A Burlington Mortgage Broker
Who Works for You, Not the Bank.
Buying your first condo on the waterfront side. Renewing. Refinancing. Or self-employed, or carrying bruised credit, and tired of hearing no. Whatever brought you here, I shop 50+ lenders to find the one that fits instead of a checklist. My brokerage is based right here in Burlington.
First-time buyers, condos, renewals, bruised credit & self-employed files across Halton Region
One Local Broker for Every Stage in Burlington
Burlington is where my brokerage actually sits, on the South Service Road, so this is home turf rather than a territory on a map. It's a city running two housing stories at once. There's the waterfront and the established neighbourhoods around Spencer Smith Park and Aldershot, where people have owned for decades and are sitting on serious equity. And there's a condo and townhouse market that is one of the few realistic entry points left in this part of Halton. Behind both, the escarpment and the Royal Botanical Gardens cap how far the city can sprawl, which is part of why prices hold the way they do. Here's where I do the most good.
First-Time Home Buyers
Burlington's condo and townhouse market is one of the last realistic ways in. A real pre-approval, an honest budget, and every first-time program you qualify for.
FHSA, RRSP & land transfer rebate →Renewals & Refinances
Your renewal letter is not your best offer. I shop your rate at renewal, and pull equity out of an established Burlington home for a renovation or to clear debt.
Don't auto-sign the bank's offer →Self-Employed & Complex Files
The work other brokers find too messy. Write-offs, dividends, variable income, bruised credit, a past decline. This is my specialty, not my exception.
Stated income & alt-lender options →The Condo and Townhouse Way Into Burlington
Here's the honest math. Burlington's average sale price was around $1.02 million in August 2026, but that average hides the thing that matters most on a first purchase. Detached averaged roughly $1.42 million. Townhouses averaged about $847,000, condo townhouses about $684,000, and apartments about $515,000. The benchmark home, meaning the typical one rather than the average, sat near $850,000. If you're buying your first place in Burlington, the apartment and condo-town end of that range is usually where it actually happens.
Get the order right, and it starts with a plan, not a listing:
- A pre-approval that locks your rate for up to 120 days while you shop
- The First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan, used together where it helps
- Ontario's land transfer tax rebate for first-time buyers, worth up to $4,000
- An honest read on your real budget, closing costs included, not just the maximum a lender will hand you
- The commute trade-off, if you're weighing Burlington's price against time on the road or the GO line
Want the full walk-through? I broke down every step from offer to approval in this guide to the mortgage process. And if you're also looking at the bigger Georgetown market, here's my Georgetown mortgage broker page.
"Your first mortgage sets the tone for the next twenty years. Get it right once."— Kat Brazier, Mortgage Agent Level 2, FSRA #M23007671
- A plain-language pre-approval before you tour a single home
- Rate held while you shop, so a rate hike can't derail your budget
- Every rebate and program you qualify for, mapped out up front
- Someone who picks up the phone on closing day
Decades in the Same Burlington Home? That Equity Has Options
Burlington has a lot of people who bought once and never left. In Aldershot, around Spencer Smith Park and through the older established streets, there are owners sitting on thirty years of appreciation who have no real idea what the number is. That equity is quietly useful, and it is usually the cheapest money you will ever have access to.
A renewal or refinance is the easiest time of your whole mortgage to win, here's what I look at:
- Whether switching lenders at renewal beats your current offer, often with the new lender covering the switch costs
- Refinancing to fund a renovation, help a child into their first home, or clear high-interest debt into one payment
- A refinance compared honestly against a HELOC, and against a reverse mortgage if you are over 55
- Whether a shorter term, a longer term, or going variable fits where rates are actually heading
Start about 120 days before maturity. That's the window to lock a rate and switch with zero rush. Curious whether to stay or go? Here's how a broker and a bank actually differ at renewal, and the case for refinancing to clear credit card debt.
