Mortgages Toronto, Ontario

The Canadian Mortgage Stress Test in 2024

📅 Last Updated: August 26, 2022

✏️ Written By Lisa Rennie

🕵️ Fact-Checked by Caitlin Wood

Table of Contents show

Mortgages Toronto - Compare Providers

		Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0	Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
100	1709683200	up to $1,250	12%-32%	90 - 150 days	up to $1,250
23	1700524800	$5,000 - $25,000	24.99% - 29.99%	30 or 60	$5,000 - $25,000
21	1700524800	$1,000 - $5,000	46%	9-24	$1,000 - $5,000
15	1695254400	$1250	16.06% (nominal) - 31.99% (effective)	3 - 5	$1250
11	1692748800	Up to $250	0%	Up to 61 days	Up to $250
8	1688083200	$150 - $1,600	10 - 35%	3 - 6	$150 - $1,600
100	1686182400	$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
100	1686182400	$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
100	1686182400	$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
6	1683676800	$15,000	6.7%	Up to 60 months	$15,000
1	1670889600	$1,000 - $10,000	19.9% - 46.9%	-	$1,000 - $10,000
7	1666051200	$150	0%	-	$150
100	1643932800	$500 - $15,000	+18.9% APR	6 - 60	$500 - $15,000
100	1642723200	up to $1,500	-	-	up to $1,500
13	1639094400	$1,000 - $15,000	29.9% - 46.9% APR	12 - 60	$1,000 - $15,000
30	1637280000	$5,000 - $50,000	5.75% - 22.99%	Up to 84	$5,000 - $50,000
100	1623369600	Varies	0%	6 or 8 weeks	Varies
2	1620777600	Up to $35,000	9.99% - 46.96%	6 - 60	Up to $35,000
17	1607558400	$500 - $50,000	6.99% - 46.99%	12 - 36	$500 - $50,000
100	1600646400	$1,000-$7,500	12.99% - 29.99%	24 - 60	$1,000-$7,500
100	1598918400	$1,000 - $15,000	-	-	$1,000 - $15,000
100	1598832000	$500 – $15,000	+ 25.99%	9 - 60	$500 – $15,000
100	1595980800	$200 - $1,200	25% - 32%	-	$200 - $1,200
100	1551830400	Up to $500,000	5.75% – 9.9%	negotiable	Up to $500,000
100	1594684800	$100 - $2,000	0%	-	$100 - $2,000
100	1593561600	-	0+	2 - 60	-
100	1589155200	$2,500	15.65% AIR	13 - 26	$2,500
100	1582243200	-	-	Up to 60	-
100	1581033600	$5,000+	-	Up to 60	$5,000+
100	1580947200	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	$500 - $5,000	-	12 - 24	$500 - $5,000
100	1580860800	$350 - $1,000	-	2 - 12 weeks	$350 - $1,000
9	1580860800	$1,600 - $25,000	19.99% APR	36 - 60	$1,600 - $25,000
16	1580774400	$1,000 - $25,000	7.5% - 31.5% APR	36 - 60	$1,000 - $25,000
100	1579478400	$100 - $1,500	-	-	$100 - $1,500
100	1579478400	Up to $5,000	29.78% - 44.8%	36 months	Up to $5,000
100	1579219200	$100 - $25,000	+4.9%	-	$100 - $25,000
100	1579219200	-	15% - 19%	-	-
100	1576713600	-	Up to 35%	-	-
18	1576713600	$500 - $100,000	6.99% - 14.99%	12 - 240	$500 - $100,000
100	1575590400	1800- 2900	15.99%	23 - 36	1800- 2900
100	1562198400	$500 - $15,000	15.99 - 39.99%	6 - 60	$500 - $15,000
100	1560124800	Up to $15,000	29.99% - 46.96%	9 - 60	Up to $15,000
17	1545955200	Up to $20,000	18.99% - 24.99%	36 - 84	Up to $20,000
19	1552262400	$1,000 - $15,000	29.9% or 46.90%	6 - 60	$1,000 - $15,000
