Documents needed for a Mortgage

As part of my new Blog FAQ Series, I will be answering commonly asked questions from clients in order to help you along with your home buying and mortgage journey.

In this first FAQ blog, I thought I'd start with a topic that can be a stumbling block, but if you know what to expect and plan ahead, the documentation for getting a new mortgage can be incredibly easy.

If you’re thinking of buying a home in the near future, your first task may be to speak with your mortgage agent to see what you can afford and what type of mortgage product might be best for you when it comes time to apply for a mortgage.

Before you can be approved for a mortgage, the lender will want to do a thorough analysis of your financial health first. This will help them determine whether or not you’re financially stable enough to secure a mortgage, and what type of interest rate and terms you can get if you are approved.

In order to do that, your mortgage agent will require certain documents that I have listed below – but this list may vary depending on the lender your mortgage is placed with.

So, what documents do I need for my mortgage application?

Employment and Income Verification

In order to be able to make your mortgage payments each month, you’ll need money coming in on a regular basis. Your income will need to cover your mortgage payment as well as all other debts that you may have. is stable enough to continue making mortgage payments throughout the entire term period.

Pay stubs – your current pay stubs will prove how much money you make on a regular basis. You may even be asked for a copy of recent payslips, evidence of recent pay deposited electronically
T1 Tax Forms – general and associated Notice of Assessment (NOA)
Previous employment (if required) details and any additional income sources (if any)
Notice of Assessment – Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides employed persons with a notice of assessment every year after their tax returns are submitted. It will list any outstanding taxes that you still owe, helping your lender determine your total debt to income ratio
Letter of employment from your employer – your lender will want to know what your job title and status is to make sure that your position is stable and is not expected to be downgraded in the future
2-3 years of personal T1 tax returns (if you are self-employed) – if you work for yourself, you will need to prove that you have been earning a regular income over the past few years

Personal Financial Information

Personal financial information represents any personal information that affects your ability to pay your mortgage or shows your creditworthiness.

Bank account information – your lender will want to have access to your bank account and transit number for mortgage payment purposes
Statement of assets or investments – your lender may want to better understand your assets and investments, which you may be considering as part of your down payment
Credit report – while you will not need to supply this, your lender will pull your credit report, which will provide them with your credit score
Any additional income sources – if there are any concerns about your income, your mortgage agent may ask for additional documents on behalf of your lender to support information about your income

Confirmation of your Down Payment

Your down payment will secure your mortgage, and that money has to come from somewhere – investments, savings, etc. These are some of the documents that you may be required to submit to prove where the funds from your down payment are coming from.

Savings or investments statement from within the last 90 days - any savings that you have accumulated or money you made from investments over the last 90 days should be provided to your lender in written format
Sale of an existing property – a copy of the sale agreement and if you are using money from the sales from a home as part your down payment, you’ll be asked to supply a copy of the real estate transaction and proof of where funds are coming from
Withdrawal from RRSP through the Home Buyer’s Plan – documentation of the funds removed for your down payment
Gift Letter (if applicable) – if any of your down payment is a considered a gift, you will need to supply a ‘Gift Letter’ stating that the money is a gift and not required to be paid back (hence the fact that it was a gift)

Basic Financials Statements

A list of current assets and liabilities
Bank account and transit number for payments (void cheque)

Details of the Property you are Purchasing

On behalf of the lender, your mortgage agent will also ask for documents for the home you are buying – if you are also selling a home, they will need documents for that property as well.

A copy of the real estate listing – MLS listing provided by your realtor
A copy of the accepted purchase and sale agreement
The details of the property - the full address, including legal description and postal code, property tax estimates, condo fees and heating costs, (usually available on the real estate listing)
For rural properties - well and septic certificates will be required
Lawyer – the full name, address, postal code, telephone and fax number will be needed for your lawyer
Recent mortgage statement – if you are selling a home, you’ll need a statement of how much you still owe on the home and how much equity you have in it
The legal description of the home being sold – you should be able to obtain this information from the original purchase agreement of the home or your property tax statement.

Not all home purchases are identical, so you may be asked for additional documentation to support your home purchase.

The goal of this blog was to help you plan ahead and to ensure your home purchase goes as smoothly as possible.

Do you have a question about your mortgage, the application process or anything else mortgage-related that I can help with?

Let me know how I can help you!

What documents do I need to get a mortgage?