"The bank's renewal letter is a test. Most people pass it by doing nothing, and pay for it for five years."— Kat Brazier, Mortgage Agent Level 2, FSRA #M23007671
- I compare your renewal against 50+ lenders, not just your current one
- Switch deals where the new lender covers most of the moving costs
- Refinance options to turn home equity into breathing room
- A reminder before your window opens, so you're never rushed
Banks Have a Box. You Don't Fit in It.
If you're self-employed, your bank sees write-offs, fluctuating income, and missing T4s. They run your NOA through a formula. When the number comes back low, you get declined. The problem isn't your income. It's their process. And a single bank branch only has one process.
Here's what banks flag on self-employed and complex files:
- Your Notice of Assessment income is lower than your real earnings due to legitimate write-offs
- You're incorporated and pay yourself through dividends rather than a salary
- You've been self-employed for under 2 years
- Your income varies year over year, even if the trend is upward
- A past decline, bruised credit, or CRA arrears in the picture
These are not red flags. They're signs of a real, working life. I place these files with lenders who get it. If a bank has already turned you down, that's usually where I come in, see real declined files I turned into approvals on The Bank Said No.
"I don't sell products. I solve problems. The files banks call complicated are the ones I do best."Kat Brazier, Mortgage Agent Level 2, FSRA #M23007671
- Stated income programs that use gross revenue, not your NOA
- Bank statement mortgages for clients with strong cash flow
- Alt-A and alternative lenders for complex income structures
- Private lending options when timing matters more than rate
Financing a Burlington Condo: the Status Certificate Problem
Condos and condo townhouses are the realistic entry point in Burlington, and they carry an underwriting step that houses do not. The lender is not only approving you. It is approving the building.
What a lender looks at beyond your own file:
- The status certificate, which sets out the corporation's finances, its rules, and any legal action against it
- The reserve fund, and whether it is adequate for a building of that age. A thin reserve on an older waterfront building is a real financing obstacle
- Ongoing litigation, which some lenders will not lend against at all regardless of how strong you are
- The share of units rented rather than owner-occupied, which matters more to some lenders than others
- Special assessments, whether one has been levied or looks likely
Order the status certificate the day your offer is accepted and have your lawyer read it properly. It is the most common reason a Burlington condo deal gets tight at the end, and it is entirely avoidable.
Burlington, Georgetown & Across Halton
First homes, long-time owners, business owners and commuters. If you live or are buying around Burlington, there's a good chance I've placed a file like yours.
First-Time Buyers
Using Burlington as your foot in the door to Halton Region. Real pre-approval, FHSA and rebate planning, and a budget you can actually live with.
Condo & townhouse entry →GO & Highway Commuters
Burlington and Aldershot GO both sit on the Lakeshore West line with all-day service, and the QEW and 403 meet here. That access is a large part of why Burlington prices hold the way they do.
Lakeshore West, all day →Self-Employed & Business Owners
Incorporated, sole proprietor, trades or commission. Your write-offs shrink your paper income. I find lenders who use what you really earn.
Stated income & alt-doc →Established & Century-Home Owners
Burlington's older housing stock builds real equity. I help you refinance for a renovation, a new roof, or to consolidate debt into one lower payment.
Refinance & renovation →Renewals Coming Up
Your renewal letter is not your best offer. I compare your rate against 50+ lenders before you sign, often with the new lender covering switch costs.
Don't auto-sign the bank →Already Declined by a Bank
A no from the branch is a starting point, not a verdict. Self-employed, bruised credit, CRA debt or a complex file. I find the lender that says yes.
Where most of my files start →One Bank Has One Answer. I Have Fifty.
When you walk into your bank, they're deciding whether you fit their box. When you call me, I'm deciding which lender's box you fit best, while shopping your rate at the same time.
