Know your number before you fall in love with a home.
A pre-approval confirms what you qualify for, at what rate, and with what monthly payment — so you make offers with confidence instead of hoping the math works.
What a real pre-approval gives you
Most online calculators give you a ballpark. A broker pre-approval goes further — we review your income, credit, and debts against real lender guidelines and secure a rate hold, typically for 90 to 120 days.
- ·The maximum mortgage you qualify for
- ·A locked-in rate protected from market increases
- ·A realistic monthly payment scenario
- ·A clear list of any conditions to clean up
The stress test, in plain English
Every federally regulated lender qualifies you at the higher of your contract rate + 2% or 5.25%. That's not the rate you'll pay — it's the rate they test whether you could still afford payments if rates rise. We build that into your number from day one so there are no surprises.
Documents required
Bring the items below to your pre-approval call. If something is missing, we'll still start the file — most gaps can be filled in the first 24–48 hours.
Select the category that best describes your income:
- Letter of employment on company letterhead — dated within 30 days, showing role, start date, salary/hourly rate, guaranteed hours, and probation status
- Two (2) most recent pay stubs (year-to-date visible)
- T4s for the last 2 years
- Notices of Assessment (NOAs) for the last 2 years
- CRA proof of no tax arrears (My Account screenshot or Statement of Account)
Commission, bonus, or overtime income requires a 2-year average from T4s / T1s.
- Two pieces of government-issued ID (one photo) for each borrower
- SIN (for credit bureau consent — not written on any documents)
- Current residential address and 3-year address history
- Complete bank/investment statements for the last 90 days — every page, name/account/institution visible
- Source and paper trail for any large deposits over $1,000
- If gifted: signed gift letter from an immediate family member plus proof the gift landed in your account
- If from RRSP (Home Buyers' Plan): most recent RRSP statement and HBP withdrawal form (T1036)
- If from sale of a property: firm sale contract and estimated net proceeds statement
Every dollar of your down payment and closing costs has to be sourced. Undocumented deposits are the #1 cause of last-minute lender conditions.
Send documents as PDFs or clear photos. Everything is transmitted through the secure DLC portal — nothing sensitive over email.
Start with a conversation.
No credit pull, no pressure. Applications never trigger a credit check without your explicit consent.