Mortgage options
Build a portfolio on solid financing.
Rental properties are won or lost on the financing. How a lender treats rental income, how many doors they will finance, and how your equity is structured all decide whether you can buy the next one. Tisha plans for the next one.
Rental and investment property mortgages, done strategically
Investment properties follow different rules than the home you live in. Non-owner-occupied rentals require a minimum 20% down payment and cannot be default-insured, so the lender's own guidelines decide everything: which percentage of rental income they count, whether they add it to your income or offset it against the payment, and how many financed properties they will allow.
Those differences are significant. The same duplex can be a yes at one lender and a no at the next, purely because of how the rent is treated. Tisha knows the lenders that are built for investors, including credit unions and portfolio lenders that keep financing after the big banks cap you out.
She also helps with the equity side: refinancing an existing property or opening a HELOC to fund the next down payment, and timing purchases so your ratios stay healthy. Whether it is your first rental in Brantford or your sixth, the plan starts before the offer.
"The right lender for your first rental is the one that still says yes to your fourth."
Who this is for
Investors Tisha works with
First-time landlords
A single rental or a duplex, with a clear picture of cash flow after the real financing costs.
House hackers
Live in one unit, rent the others. Owner-occupied multi-unit purchases can be insured with less than 20% down.
Student rental investors
Properties near Laurier Brantford, McMaster and Conestoga, with lenders comfortable with student tenancies.
Growing portfolios
Three doors or thirty. Lender selection that keeps you buying when banks stop lending.
Refinance to buy
Pull equity from one property to fund the down payment on the next, without breaking a good mortgage unnecessarily.
Cottages and second homes
Type A and B cottage financing on Lake Erie and beyond, with the right down payment and lender.
How it works
How investment financing comes together
- 01
Portfolio review
Existing properties, mortgages, rents and equity. Tisha maps what you can qualify for now and after the next purchase.
- 02
Lender strategy
Rental income treatment, property limits and rate, chosen to fit the plan rather than one transaction.
- 03
Approval
Leases, rent proof and property details prepared the way an underwriter wants to see them.
- 04
Close, and plan the next one
Funding, then a check-in on when equity or income growth lets you buy again.
How much down payment do I need for a rental property?
At least 20% for a property you will not live in. If you will occupy one unit of a 2 to 4 unit building, insured financing with a lower down payment may be available.
How is rental income counted?
It varies by lender. Some add 50% to 80% of the rent to your income; others offset the rent against the mortgage payment, which is usually more favourable. Choosing the right method is one of the biggest levers in an investor file.
Is there a limit to how many properties I can finance?
Many banks cap you at a handful of financed properties. Credit unions and portfolio lenders can go further, and Tisha plans your lender sequence so you do not hit a wall early.
Are investment property rates higher?
Usually a little higher than owner-occupied conventional rates, because rentals cannot be insured. The difference is modest with the right lender and is often outweighed by how the lender treats your rental income.
Related mortgage options
Free consultation
Planning your first rental or your next five? Start with the financing.
Tell Tisha what you are trying to do and she will come back with options, not a sales pitch. Free, no obligation, no credit check to start.
- Over 20 years in retail banking
- Former mortgage underwriter: she knows what lenders want
- Banks, credit unions, monoline and alternative lenders
- Lender-paid on most residential mortgages