100	1551830400	$100 - $1,000	546% APR	14 days	$100 - $1,000
100	1569974400	$500 - $50,000	15 - 30%	-	$500 - $50,000
100	1551830400	$1,000 - $15,000	19% - 46.95%	6 - 60	$1,000 - $15,000
100	1551398400	Up to $1,500	15% - 19%	14 days	Up to $1,500
100	1551398400	$100 - $1,500	15% - 17%	14 -31 days	$100 - $1,500
100	1551398400	$500 - $1,000	28% - 32%	-	$500 - $1,000
100	1551398400	-	-	14 days	-
18	1546128000	Up to $5,000	19.9% - 45.9% APR	6 - 36	Up to $5,000
100	1551139200	$250 -$1,250	29%	3 - 6	$250 -$1,250
100	1551139200	$5,000 - $35,000	9.9%+	6 - 60	$5,000 - $35,000
15	1551139200	Up to $15,000	19.99% APR	Open-end	Up to $15,000
100	1550534400	$300 - $25,000	7.95%+	36 - 60	$300 - $25,000
100	1550534400	$100 - $1,500	-	14 days	$100 - $1,500
100	1569974400	Up to $1,500	15% - 17%	up to 62 days	Up to $1,500
100	1550534400	Up to $1,500	Up to 59% APR	14 days	Up to $1,500
19	1550534400	$2,500 +	-	-	$2,500 +
100	1550534400	$500 - $1,000	28% - 32%	3 -5	$500 - $1,000
100	1550534400	$300 - $1,000	38% APR	3 - 4	$300 - $1,000
100	1549411200	$100 - $1,000	546% APR	14 days	$100 - $1,000
100	1549411200	$1,000 -$15,000	46.93%	12 - 60	$1,000 -$15,000
100	1567555200	$300 - $3,000	18% + fees	6	$300 - $3,000
100	1549238400	$500 - $1,000	28% - 32%	4 - 5	$500 - $1,000
100	1549238400	$100 - $1,500	90% - 390% APR	14 days	$100 - $1,500
100	1549238400	$250 - $1,000	29% APR	3 - 4	$250 - $1,000
20	1548720000	$500 - $1,000,000	7.9%	12	$500 - $1,000,000
100	1548720000	$1,000 - $50,000	4.6% – 49.96%	3 - 60	$1,000 - $50,000
100	1548633600	$300 - $7,500	29.9% - 39.9%	6 - 60	$300 - $7,500
100	1548633600	$50 - $1,500	-	14 days	$50 - $1,500
100	1545955200	Up to $20,000	19% - 49%	36 - 48	Up to $20,000
16	1545264000	$2,000 - $10,000	18.9% - 54.9%	12 - 60	$2,000 - $10,000
5	1545264000	$500 - $10,000	12.99% – 39.99%	9 – 36	$500 - $10,000
100	1545264000	$500 – $10,000	Starting at 9.90%	12 - 36	$500 – $10,000
2	1543622400	Up to $50,000	19.99% - 39.99%	6 - 120	Up to $50,000
100	1545177600	$2,000 – $10,000	34.9% - 43%	12 - 60	$2,000 – $10,000
10	1545264000	$500 - $12,500	19.99%+	12 - 60	$500 - $12,500
100	1545350400	Up to $1000	30%	3 - 5	Up to $1000
100	1545350400	Up to $5,000	60%	6 - 60	Up to $5,000
100	1545350400	Up to $3,000	22% - 35%	3 - 4	Up to $3,000
100	1545350400	Up to $7,000	-	6 – 60	Up to $7,000
100	1545350400	$500 - $2,500	29% - 46.95%	6 - 36	$500 - $2,500
5	1545350400	$500 - $1000+	28%-32%	3	$500 - $1000+
100	1545350400	$500 – $750	28% – 34.4%	3	$500 – $750
100	1545350400	$500 – $750	23% - 34.4%	3 – 12	$500 – $750
100	1545350400	$300 - $1500	27% - 35%	3 - 4	$300 - $1500
4	1545264000	$500 - $100,000	Starting at 29.99%	9 - 84	$500 - $100,000
3	1545264000	Up to $3,500	47.72%	-	Up to $3,500
2	1568937600	$1,500 – $10,000	Varies by province	Varies	$1,500 – $10,000
10	1545177600	$1,000 - $35,000	5.99% - 29.19%	36 - 60	$1,000 - $35,000
18	1545177600	$100 - $20,000	Up to 46.8%	Up to 60	$100 - $20,000

		Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0	Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
7	1714089600	$10,000 to $1,000,000	15%+	12	$10,000 to $1,000,000
3	1697414400	Up to $800,000	9% - 49.99%	3, 6, 9, or 12	Up to $800,000
2	1669852800	$5,000 - $300,000	-	3 - 24 months	$5,000 - $300,000
100	1648512000	$10,000 - $250,000	Varies	6-12	$10,000 - $250,000
100	1620345600	-	-	12 - 60	-
100	1611878400	$5,000 - $30,000,000	-	Up to 18	$5,000 - $30,000,000
17	1607558400	$500 - $50,000	6.99% - 46.99%	6 - 36	$500 - $50,000
100	1603756800	-	-	-	-
100	1598918400	-	-	-	-
100	1592438400	-	-	-	-
100	1585612800	-	0.9% - 12%	6 months - 5 years	-
100	1581984000	$10,000 - $10,000,000	6% - 12.5%	-	$10,000 - $10,000,000
100	1581292800	-	-	-	-
100	1581033600	-	-	-	-
100	1581033600	-	-	-	-
100	1581033600	-	-	-	-
100	1580947200	-	-	-	-
100	1580947200	$10,000 - $1,000,000	-	-	$10,000 - $1,000,000
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	$5,000 - $1,000,000	-	-	$5,000 - $1,000,000
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	up to $250,000	-	-	up to $250,000
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580688000	Up to $10,000	-	-	Up to $10,000
100	1580256000	$5,000 - $500,000	-	6 - 18 months	$5,000 - $500,000
100	1579478400	-	-	-	-
100	1579478400	$10,000- $30,000,000	Min 4.95%	-	$10,000- $30,000,000
100	1579478400	-	-	12 - 120	-
100	1579478400	-	-	24 to 60	-
100	1579478400	-	-	-	-
100	1579478400	-	-	-	-
100	1579046400	-	-	-	-
100	1578873600	-	-	-	-
100	1577059200	-	-	-	-
100	1577059200	-	-	-	-
100	1577059200	-	-	-	-
100	1575849600	$5,000 - $150,000	15% +	6 - 24	$5,000 - $150,000
100	1575849600	Up to $250,000	-	-	Up to $250,000
100	1575590400	-	-	-	-
100	1575590400	-	-	-	-
1	1545955200	$5,000 - $150,000	Fee-Based: Starting at 9%	12 - 60	$5,000 - $150,000
100	1552262400	$500,000 - $10,000,000	-	-	$500,000 - $10,000,000
100	1552262400	-	Competitive	-	-
100	1552262400	-	-	-	-
100	1552262400	Up to $250,000	-	Up to 10 years	Up to $250,000
100	1552262400	-	-	-	-
100	1552262400	Up to $1,000,000	-	-	Up to $1,000,000
100	1551830400	Up to $100,000	-	-	Up to $100,000
100	1551830400	$10,000+	-	Up to 15 years	$10,000+
100	1551830400	Up to $1,000,000	-	Up to 15 years	Up to $1,000,000
100	1551830400	Up to $500,000	-	Up to 10 years	Up to $500,000
100	1551830400	$5,000 - $10,000	-	Up to 7 years	$5,000 - $10,000
100	1551398400	$3,500+	-	-	$3,500+
100	1551398400	$5,000+	4.9% - 24.99%	18 - 48	$5,000+
100	1551398400	$10,000 - $1,000,000	4% - 14%	12 - 84	$10,000 - $1,000,000
100	1551139200	Up to $75,000	-	Up to 18	Up to $75,000
100	1550534400	$500-$50,000	0.5% weekly	12 week cycles	$500-$50,000
100	1550534400	$1,000 - $1,000,000	6% - 20%	-	$1,000 - $1,000,000
100	1550534400	Up to $5,000,000	4.5%	24 - 72	Up to $5,000,000
100	1550534400	$5,000 - $200,000	-	-	$5,000 - $200,000
100	1549411200	$50,000 - $12,000,000	-	24 - 96	$50,000 - $12,000,000
100	1549411200	$5,000 - $1,000,000+	-	1 - 60	$5,000 - $1,000,000+
100	1549238400	$5,000 - $1,000,000	-	3 - 24	$5,000 - $1,000,000
100	1548720000	$5,000 - $5,000,000	-	4 - 18	$5,000 - $5,000,000
100	1548720000	Up to $100,000	6.05% +	60	Up to $100,000
100	1548720000	$10,000+	18% - 22%	-	$10,000+
100	1548720000	$10,000 - $300,000	4.70% - 5.45%	-	$10,000 - $300,000
100	1548633600	Up to $5,000,000	5% - 10%	12 - 60	Up to $5,000,000
10	1545177600	$1,000 - $35,000	5.6% – 25.5%	36 – 60	$1,000 - $35,000
100	1545264000	$5,000 - $250,000	-	3-18	$5,000 - $250,000
100	1545264000	$5,000 - $150,000	-	3 - 24	$5,000 - $150,000
6	1545350400	$5,000 – $100,000	15% +	12 – 18	$5,000 – $100,000
100	1545264000	$5,000 – $100,000	Starting at 6.87%	3 – 18	$5,000 – $100,000
5	1545177600	$5,000-$250,000	8% - 29% APR	6 - 18	$5,000-$250,000
4	1545177600	$5,000 – $500,000	Starting at 5.9%	3 – 60	$5,000 – $500,000
5	1545264000	$500 - $10,000	12.99% – 39.99%	9 – 36	$500 - $10,000
100	1561507200	Up to $300,000	-	-	Up to $300,000

		Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0	Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
2	1679529600	Varies	8.49% +	24 - 96 months	Varies
100	1643846400	up to $10,000	19.99%	12 - 36	up to $10,000
3	1632960000	Up to $50,000	15.99% +	12 -72	Up to $50,000
8	1624233600	Up to $50,000	29.99% – 46.96%	12 - 96	Up to $50,000
100	1610409600	-	-	-	-
17	1607558400	$500 - $50,000	-	24 - 60	$500 - $50,000
7	1606435200	$500 - $10,000	29.95%+	up to 48	$500 - $10,000
100	1600646400	$1,000-$7,500	12.99% - 29.99%	12 - 84	$1,000-$7,500
100	1594339200	-	-	-	-
100	1582761600	-	-	12 - 96	-
6	1582761600	-	11.9% - 22.9%	Up to 84	-
100	1582761600	-	0% - 29.5%	-	-
100	1581033600	-	+ 4.9%	-	-
100	1581033600	-	-	-	-
100	1580688000	-	-	-	-
100	1579478400	-	-	-	-
100	1579478400	-	-	-	-
100	1579478400	-	-	-	-
100	1579219200	-	-	-	-
100	1578873600	-	+8.99%	-	-
100	1578873600	-	-	-	-
100	1551830400	$5,000 - $10,000	-	up to 84	$5,000 - $10,000
100	1552262400	Up to $250,000	-	12 - 60	Up to $250,000
100	1552262400	Up to $1,000,000	-	up to 96	Up to $1,000,000
100	1551830400	Up to $100,000	-	6 - 96	Up to $100,000
100	1551830400	$10,000+	-	12 - 96	$10,000+
100	1551830400	Up to $1,000,000	-	up to 96	Up to $1,000,000
100	1577059200	-	-	up to 72	-
100	1577059200	-	-	-	-
100	1575849600	-	Starting at 4%	Up to 84	-
100	1575849600	$5000 - $45,000	4.90 % - 29.95% APR	36 - 72	$5000 - $45,000
100	1575849600	-	-	-	-
100	1575590400	-	-	-	-
100	1575504000	-	-	-	-
6	1569974400	$7500 - $59,995	3.95% +	12 - 96	$7500 - $59,995
100	1562112000	-	Up to 49.9%	-	-
100	1561507200	-	-	-	-
100	1561507200	-	-	Up to 84	-
1	1560124800	Up to $100,000	3.99% - 19.9%	24 -96	Up to $100,000
100	1551830400	Up to $30,000	-	-	Up to $30,000
100	1551830400	Up to $500,000	5.75% – 9.9%	negotiable	Up to $500,000
100	1550534400	-	-	-	-
100	1548720000	-	-	-	-
100	1548633600	-	4.2%+	-	-
100	1545955200	Up to $20,000	19% - 49%	36 - 48	Up to $20,000
5	1545264000	$500 - $10,000	12.99% – 39.99%	9 – 36	$500 - $10,000
100	1545177600	Up to $50,000	-	-	Up to $50,000
100	1545177600	$5,000 – $40,000	-	12 – 72	$5,000 – $40,000
100	1545177600	-	-	Maximum 84	-

		Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0	Up to $50,000	Prime – 46.96%	3 - 120	Up to $50,000
100	1578873600	$1,000 - $35,000	-	24 - 60	$1,000 - $35,000
100	1545955200	Up to $20,000	19% - 49%	36 - 48	Up to $20,000
100	1545264000	Up to $25,000	-	12 - 60	Up to $25,000

		Loan Amount	Rate	Term (Months)	Rating
0	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
7	1708473600	Varies	Varies	1 - 10 years	Varies
5	1700524800	-	-	-	-
6	1696377600	-	5.69% +	-	-
100	1695945600	-	-	-	-
100	1695772800	-	-	-	-
4	1690934400	Varies	5.54%+	Varies	Varies
2	1688601600	Min $100,000	5.34%+	2 - 10 years	Min $100,000
3	1679616000	$100,000 - $2 million	Fixed, variable, or adjustable rates	1 - 5 years	$100,000 - $2 million
4	1541030400	-	Varies	6 months - 5 years	-
100	1627344000	-	1.94% - 2.45%	12 - 60	-
2	1620777600	Up to $35,000	-	-	Up to $35,000
100	1551830400	Up to $500,000	5.75% – 9.9%	negotiable	Up to $500,000
100	1581033600	-	2.74% - 6.30%	12 - 120	-
100	1580947200	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	-	2.64% - 4.45%	12 - 120	-
100	1580860800	$50,000+	2.74% - 3.49%	12- 120	$50,000+
100	1580860800	-	-	36 - 60	-
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580860800	-	-	-	-
100	1580688000	-	2.79% - 6.00%	6 - 60	-
100	1580688000	-	2.74% - 4.45%	12 - 120	-
100	1580688000	-	-	-	-
100	1579478400	-	2.74% - 3.70%	6 - 120	-
100	1579132800	-	2.79% - 4.45%	-	-
100	1578873600	-	-	-	-
100	1578873600	-	2.69% - 3.95%	6 - 120	-
100	1578268800	up to 4,000,000	3.49% - 5.49%	12 - 300	up to 4,000,000
100	1577059200	$25,000 - $800,000	4.59% - 5.64%	6 - 60	$25,000 - $800,000
100	1577059200	-	-	-	-
100	1577059200	-	--	-	-
100	1577059200	-	2.84% - 7.30%	-	-
100	1574985600	$100,000 - $750,000	-	12 - 120	$100,000 - $750,000
100	1574899200	min 25,000	3.89.% - 4.84%	12 - 60	min 25,000
100	1574899200	-	2.23% - 4.45%	-	-
100	1560124800	-	2.89% - 3.79%	-	-
100	1548806400	$10,000 - $1,500,000	Varies	12 - 24	$10,000 - $1,500,000
100	1548720000	-	2.41% - 3.84%	-	-
100	1548720000	-	-	-	-
1	1517097600	$10,000+	Based on equity	-	$10,000+

		Services	Rating
0	0	Debt Consolidation Program, Debt Settlement Program, Consumer Proposal, Bankruptcy Consultation	N/A (Referrer)
100	1576540800	Credit Counselling, Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal
100	1576540800	Bankruptcy, Consumer Proposal
100	1576540800	Credit Counselling, Debt Management Program
100	1576368000	Credit Counselling, Debt Management Program
100	1576454400	Debt Restructuring, After Care - Credit Rebuilding Program, Corporate Debt Restructuring

Mortgages are useful tools that make it financially possible for consumers to purchase a home. And when it comes to homes in Toronto, any financial help homebuyers can get is certainly welcomed.

Read on to find out all you need to know about mortgages in Toronto.

