🇨🇦
Canadian mortgage guides
OSFI · CMHC · CRA rules verified
🇨🇦 OSFI · B-20
OSFI Mortgage Stress Test Canada 2026 — Complete Guide
How the B-20 qualifying rate works, the max(rate+2%, 5.25%) formula, who it applies to, the Nov 2024 renewal exemption, and strategies to pass.
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🇨🇦 CMHC · Mortgage insurance
CMHC Mortgage Insurance Canada 2026 — Rates, Rules & True Cost
Premium tiers 4.0% / 3.1% / 2.8%, the $1.5M cap, 30-year amortization for FTBs, 0.20% surcharge, and the true compounded cost over 25 years.
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🇨🇦 GDS / TDS · OSFI qualifying
GDS and TDS Ratios — How Canadian Lenders Qualify Your Mortgage
GDS 39% and TDS 44% limits explained with worked examples, what counts in each ratio, and strategies to improve your qualifying position.
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🇨🇦 Payment strategy
Accelerated Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments — How Much Do You Really Save?
Why accelerated ≠ regular bi-weekly, the Canadian semi-annual compounding formula (1+r/2)²−1, exact interest savings, and amortization reduction.
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🇨🇦 Down payment · RRSP · FHSA
Minimum Down Payment Canada 2026 — Rules, Tiers & CMHC Costs
5% / 10% tiered rules by price, $1.5M cap, RRSP HBP $60,000 limit, FHSA $8,000/year, worked examples from $450k to $1.4M purchase prices.
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🇺🇸
US mortgage guides
Fannie Mae · FHA · HUD · FHFA verified
🇺🇸 DTI · Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac
Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio USA — How Lenders Qualify Your Mortgage 2026
Front-end 28% and back-end 36% conventional limits, FHA 31%/43%, VA and USDA rules, worked example, and strategies to improve your DTI before applying.
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🇺🇸 PMI · Conventional loans
PMI — Private Mortgage Insurance USA 2026: Rates, Rules & How to Cancel
Current PMI rates 0.46%–1.50% (Urban Institute), automatic cancellation at 78% LTV, PMI vs FHA MIP comparison, and four strategies to avoid or remove PMI.
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🇺🇸 FHA · HUD verified
FHA Loan Requirements 2026 — Credit Score, Down Payment, DTI & Loan Limits
2026 FHA limits floor $541,287 / ceiling $1,249,125 (HUD official), 580+ credit score for 3.5% down, 0.55% annual MIP, and FHA vs conventional comparison.
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🇺🇸 Loan term comparison
30-Year vs 15-Year Mortgage USA — True Cost and Break-Even Comparison 2026
Side-by-side on a $400,000 loan: $782/month difference, $326,200 total interest savings, equity buildup, opportunity cost analysis, and the hybrid extra-payment strategy.
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🇺🇸 Down payment · VA · FHA · USDA
Minimum Down Payment USA 2026 — Rules by Loan Type (VA, FHA, Conventional)
VA 0%, USDA 0%, FHA 3.5%, conventional 3%–5%. 2026 conforming limit $832,750 (FHFA). Three worked examples at $350k, $500k, and $700k purchase prices.
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📖
Mortgage glossary
55 terms definedPlain-English definitions of 55 mortgage terms — USA & Canada
Amortization, CMHC, DTI, PMI, LTV, GDS, TDS, stress test, FHA, VA, IRD, FHSA, RRSP HBP, conforming loan, semi-annual compounding, and more. Each term is labelled 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇺🇸 USA, or both.
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55
terms defined
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