What is a private mortgage — and when is it actually the right tool?
A private mortgage is equity-based lending. The lender underwrites your home, not your pay stubs or your credit score. If there's enough equity and a clear plan, the deal can fund in days — not the weeks a bank takes. That speed and flexibility is the whole point.
It's the right tool in three situations. First, when a bank or B-lender has declined you but you have real equity — self-employed income that doesn't show clean, recent bruised credit, or no Canadian credit history yet. Second, when you need money fast: a firm closing, a power-of-sale deadline, CRA arrears that have to clear now. Third, as a deliberate bridge — a short stay in private financing that buys you the 12–18 months needed to repair the file and refinance back to A-lender pricing. It is never meant to be permanent.
