Lowering Your Overall Cost of Borrowing

Shawn Dreger • October 17, 2023

If you’re like most Canadians, chances are you don’t have enough money in the bank to buy a property outright. So, you need a mortgage. When you’re ready, it would be a pleasure to help you assess and secure the best mortgage available. But until then, here’s some information on what to consider when selecting the best mortgage to lower your overall cost of borrowing.


When getting a mortgage, the property you own is held as collateral and interest is charged on the money you’ve borrowed. Your mortgage will be paid back over a defined period of time, usually 25 years; this is called amortization. Your amortization is then broken into terms that outline the interest cost varying in length from 6 months to 10 years. From there, each mortgage will have a list of features that outline the terms of the mortgage.


When assessing the suitability of a mortgage, your number one goal should be to keep your cost of borrowing as low as possible. And contrary to conventional wisdom, this doesn’t always mean choosing the mortgage with the lowest rate. It means thinking through your financial and life situation and choosing the mortgage that best suits your needs.


Choosing a mortgage with a low rate is a part of lowering your borrowing costs, but it’s certainly not the only factor. There are many other factors to consider; here are a few of them:


  • How long do you anticipate living in the property? This will help you decide on an appropriate term.
  • Do you plan on moving for work, or do you need the flexibility to move in the future? This could help you decide if portability is important to you.
  • What does the prepayment penalty look like if you have to break your term? This is probably the biggest factor in lowering your overall cost of borrowing.
  • How is the lender’s interest rate differential calculated, what figures do they use? This is very tough to figure out on your own. Get help. 
  • What are the prepayment privileges? If you’d like to pay down your mortgage faster.
  • How is the mortgage registered on the title? This could impact your ability to switch to another lender upon renewal without incurring new legal costs, or it could mean increased flexibility down the line.
  • Should you consider a fixed rate, variable rate, HELOC, or a reverse mortgage? There are many different types of mortgages; each has its own pros and cons. 
  • What is the size of your downpayment? Coming up with more money down might lower (or eliminate) mortgage insurance premiums, saving you thousands of dollars.


So again, while the interest rate is important, it’s certainly not the only consideration when assessing the suitability of a mortgage. Obviously, the conversation is so much more than just the lowest rate. The best advice is to work with an independent mortgage professional who has your best interest in mind and knows exactly how to keep your cost of borrowing as low as possible.


You will often find that mortgages with the rock bottom, lowest rates, can have potential hidden costs built in to the mortgage terms that will cost you a lot of money down the road. Sure, a rate that is 0.10% lower could save you a few dollars a month in payments, but if the mortgage is restrictive, breaking the mortgage halfway through the term could cost you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. Which obviously negates any interest saved in going with a lower rate.


It would be a pleasure to walk you through the fine print of mortgage financing to ensure you can secure the best mortgage with the lowest overall cost of borrowing, given your financial and life situation. Please connect anytime!

Shawn Dreger
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Buying a Vacation Home? Here’s What You Need to Know