Mortgage Insurance Rules

If you plan to make a down payment of less than 20% of the purchase price of the home you’re buying, then you’ll be subject to paying mortgage insurance. Also referred to as “CMHC insurance,” this type of insurance is designed to protect the lender – not the borrower – despite the fact that borrowers are the ones paying the premiums.

In Toronto – and Canada as a whole – the maximum amortization period for mortgages that are insured is 25 years.

How to Save for a Down Payment in Toronto

Whether you’re looking to put down at least 20% to avoid paying mortgage insurance or are simply looking to put down the 5% minimum that conventional mortgages require, you’ll still need to come up with a sizeable amount of money. Based on the average home price in Toronto, which stands at $765,400 as of November 2018, a 5% down payment would amount to $38,270.

That’s a lot of money for the average person in Toronto to have to come up within as a lump sum of cash, but that’s the reality of buying a home in one of the most expensive markets in the country.

Obviously, putting a 20% down payment is better, if you can swing it. Not only will you be able to reduce the amount of debt that you’d have to borrow, but you’ll also be able to save quite a bit of money on mortgage insurance that would otherwise have to be paid with a down payment of less than 20%.

Need to borrow money for your down payment? Check this out.

In order to secure a mortgage in Toronto, you will need to spend some time saving up for a down payment. Here are a few tips to help you accumulate such a large sum of money in order to get approved for a mortgage and make a home purchase:

Take a bit of money out of each paycheck – Toronto may have the second highest minimum wage in Toronto, but saving up becomes difficult due to its high cost of living. So, before you go and start spending your paycheck, set a little bit aside to be deposited into a separate “down payment savings” account.

Automate your savings – Piggybacking off the above tip, rather than manually taking out a certain amount of money from your paycheck, consider automating your savings instead. That way you won’t be tempted to use that money for other expenditures. Plus, there will be no excuses for forgetting.

Make small sacrifices – Think of things that you can sacrifice for a little while to help with your down payment savings efforts. For example, if you’ve made it a habit of buying lunch every day, consider taking your own lunch with you – you’d be amazed at how much eating out in Toronto costs.

Plan any shopping splurges – Instead of randomly splurging, consider planning them instead. If you try to restrict yourself a lot when attempting to save, you can easily convince yourself that you deserve a treat once in a while. But this can blow your budget and move your goal further out. Instead, if you plan for that splurge money, you’ll know precisely how much you have to spend on frivolous things and keep more control of your spending.

Take a look at this infographic to learn about the cost of buying a house.

Credit Score Required For a Mortgage in Toronto

Mortgages in Toronto require a certain credit score in order for borrowers to get approved. In Toronto, borrowers are required to have a credit score of at least 650 to 680 in order to secure a conventional mortgage, though every lender in Toronto might have their own specific criteria.

Toronto borrowers with higher credit scores typically have a sound financial past that is void of any black marks, such as missed payments. As such, they will be more likely to be responsible and capable enough to make mortgage payments on time and in full every month.

On the other hand, a person in Toronto with a low credit score typically means they’ve had a history of bad financial habits, making them more of a risk for lenders. In this case, the odds of mortgage approval are much lower. If a mortgage is approved, the interest rate provided will likely be much higher than that of a mortgage provided to a borrower with a higher credit score.

Alternative Mortgage Options For Bad Credit Consumers in Toronto

What can you do if you don’t meet the credit criteria that lenders in Toronto require for mortgage approval? Are your dreams of homeownership dashed? Not necessarily. There are some other options that you may want to explore when applying for a mortgage in Toronto with a bad credit score.

Get a cosigner – If you have someone in your life who has good credit and whom you trust, consider adding them to your mortgage contract as a cosigner. This is a big responsibility, so the person cosigning needs to be fully aware of what their role is and what the repercussions may be if you default on the mortgage. A cosigner essentially promises to pick up the slack and continue making your payments for you in the event that you fail to make your payments.

Take out a bridge loan – Bridge loans are useful tools that you can use if you find it difficult to get a mortgage in Toronto because of your bad credit score. They are provided by private lenders and offer short-term solutions to those looking to make use of the borrowing potential of their homes. Bridge loans are designed to improve your credit and help you get approved for a mortgage and a lower interest rate.

