The things people ask me most.

On conventional mortgages, no — there is no cost to you for my work. If you ever came to me with something where a fee would apply, you would be told the exact amount in writing before you committed to anything.

One credit pull covers the whole search. I don't submit your file to multiple lenders and let each of them pull your credit separately — that's what damages a score, and it's avoidable.

It's one of the most common situations I work with. Your notice of assessment shows what you paid tax on, not what your business earned. Add-backs, retained earnings and the right lender's guidelines usually close most of that gap.

It's exactly the right time. Rate holds run up to about four months at most lenders, and knowing your options before the letter arrives is what gives you room to choose rather than a deadline to meet.

No — I'm licensed across British Columbia and most of the process happens by phone, email and e-signature. The office is on Harvey Avenue in Kelowna if you'd rather sit down in person.

In Canada it's 5% on a purchase price of $500,000 or less; above that it's 5% on the first $500,000 plus 10% on the portion above. At $1,500,000 and above, default insurance isn't available, so the minimum becomes 20%.

Lenders qualify you at the greater of your contract rate plus 2%, or 5.25%. You make payments at your real rate — you're simply approved as though it were higher, which builds a buffer into the system.

A pre-approval usually takes a couple of days once I have your documents. From an accepted offer to a firm approval is typically about a week, depending on how quickly the appraisal and conditions come together. Renewals and switches are usually smoother if we start a few months before maturity.

For an employed applicant: photo ID, recent pay stubs, a letter of employment, T4s and Notices of Assessment, and 90 days of statements for your down payment. If you're self-employed, add two years of T1 Generals with the business schedules, and corporate returns and financial statements if you're incorporated.

That comes up a lot, and it's usually very workable. Every lender writes its own guidelines, so a file that sits outside one institution's rules very often fits another's cleanly. It's worth a conversation before you assume anything about the answer.

No. The first conversation is free, takes about fifteen minutes, and doesn't involve a credit check. You'll come away knowing what's possible and what it would take.

A pre-qualification is a quick estimate from numbers you tell me. A pre-approval means I have reviewed your documents, pulled credit and submitted to a lender, which secures a rate hold and gives you a verified budget. Final approval still depends on the specific property you buy.