U.S. Mortgage Financing for Canadians

Yes! We specialize in helping Canadians finance U.S. property. We use your Canadian credit history and income to qualify you for U.S.-based loans, eliminating the need for a U.S. credit score for many programs.

Not necessarily. We have "foreign national" programs that allow you to qualify using your Canadian credit report. Some lenders will even allow you to build a U.S. credit profile over time using the mortgage itself.

For a primary residence or vacation home, you can often put as little as 20% down. For investment properties, 20-30% is typical. Some specialized DSCR programs for investors allow for 20% down if the property's cash flow is strong.

The biggest difference is the term. While Canadian mortgages typically renew every 5 years, U.S. mortgages are often 30-year fixed-rate terms. This means your interest rate is locked in for the entire life of the loan.

A DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loan is an investment mortgage that qualifies the property based on its rental income, not your personal income. This is the most popular tool for Canadians looking to scale a U.S. rental portfolio without W-2 income verification.

Yes, and we highly recommend it for asset protection and tax strategy. Most of our U.S. lending programs allow you to close in a U.S.-based LLC, which we can help you coordinate with specialized American legal and tax professionals.

Rates for "foreign nationals" are typically 0.5% to 1.5% higher than what a U.S. resident might pay. However, the 30-year fixed-rate stability and the current U.S. market opportunities often make this a very attractive investment.

Yes, you will typically need to open a U.S. bank account for the closing and for your monthly mortgage payments. We can assist you with the process of setting this up from Canada.

FIRPTA (Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act) is a U.S. tax law that applies when a non-resident sells U.S. real estate. It doesn't affect your mortgage acquisition, but it's an important part of your overall exit strategy.

Expect closing costs to be 2% to 5% of the purchase price. This includes things like title insurance, appraisal fees, lender origination fees, and escrow deposits for taxes and insurance.

While you can withdraw from your RRSP, you cannot use the Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) for a property outside of Canada. We can help you explore other more tax-efficient ways to fund your U.S. down payment.

Investment properties Typically require 20-30% down. Vacation homes (second homes) usually require at least 25% down for foreign nationals. Cash-flow (DSCR) loans often require 25-30% down.

For DSCR and many foreign national programs, no U.S. tax returns are required. You may need to provide Canadian tax returns or personal financial statements for certain conventional programs, but DSCR avoids this entirely.