Mortgage & Finance
Mortgage rates, financing, and home loan guides for Ontario buyers
Construction & Self-Build Mortgages in Ontario: How Progress-Draw Financing Actually Works
How construction and self-build mortgages work in Ontario: progress-draw financing, the 5-draw inspection schedule, the ~65% first (land) draw ceiling, interest-only during the build, the 10% Construction Act holdback, and whether CMHC insures a 5%-down self-build. Sources: RBC, CMHC, Ontario Construction Act (2026).
Vendor Take-Back Mortgages in Ontario: How the Seller Becomes the Lender, Who It Suits, and Where the Risk Sits
An Ontario guide to the Vendor Take-Back (VTB) mortgage: how a seller lends part of the price secured by a charge on title, second-position priority and postponement behind the bank, rate/term/balloon mechanics, power of sale on default, and the CRA capital gains reserve that spreads the seller's gain. Source: CRA (canada.ca) / Ontario Mortgages Act.
Buying a Rental Property Through a Corporation vs Your Personal Name in Ontario: The Real Trade-Offs
Corporation vs personal name for an Ontario rental property: the real upside (liability separation, income splitting, estate planning, tax deferral) against the real cost — passive investment income taxed near 50% before the refundable RDTOH portion, no principal residence exemption for a corp-owned home, and 20–35% down with a personal guarantee. Source: CRA / canada.ca.
Canada’s Mortgage Stress Test: How the Qualifying Rate Works, How It Caps Your Borrowing Power, and the New Renewal-Switch Exemption
A clear guide to Canada's mortgage stress test: OSFI's minimum qualifying rate (greater of contract rate + 2% or 5.25%), who it applies to, a worked example of how it caps borrowing power, the November 2024 rule that switching lenders at renewal no longer requires re-passing it, and alternatives like credit unions and B-lenders. Source: OSFI, Department of Finance.
The RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP): The $60,000 Limit, the 89-Day Rule, and the 15-Year Repayment You Can’t Ignore
How the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan works: how much you can withdraw, the 89-day rule, when the 15-year repayment starts, and how HBP stacks with the FHSA.
The First Home Savings Account (FHSA), Explained: $8,000 a Year, Deductible In, Tax-Free Out
The FHSA explained: $8,000 annual / $40,000 lifetime limits, deductible contributions, tax-free first-home withdrawals, carry-forward, eligibility, and stacking with the RRSP HBP. Source: CRA (canada.ca).
Refinancing Your Mortgage in Ontario: The 80% Cap, Prepayment Penalties, and How It Differs from Renewal & Porting
A GTA homeowner's guide to mortgage refinancing in Ontario: what refinancing is, the 80% loan-to-value cap, prepayment penalties (fixed = greater of 3 months' interest or IRD; variable = usually 3 months' interest), appraisal/legal/discharge costs, and a clear decision framework. By Arthur Zhao.
Gifting or Transferring an Ontario Property to Your Children: The Tax Rules and the Traps
Thinking of gifting or transferring your Ontario home to your children? Here is how CRA's deemed disposition at fair market value works, the capital gains and principal residence exemption, Ontario land transfer tax, and the three biggest traps. Educational only — consult an accountant and lawyer.
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