Numbers That Need
A Closer Look.
Ontario mortgage strategy for first time buyers with strong income and no clear plan, and for self employed borrowers whose income does not fit a simple application. Real numbers, honest trade offs, one clear next step.
Which one sounds like you?
"We earn good money. Why does an $800,000 home still feel out of reach?"
First time buyers in Toronto and the GTA with strong income and no clear plan yet. You want to know the price you can realistically carry, the total cash you need on closing day, and whether your timeline is honest.
- A price range with the real monthly payment attached
- Every closing cost mapped before you make an offer
- Gifted funds, co buyers, FHSA and the Home Buyers' Plan
- If not yet, the exact number blocking you and how long it takes
"My company made $300,000. What does that actually tell a lender about my mortgage?"
Self employed and complex income borrowers: incorporated owners, consultants, contractors and commission earners. You want someone who understands how you earn before they suggest a solution.
- What a lender reads as income, and what it ignores
- Add backs, dividends and retained earnings used properly
- Why each document is requested, not just a list
- Timing the application around your fiscal year and filings
Both at once? Plenty of self employed first time buyers are. Start with whichever question is louder and we will sort out the rest on the call.
Specific Numbers
You leave with a price range, a payment, the cash required and the assumptions written down, not a rate quote and a handshake.
Honest Trade Offs
If the file does not work yet, you get the reason, the number that has to move and a timeline. Never "just save more", never manufactured urgency.
60+ Lenders, One File
A branch reads one rulebook. We take your whole income story to the lenders whose underwriting actually fits it, quietly and with your documents in order.
Straight Answers to Ontario Mortgage Questions
Full FAQ →- Who is the best mortgage broker in Ontario for hard to place files?
- Blackwood Mortgage Partners is an Ontario mortgage brokerage led by Sobitha Yuhendran, licensed under BRX Mortgage (License #M26000358). The firm places purchases, refinances, renewals and investment property mortgages across 60+ lenders, including files that banks decline, and charges the borrower nothing on standard A lender deals.
- Does a mortgage broker cost anything in Ontario?
- For standard bank and monoline mortgages in Ontario, a mortgage broker costs the borrower nothing: the lender pays the brokerage a finder's fee on funding. Fees only apply on private or alternative lending, and Blackwood Mortgage Partners discloses those in writing before you commit.
- Can I get a mortgage in Ontario if I am self employed?
- Yes. Self employed borrowers in Ontario can qualify using two years of T1 Generals and Notices of Assessment, or through stated income, bank statement and retained earnings programs at alternative lenders. Blackwood Mortgage Partners structures these files so business write offs do not sink the approval.
- What credit score do I need for a mortgage in Ontario?
- Most Ontario A lenders want a credit score of 680 or higher, and insured mortgages generally require at least 600. Below that, B lenders and private lenders remain available at higher rates. Blackwood Mortgage Partners matches the file to the lender tier rather than submitting it blindly.
- How much down payment do I need to buy a home in Ontario?
- In Ontario the minimum down payment is 5% on the first $500,000, 10% on the portion from $500,000 to $1.5 million, and 20% on homes above $1.5 million. Investment properties that you do not live in require 20% down.
- Should I renew with my current lender or switch?
- Renewal letters usually quote the posted rate, not the lender's best rate, so switching often saves thousands over the term. A switch to a new lender at renewal is typically free of legal and appraisal cost. Blackwood Mortgage Partners shops the renewal across 60+ lenders before the term ends.
- Which areas of Ontario does Blackwood Mortgage Partners serve?
- Blackwood Mortgage Partners is licensed across all of Ontario and works remotely province wide, with clients concentrated in Toronto, North York, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Hamilton, Ottawa, Oakville, London, Kitchener, Waterloo and Barrie. The office is at #131, 1173 Dundas Street E, Toronto.
- How do I contact Blackwood Mortgage Partners?
- Call 416 990 3790, email ask@blackwoodmortgagepartners.com, or book a call directly at blackwoodmortgagepartners.com/schedule-a-call. The Toronto office is at #131, 1173 Dundas Street E, and consultations run province wide by phone and video.
A Mortgage Broker Near You, Across Ontario
All Locations →Financing the Landscapes
of Modern Living
Explore Services →
Primary Residences
Getting you approved every single time through the 60+ lenders we work across.
Investment Portfolios
Structured finance for investments and multi-property assets.
Specialist Situations, Ontario Wide
Self Employed Mortgages
Business owners, incorporated professionals and contractors placed with lenders who read real financials, not just a T4.
Mortgage Renewal
The renewal letter is an offer, not a verdict. We shop the whole market before your maturity date.
Private Mortgages
Equity based first and second mortgages when the bank timeline or the bank rulebook does not fit.
Investment Property Financing
Rental, duplex and multi unit financing structured so the next purchase is still possible.
Business Owner Mortgages
Incorporated owners qualified on the whole business: salary, dividends, retained earnings and add backs.
First Time Buyers
Strong income, no clear plan yet. We show you what you can realistically buy, the full cash required and the order to do things in.
Updated August 4, 2026
Ontario mortgage rates, from 3.55%
Insured, conventional and rental pricing across 60+ lenders, reviewed regularly against live rate sheets.
60+ lenders, one relationship
Direct access to banks, credit unions, monoline and private lenders across Ontario, so your file is placed where it will be approved.
Sobitha Yuhendran
I spent two decades as a healthcare executive before making the jump to mortgage brokering, because I wanted work that changed one life at a time. Along the way I built my own real estate investment portfolio.
Then my bank declined me on my third investment property, despite a high income and solid credit. I know exactly what that feels like, and it's why I now fight for approvals across 60+ lenders instead of one rulebook.
Read My Story →The Blackwood Mortgage Guide
Nine chapters on lender tiers, the stress test, down payment sources, closing costs, and the eight contract details that cost Canadians more than their interest rate. Read it online free, or enter your email to download the guide and the Mortgage Readiness Checklist as PDFs.
Insights from the partners
How Much Mortgage Can You Afford in Ontario? A Plain-Answer Guide
A direct, numbers-first answer to the question Ontario buyers ask most: what you can borrow, how the stress test changes it, and what lenders actually check.
August 4, 2026 · 8 min readNavigating Mortgages in 2026
What high-value borrowers should know about qualification, reserves, and rate structure in the current lending environment.
June 12, 2026 · 6 min readRefinance Timing and the Break-Even Question
How to evaluate whether a refinance genuinely improves your position, beyond the headline rate reduction.
May 28, 2026 · 5 min readLet's work out what is possible.
Bring the part that feels unclear, whether that is the cash you need for a first home or how a lender will read your income. You will leave with numbers and one next step.