Take a deeeeep breath

You're doing the thing! Just by clicking on this page, you've taken the first step towards buying your first home! Take some time to read through this guide, and if you have questions along the way, we're happy to help!

Check your bank balance

Take a look at your finances. You might be closer to affording a home than you think! In Canada, you need to pay (put as downpayment) at least 5% of the total cost. You can use savings, RRSP, TFSA, FHSA, and gifts from family to help pay this amount!

Don't have enough? Contact us for how RRSP loans can be used towards downpayment!

We also have partners offering rent-to-own and co-ownership options. Contact us or click here to find out more about co-ownership.

Send in an application

Fill out our handy application form to get an estimate of how much mortgage you qualify for!

We need income and debt numbers from everyone who is listed on the house title, and a few pieces of supporting documentation, like your tax documents and letter of employment, for us to confirm this amount. Don't worry, we tell you exactly what info we need and can walk you through how to obtain it easily online.

Application form seems scary? Give us a call and we'll walk you through each step!

We give you a house-shopping budget

After we review your application and documents, we'll set up a call to explain your options and give you a preliminary rate and shopping budget, also known as a pre-approval. Note we often issue a final rate better than our preliminary rate.

We suggest holding off on taking any more debt, such as a car lease, at this point until you have completed your house purchase, since this will void your pre-approval.

Let the house-hunting begin!

Do you want a condo or house? Location? Size? Have a discussion with yourself, then find a realtor to show you around. Use sites like HouseSigma to get a rough idea of what you want and the cost. If you like a house but not the carpet/paint/etc, we can help you finance minor renovations through the Purchase + Plus Improvements program.

Need a realtor? Let us recommend our excellent partners who can give you honest, trusted advice.

Pro tip: Make sure you don't sign an exclusive contract with realtors until you establish a relationship and are confident in their expertise. Good agents should know the area well and tell you about potential issues with each property (e.g. is the property well-maintained, does the roof need replacing soon, etc).

Financial tip! You often need to include a deposit in your offer, typically around 5% of the purchase price, as a bank draft. Make sure you start getting this amount ready as it can take a few days.

Submit an offer

After finding your dream home, submit an offer through your realtor. You may end up in a bidding war. Make sure you decide on a hard maximum offer, so you don't get caught in the bidding war frenzy and can afford it!

Need to confirm your affordability before you bid? Text us the planned property and we can give you an updated assessment to let you know the maximum you can afford.

You will often hear about conditions of sale in your offer, we recommend submitting offers with "condition of financing" and "condition of inspection" to ensure no surprises.

Finalize financing

After our team receives your purchase documents, we will prepare the mortgage commitment and set up a meeting to finalize your mortgage payments. At this point, we will arrange for our lawyer partners to help you close the transaction (you can also use your own). We will also offer you the option to secure mortgage protection insurance from our partner. We recommend you obtain this through our team as this insurance can be carried onto any future homes you buy.

While we do this, you should start compiling your down payment. If you receive any help with payment from someone else, a gift letter is required.

Close the transaction, get the keys and move in!

We finalize everything a few days before closing. At this point, you will need to provide the lawyer with the down payment, usually via bank draft.

We also suggest you use one of your pre-closing walkthrough visits to look at the house one or two days before closing, to ensure the house condition matches expectations and the seller is ready to move out.

If you need moving, design or renovation services, feel free to contact our team for some great offers.

We love helping our clients settle in to their new home, so expect us to reach out to set you up with a housewarming gift!