By Shawn Dreger • July 10, 2025
The idea of owning a vacation home—your own cozy escape from everyday life—is a dream many Canadians share. Whether it’s a lakeside cabin, a ski chalet, or a beachside bungalow, a second property can add lifestyle value, rental income, and long-term wealth. But before you jump into vacation home ownership, it’s important to think through the details—both financial and practical. Start With Your 5- and 10-Year Plan Before you get swept away by the perfect view or your dream destination, take a step back and ask yourself: Will you use it enough to justify the cost? Are there other financial goals that take priority right now? What’s the opportunity cost of tying up your money in a second home? Owning a vacation home can be incredibly rewarding, but it should fit comfortably within your long-term financial goals—not compete with them. Financing a Vacation Property: What to Consider If you don’t plan to pay cash, then financing your vacation home will be your next major step. Mortgage rules for second properties are more complex than those for your primary residence, so here’s what to think about: 1. Do You Have Enough for a Down Payment? Depending on the type of property and how you plan to use it, down payment requirements typically range from 5% to 20%+ . Factors like whether the property is winterized, the purchase price, and its location all come into play. 2. Can You Afford the Additional Debt? Lenders will calculate your Gross Debt Service (GDS) and Total Debt Service (TDS) ratios to assess whether you can take on a second mortgage. GDS: Should not exceed 39% of your income TDS: Should not exceed 44% If you’re not sure how to calculate these, that’s where I can help! 3. Is the Property Mortgage-Eligible? Remote or non-winterized properties, or those located outside of Canada, may not qualify for traditional mortgage financing. In these cases, we may need to look at creative lending solutions . 4. Owner-Occupied or Investment Property? Whether you’ll live in the home occasionally, rent it out, or use it strictly as an investment affects what type of financing you’ll need and what your tax implications might be. Location, Location… Logistics Choosing the right vacation property is more than just finding a beautiful setting. Consider: Current and future development in the area Available municipal services (sewer, water, road maintenance) Transportation access – how easy is it to get to your vacation home in all seasons? Resale value and long-term potential Seasonal access or weather challenges What Happens When You’re Not There? Unless you plan to live there full-time, you'll need to consider: Will you rent it out for extra income? Will you hire a property manager or rely on family/friends? What’s required to maintain valid home insurance while it’s vacant? Planning ahead will protect your investment and give you peace of mind while you’re away. Not Sure Where to Start? I’ve Got You Covered. Buying a vacation home is exciting—but it can also be complicated. As a mortgage broker, I can help you: Understand your financial readiness Calculate your GDS/TDS ratios Review down payment and lending requirements Explore creative solutions like second mortgages , reverse mortgages , or alternative lenders Whether you’re just starting to dream or ready to take action, let’s build a plan that gets you one step closer to your ideal getaway. Reach out today—it would be a pleasure to work with you.

Alternative Lending

By Shawn Dreger • July 8, 2025
Alternative lending refers to any lending practices that fall outside the normal banking channels. Alternative lenders think outside the box and offer solutions to Canadians who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for traditional mortgage financing. In an ideal world, we’d all qualify for the best mortgage terms available. However, this isn’t the case. Securing the most favourable terms depends on your financial situation. Here are a few circumstances where alternative lending might make sense for you. Damaged Credit Bad credit doesn’t disqualify you from mortgage financing. Many alternative lenders look at the strength of your employment, income, and your downpayment or equity to offer you mortgage financing. Credit is important, but it’s not everything, especially if there is a reasonable explanation for the damaged credit. When dealing with alternative lending, the interest rates will be a little higher than traditional mortgage financing. But if the choice is between buying a property or not, or getting a mortgage or not, having options is a good thing. Alternative lenders provide you with mortgage options. That’s what they do best. So, if you have damaged credit, consider using an alternative lender to provide you with a short-term mortgage option. This will give you time to establish better credit and secure a mortgage with more favourable terms. Use an alternative lender to bridge that gap! Self-Employment If you run your own business, you most likely have considerable write-offs that make sense for tax planning reasons but don’t do so much for your verifiable income. Traditional lenders want to see verifiable income; alternative lenders can be considerably more understanding and offer competitive products. As interest rates on alternative lending aren’t that far from traditional lending, alternative lending has become the home for most serious self-employed Canadians. While you might pay a little more in interest, oftentimes, that money is saved through corporate structuring and efficient tax planning. Non-traditional income Welcome to the new frontier of earning an income. If you make money through non-traditional employment like Airbnb, tips, commissions, Uber, or Uber eats, alternative lending is more likely to be flexible to your needs. Most traditional lenders want to see a minimum of two years of established income before considering income on a mortgage application. Not always so with alternative lenders, depending on the strength of your overall application. Expanded Debt-Service Ratios With the government stress test significantly lessening Canadians' ability to borrow, the alternative lender channel allows expanded debt-service ratios. This can help finance the more expensive and suitable property for responsible individuals. Traditional lending restricts your GDS and TDS ratios to 35/42 or 39/44, depending on your credit score. However, alternative lenders, depending on the loan-to-value ratio, can be considerably more flexible. The more money you have as a downpayment, the more you’re able to borrow and expand those debt-service guidelines. It’s not the wild west, but it’s certainly more flexible. Connect anytime Alternative lending can be a great solution if your financial situation isn’t all that straightforward. The goal of alternative lending is to provide you with options. You can only access alternative lending through the mortgage broker channel. Please connect anytime if you’d like to discuss mortgage financing and what alternative lending products might suit your needs; it would be a pleasure to work with you.