50+Lenders competed for your mortgage
Get started| What matters to you | Your bank | Kat Brazier |
|---|---|---|
| Lenders compared | 1 | 50+ |
| First-time buyer programs | Some | All you qualify for |
| Shops your renewal rate | No | Yes |
| Self-employed expertise | Limited | Specialist |
| Works for your interests | Works for the bank | Works for you |
Three Steps to a Mortgage That Actually Fits
No paperwork marathon on day one. We start with a conversation. I'll tell you upfront what's realistic before you commit to anything.
Free Discovery Call
We talk through your situation: your goals, your budget, your timeline, any previous declines. I'll give you a straight read on your options. No commitment, no fluff.
I Shop Your File
I take your file to the lenders most likely to approve it. Not every lender, but the right ones. One application, multiple lenders, single credit pull. I bring back the best terms.
You Get Approved
I walk you through the offer, the conditions, and what to expect at closing. I stay on file until the mortgage funds. I'm available if anything comes up.
Burlington Mortgage Questions I Hear Every Week
Real questions from Burlington buyers, homeowners, and business owners.
What does it cost to buy in Burlington right now?
In August 2026 the average Burlington sale price was around $1.02 million, but that average is misleading for a first purchase. Detached averaged roughly $1.42 million, townhouses about $847,000, condo townhouses about $684,000 and apartments about $515,000. The benchmark home sat near $850,000. Which of those brackets you're actually shopping in changes the whole conversation, so I run your real numbers first.
Can I get a mortgage in Burlington with bad credit?
Usually yes. A low score narrows which lenders will look at your file, it does not close the door. Credit unions, B-lenders and private lenders all work with bruised credit and they price it very differently, so the same file can come back with offers that are far apart. If you already own in Burlington, the equity in the home often matters more to those lenders than the score does.
Is a Burlington condo easier to finance than a house?
The mortgage itself is usually smaller, which helps, but condos bring their own checks. Lenders look at the status certificate, the reserve fund and sometimes the building's history, and a building with a weak reserve or ongoing litigation can be hard to finance no matter how strong you are. Get the status certificate reviewed early. It's the step people leave too late.
I'm renewing my Burlington mortgage. Should I just sign the bank's letter?
Not before you compare it. The rate on a renewal letter is rarely the lender's sharpest, because they're counting on you signing without shopping. About 120 days before your maturity date I compare your renewal against 50+ lenders and check whether switching beats staying. It's the easiest point in your whole mortgage to save money.
Can I refinance to pull equity out of an older Burlington home?
Yes, and it comes up constantly in the established neighbourhoods. People who bought decades ago in Aldershot or near the lake are often sitting on far more equity than they realise. That can fund a renovation, help a child buy, or consolidate higher-interest debt into one lower payment. I'll compare a refinance against a HELOC so you choose with the full picture.
Are you actually based in Burlington?
Yes. My brokerage, Mortgage Powered Financial Group, is at 3310 South Service Road here in Burlington. I work across Halton, so Oakville, Milton and Halton Region as well, but this is the home office. You get someone local who picks up the phone rather than a call centre in another province.
My bank declined me. What happens now?
A decline tells you about that bank's policy, not about whether the mortgage is possible. The useful first step is finding out exactly why it was declined, because a credit reason, an income reason and a property reason each need a completely different fix. From there it's a question of which of the fifty-odd lenders I work with fits your file.
Explore How I Help in Burlington
Burlington pulls in first-time buyers and long-time owners in equal measure, and the files that need a broker most are the ones a bank won't bend for. If you're self-employed, you've been turned down, or you're sitting on equity in a complex or older property, that's my lane. I also work with real estate investors, families navigating separation or divorce, and homeowners who've fallen behind on payments.
Let's Talk About Your File
No pressure, no obligation. Tell me your situation and I'll tell you what's possible, usually within 24 hours. If I can help, we'll move forward. If I can't, I'll tell you that too.
- 416-464-6763
- info@katbrazier.com
- Burlington, Oakville & Halton Region, Ontario
Kat Brazier, Mortgage Agent Level 2
FSRA License #M23007671
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