As of January 1, 2023 the Canadian Government has enacted a temporary two-year ban (2023-2024) on non-Canadian purchase of residential real estate. The legislation link is here.

The job market and economy isn’t what it used to be.  Mike had worked for many years in Canada’s well-paying resource sector but like many others lost his job as international employers abandoned Canada in favour of other parts of the world with less political interference and more investment certainty. With a wife and young children to support, Mike did what he had to do and searched for work overseas. Finally, he got an offer and took up employment with a large multi-national engineering firm with headquarters in the Netherlands and to be paid in Euros.

The current law in Canada requires that any residential mortgage where the borrower has less than 20% down payment be insured against borrower default. The main insurer to the banks is CMHC (Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corporation) followed by Genworth, and Canada Guaranty. The insurance premiums are all the same among the three and depend on a few variables. In any regard, they can be a significant amount of money, in the tens of thousands of dollars added to the loan balance. The question often asked is how to avoid CMHC fees / can I avoid CMHC fees? Conversely, I hear prospective buyers say they are waiting to purchase until they have saved 20% in order to avoid CMHC fees. This article looks at the costs and benefits of CMHC ‘mortgage default insurance’ and whether or not it is a big deal.

(Last updated 2019)

Yes and No. In Canada it is still possible to finance 100% of a property's value if you know the rules and criteria.  BUT... you need excellent credit history and reliable employment. Here's how to purchase a home with zero-down payment.

About 1 in 6 working Canadians are self-employed and, in recent years, the self-employed mortgage qualifying rule book has changed considerably. These evolving rules have created significant challenges for those seeking mortgage financing, and the property you can qualify for might not be what you expected....