More Flexibility for Self-Employed Home Buyers, Coming Soon!

Lisa Manwaring • July 20, 2018

Over the last few years, it's been more a story about tightening rules and regulations, mitigating risk, and restricting lending practices than anything. However the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) just announced that it looks like mortgage financing for self-employed Canadians might just be getting a little more flexible.

Although changes won't come into effect until October of 2018, any news about increased flexibility in mortgage qualification is welcome! Included below is the original press release posted on the CMHC website on July 19th 2018.

If you're self-employed and have been considering buying a property, please don't hesitate to reach out to discuss what these new changes might look like for you! Contact me anytime!

CMHC Introduces Changes to Help Self-Employed Canadians Own Their Own Home

Self-employed Canadians are key contributors to strong and vibrant communities and make up about 15% of Canada’s population. However, they may have difficulty qualifying for a mortgage as their incomes may vary or be less predictable.

In line with the National Housing Strategy’smission to address the housing needs of all Canadians, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is making a number of changes aimed at giving lenders more guidance and flexibility to help self-employed borrowers:

  • Providing examples of factors that can be used to support the lender’s decision to lend to self-employed borrowers who have been operating their business for less than 24 months, or in the same line of work for less than 24 months such as acquiring an established business, sufficient cash reserves, predictable earnings and previous training and education; and
  • Providing a broader range of documentation options to increase flexibility for satisfying income and employment requirements when qualifying self-employed borrowers such as the Notice of Assessment (NOA) accompanied by the T1 General, the CRA Proof of Income Statement and the Statement of Business or Professional Activities (T2125) to support an “add back” approach for grossing up income for sole proprietorship and partnerships.

These enhancements, which apply to both transactional and portfolio insurance, will take effect October 1, 2018.

As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers objective housing research and information to Canadian governments, consumers and the housing industry.

Backgrounder

Canada’s self-employed workforce are already an important part of the Canadian economy and it is growing, driven partly by an increase in the on-demand economy.

Housing is a vehicle for social inclusion and, through the lens of the National Housing Strategy, CMHC is increasing flexibility for self-employed Canadians.

LISA MANWARING

MORTGAGE EXPERT

LET'S TALK

RECENT POSTS


By Lisa Manwaring July 2, 2025
It’s a commonly held belief that if you’ve made your mortgage payments on time throughout the entirety of your mortgage term, that the lender is somehow obligated to renew your mortgage. The truth is, a lender is never under any obligation to renew your mortgage. When you sign a mortgage contract, the lender draws it up for a defined time, so when that term comes to an end, the lender has every right to call the loan. Now, granted, most lenders are happy to renew your mortgage, but several factors could come into play to prevent this from happening, including the following: You’ve missed mortgage payments over the term. The lender becomes aware that you’ve recently claimed bankruptcy. The lender becomes aware that you’re going through a separation or divorce. The lender becomes aware that you lost your job. Someone on the initial mortgage contract has passed away. The lender no longer likes the economic climate and/or geographic location of your property. The lender is no longer licensed to lend money in Canada. Again, while most lenders are happy to renew your mortgage at the end of the term, you need to understand that they are not under any obligation to do so. So how do you protect yourself? Well, the first plan of action is to get out in front of things. At least 120 days before your mortgage term expires, you should be speaking with an independent mortgage professional to discuss all of your options. By giving yourself this lead time and seeking professional advice, you put yourself in the best position to proactively look at all your options and decide what’s best for you. When assessing your options at the time of renewal, even if the lender offers you a mortgage renewal, staying with your current lender is just one of the options you have. Just because your current lender was the best option when you got your mortgage doesn’t mean they are still the best option this time around. The goal is to assess all your options and choose the one that lowers your overall cost of borrowing. It’s never a good idea to sign a mortgage renewal without looking at all your options. Also, dealing with an independent mortgage professional instead of directly with the lender ensures you have someone working for you, on your team, instead of seeking guidance from someone with the lender’s best interest in mind. So if you have a mortgage that’s up for renewal, whether you’re being offered a renewal or not, the best plan of action is to protect yourself by working with an independent mortgage professional. Please connect anytime; it would be a pleasure to work with you!
By Lisa Manwaring June 25, 2025
Sometimes life throws you a financial curveball. Bankruptcy and consumer proposals happen. It doesn’t mean your life is over, and it doesn’t mean you won’t ever qualify for a mortgage again. The key to financial success here is getting things under control as quickly as possible. You must demonstrate to the potential lenders that what happened in the past won’t happen again in the future. So if you’re thinking about getting a mortgage post-bankruptcy, lenders will want answers to the following questions: How long have you been discharged? Securing a mortgage will be dependent on how long it has been since you were discharged from your bankruptcy or consumer proposal. Most lenders consider the discharge date on both to be your new ground zero. And while there is no legally defined waiting period for when you can apply for a new mortgage post-bankruptcy, what lenders will assess is how you’re managing your finances after your financial troubles. Have you established new credit? You can show lenders that they can trust you after bankruptcy by establishing new credit and managing that credit flawlessly. So as soon as you’ve been discharged, it’s a good idea to get a secured credit card and start rebuilding your credit score. To be considered completely established, you’ll want to have two years of credit history on two trade lines with a credit limit of $2500 on each trade line. You’ll also want to make sure that you have no late or missed payments. How much do you have available for a downpayment? The more money you have to put towards purchasing a property, or the more equity you have in your property in the case of a refinance, the better your chances of getting a mortgage. The more money you bring to the table, the more comfortable a lender will feel about the risk they take of losing their investment should you run into future financial difficulty. What is your total debt service ratio? Another consideration lenders will look at is how much money you make compared to the cost of making your mortgage payments. So it probably goes without saying that the more money you make compared to the amount you want to borrow, the better. Conventional or insured financing. If you’re looking to get the best mortgage products available, here are some of the things a lender will want to see: You’ve been discharged for at least two years plus a day. You’ve established your credit (as listed above). You have at least 5% down for the first $500k of the purchase and 10% down for anything over $500k. If you don’t have a 20% downpayment, you will be required to secure mortgage insurance through CMHC, Sagen (formerly Genworth), or Canada Guaranty. The cost to service the property and all your debts don’t exceed 44% of your gross income. Alternative lending As independent mortgage professionals, our job is to provide solutions and strategies for our clients. As such, in addition to dealing with many traditional lending institutions, we also have access to lenders who specialize in working with clients whose financial situation isn't all that straightforward. These private lenders offer alternative lending solutions that consider the overall strength of your mortgage application. While you won’t qualify for the best rates and terms on the market by going with an alternative lender, if you’re looking for options, you might find that alternative lending is a very reasonable solution for you. Alternative lending isn’t for everyone, but it’s an excellent solution for some, especially if you’ve gone through a bankruptcy or consumer proposal and need a mortgage before fully establishing your credit. Get in touch anytime. So whether you’re looking for a plan to help you qualify for a mortgage with the most favourable terms or if you need something more immediate. Please connect anytime. It would be a pleasure to outline your options and work on a plan to get you a mortgage.
More Posts