’re not still in a probationary period (varies by lender)
• Even if you recently changed jobs, you can often still qualify — especially if you moved within the same industry or upgraded your position.

We look at your full financial picture to match you with lenders whose guidelines fit your situation, so you know exactly where you stand before you start shopping.

If you’re putting less than 20% down, most insured lenders look for a minimum credit score around 600 — and a score of 650+ gives you access to the best rates and the widest range of products.

If you have more than 20% down, the rules are a bit more flexible. We can structure the application in different ways, and some lenders are more open to lower credit scores as long as the rest of the file is strong.

And if your credit is a little bruised, you still have options. We can explore alternative or private lending, or build a personalized game plan to rebuild your score. I’ll guide you step-by-step so you know exactly what to focus on to get mortgage-ready.

Your required down payment depends on the price of the home, the property type, and the type of lender you qualify with.

For most primary-residence purchases under $1.5 million, you can use the standard minimum down payment:

• 5% on the first $500,000
• 10% on the portion between $500,000 and $999,999
• Homes $1 million or more require 20% down, and rental properties always require 20%, regardless of the price.

If you're looking at alternative or non-traditional lending, plan for a minimum 20% down payment as well — these lenders require more equity to offset their flexible qualification guidelines.

Everyone has access to these minimums if the property and lender type qualify, and I’ll break it all down for you so you know exactly what applies to your situation and what the full cost of buying looks like.

Fixed rates offer stability and predictable payments; variable rates can save more long-term and offer lower penalties. We compare both options and help you choose the one that matches your comfort level, goals, and financial plan.

Closing costs generally range from 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price, depending on the property and lender requirements. These can include lawyer fees, land transfer tax, title insurance, appraisal fees (if needed), and other adjustments like property tax or condo fee prorations.

Not every file needs every fee — for example, some lenders waive appraisal requirements, and first-time home buyers can receive up to a $4,000 land transfer tax rebate, which helps reduce upfront costs.

We also create a personalized budget for you, outlining each cost specific to your scenario, so you know exactly what to expect with no surprises.

I don’t have a down payment — can I still get qualified?
Yes, you still have options! There are several legitimate ways to come up with a down payment (and no — none of them involve robbing a bank 😄).

Here are the most common solutions:

• Gifted down payment: Immediate family can gift you some or all of the funds.
• Borrowed down payment: If you qualify, you may be able to borrow the down payment through a loan or line of credit.
• Gifted equity: If you’re buying a home privately from a family member, they can sell it to you below market value and use the difference as your down payment — a huge advantage for keeping upfront costs low.
• Lambton Down Payment Assistance Program: This local program offers a 10% down payment loan that becomes forgivable after 20 years of living in the property.

We’ll walk through each option and see which ones fit your situation so you can take the next step confidently.

Self-employed borrowers can absolutely qualify for a mortgage — lenders just verify income a little differently. Instead of relying only on a T4, they may review your tax returns, business financials, bank statements, or use stated-income programs designed specifically for business owners.

The key is making sure your income is presented clearly and accurately. That’s where we help: we organize your documents so lenders see the real strength of your business, not just the taxable income on paper.

And one important note — if you’re self-employed, your taxes must be filed before any lender can approve your mortgage. Keeping everything up to date makes the process much smoother.

Yes — credit challenges don’t automatically disqualify you. Late payments, collections, or past setbacks happen for a reason, and lenders understand that life isn’t always perfect.

There are still options, including lenders who specialize in:

• Bruised credit
• Collections or past delinquencies
• Previous bankruptcy or consumer proposal
• Depending on your situation, we can look at short-term solutions to get you into a home now, or a long-term plan to rebuild your credit and qualify with better rates later.

Either way, you’re not alone — we’ll map out the best path forward for your specific situation.

Lenders review the 5 Cs of credit to assess your application:

• Character: Your repayment history and overall credit behaviour.
• Capacity: Your income and ability to handle the mortgage payment.
• Capital: Your savings, assets, and down payment strength.
• Collateral: The property you’re buying—its value and condition.
• Conditions: The purpose of the loan and the current market environment.

We help package your file to highlight your strengths in all five areas.

Mortgage default insurance (through CMHC, Sagen, or Canada Guaranty) is required when your down payment is under 20%. This insurance protects the lender, which is what allows buyers to purchase a home with as little as 5% down.

The insurance premium is added to your mortgage and varies based on your down payment percentage. We break down exactly how the premium works, how it affects your monthly payment, and what options make the most sense for your budget.

If you’re a first-time home buyer, you can also choose a 30-year amortization when your mortgage is insured. This comes with a slightly higher premium, but it lowers your monthly payment, giving you more flexibility in your cash flow.

We’ll walk you through every scenario so you understand the costs, benefits, and long-term impact before you make a decision.