Bruised Credit · Bank Said No

Bad credit isn't the end. It's a starting point.

A decline from your bank tells you one lender, using one narrow rulebook, couldn't make your file work. It tells you almost nothing about whether the deal is doable. I work with the lenders built for exactly these files.

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Here's what the branch won't say out loud: their credit cutoffs are rigid because they have to be. One missed score threshold and the system spits your application out, no conversation, no nuance. Your story, the reason behind a rough patch two years ago, the fact you've recovered, none of it gets read.

I read it. So do the B-lenders and private lenders I work with. A bruised score, a consumer proposal, a discharged bankruptcy, a thin file because you're new to Canada, these are everyday approvals in the alternative space. The rate is usually a bit higher for a while. Then we build a plan to get you back to the best terms available. That's the whole game.

This is probably you if…

Your credit score took a hit and the bank stopped returning your calls.

You're in or recently finished a consumer proposal or bankruptcy.

You've got collections, a missed payment history, or a thin credit file.

You owe CRA, and that's frozen your bank cold.

You were declined and nobody told you what to actually fix.

You have equity or a solid down payment, just a messy credit page.

Start here · The full guide

Bad Credit Mortgages in Ontario: A Broker's Guide

What “bad credit” actually means to a lender, which lenders say yes, what rates and terms to expect, and the realistic timeline to get back to an A-lender. If you read one thing first, read this.

Read the full guide →

Go deeper

Real Ontario scenarios, explained plainly. Pick the one that sounds like your situation.

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Can You Get a Mortgage If You Owe CRA?

A balance owing to CRA scares banks off fast. How a broker uses home equity to clear the debt, stop a lien, and keep the deal alive.

Self-Employed + Credit

Self-Employed With Bad Credit in Ontario

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Rolling high-interest debt into your mortgage can reset your whole month. The benefits, the real trade-offs, and when it actually makes sense.

Questions I get a lot

What credit score do I need for a mortgage in Ontario?

A-lenders generally want around 680 and up. Below that, B-lenders and private lenders take over, and they look at the whole picture: equity, down payment, income, and the story behind the score. I've placed files well under 600. The score sets which lender, not whether a deal exists.

Can I get a mortgage during or right after a consumer proposal?

Often, yes. Some lenders will work with you while a proposal is still active if there's enough equity or down payment; many more open up once it's paid and you've re-established a little credit. The key is showing the rough patch is behind you, which is exactly how I package the file.

Will I be stuck with a high rate forever?

No. A higher rate on a bruised-credit file is a bridge, not a sentence. The plan from day one is to rebuild your credit over the term and move you to an A-lender at renewal. I'd rather get you a yes now with a clear exit than a no that helps nobody.

My bank declined me. Should I just apply somewhere else myself?

Be careful, every hard application dings your score, and shopping bank to bank can dig the hole deeper. One broker pulls your credit once and takes that single file to the right lenders. That protects your score while we find the yes.