Wait and improve your credit score – If you have some time to spare and are not necessarily in a rush to buy a home, consider taking some time to improve your credit score. You can do this by:

Ensuring your debt payments are made on time
Not applying for too many credit accounts at once
Utilizing less than 30% of your credit card limit
Paying down your debt
Keeping old credit accounts open, even if you’re not using them

Interested in more information about your credit score? Check this infographic out.

Hidden Costs of Buying a House in Toronto

Buying a home in Toronto involves a lot more than just taking out a loan to cover the purchase price of the property. There are other hidden costs that all homebuyers should be made aware of before taking the plunge:

Down payment
Interest
Title insurance
Home insurance
Taxes
Home inspection
repaid utilities
Moving costs
New furniture and appliances
Real estate commissions
Renovations

It’s important to make sure that you account for all of these costs before you commit to a real estate transaction.

Read this for more details about these hidden home buying costs.

Getting Pre-Approved For a Mortgage in Toronto

If you’re thinking about buying a house in Toronto soon, you should consider getting pre-approved for a mortgage first. A mortgage pre-approval is somewhat like a promise letter from the lender stating that you may qualify for a mortgage for a specific loan amount based on the information you provided, including proof of income and your credit history.

A pre-approval typically specifies a term, interest rate and loan amount. It’s a good idea to get pre-approved before looking for a home because it will tell you how much you can afford. This will help you narrow your focus to properties that match your criteria in terms of price. A pre-approval will also make you a more competitive buyer in the eyes of sellers, which can come in especially handy in a fiercely competitive market.

Pre-approvals don’t last forever. Instead, they usually expire within 90 to 120 days, after which the borrower will have to get pre-approved all over again.

Should you spend your entire pre-approval amount when buying a home? Find out here.

How to Compare Different Mortgage Offers in Toronto

It’s always recommended to shop around for a mortgage and compare different products from different lenders to get the best deal. When you do, it’s important to pay attention to certain components of various mortgage products that may be offered to you, including:

Term – The time period that the mortgage contract is valid
Amortization period – The time frame where the entire loan amount must be repaid in full
Variable vs. fixed rates – Different mortgages come with different types of interest rates
Prepayment options – Some mortgage products may allow you to prepay without penalty
Early payment penalties – If you choose to pay off your mortgage early, find out what the early payment penalties may be if any

Amortization Periods

An amortization period is the length of time that you have to pay off your entire loan amount in full. The amortization period you go with will depend on what you feel most comfortable with and what your lender will offer you.

Shorter amortization periods will allow you to spend less on interest over the long haul and will allow you to pay off your mortgage sooner. However, the monthly payments are usually higher, making them more expensive over the short-term.

Longer amortization periods, on the other hand, cost less per payment, but they end up costing more over the long run because more interest will have to be paid. In addition, it will take longer to be mortgage-free with a longer amortization period.

What’s the difference between a mortgage term and a mortgage amortization? Find out here.

Mortgage Payment Options

Different payment options are typically available with mortgages Toronto, including the following:

Monthly
Weekly
Bi-weekly
Accelerated bi-weekly

Types of Mortgages Available in Toronto

There are several different mortgage types in Toronto that you can choose from, including the following:

Conventional mortgages. These require a 20% minimum down payment, which will allow you to avoid having to pay mortgage default insurance.
High-ratio mortgages. Conventional mortgages with less than a 20% down payment (but no less than 5%) are known as high-ratio mortgages and will require mortgage default insurance to be paid.
Open mortgages. These home loans allow borrowers to repay the mortgage at any time without penalty.
Closed mortgages. These cannot be paid off before their maturity date without penalty, though their interest rates are usually lower than those with open mortgages.
Fixed-rate mortgages. The interest rates associated with fixed-rate mortgages will not change throughout the term, making the payments more predictable.
Variable-rate mortgages. The interest rates associated with variable-rate mortgages can change at different intervals throughout the term, making the payments more unpredictable.

Get the Best Mortgage Product For Your Financial Situation

There are all sorts of different mortgage products and lenders in Toronto, and the one you choose should closely match your particular needs. If you’re in the market to find and apply for a mortgage in Toronto, Loans Canada can help match you with a licensed mortgage professional.

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Note: Loans Canada does not arrange, underwrite or broker mortgages. We are a simple referral service.