01 · EQUITY, NOT CASH
Retired, House Paid Off
About 17% of Ottawa residents are 65 or older. Plenty own outright and live on a pension that was planned for one stage of life, not thirty years of it.
Reverse mortgages in OttawaSupporting Ottawa & Eastern Ontario from Halton Hills
A Mortgage Broker for OttawaWho Works for You, Not the Bank.
I'm based in Halton Hills, and Ottawa mortgages have a shape I like working with: a government town where the house is often the biggest asset, the pension is solid, and the paperwork still trips up the bank. Retirees unlocking equity, contractors with incorporated income, households cleaning up debt. I handle all of it by phone and video.
Virtual calls, anywhere in OntarioFree 30-minute consultationCertified Reverse Mortgage SpecialistFSRA #M23007671
Supporting Ottawa Homeowners
Reverse mortgages, contractor income and debt clean-ups from Kanata to Orleans
Ottawa, From Where I Sit
Pensions, Contracts and a Rink Rivalry
Let's get this out of the way. I work out of Halton Hills, where most hockey fans cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, so I'll keep my opinions on the Senators vs. Leafs rivalry to myself. Your lender doesn't care which team you cheer for. Neither do I. What stands out about Ottawa is how much of a mortgage file here traces back to the city's biggest employer: an indexed pension here, a consulting contract tied to the federal fiscal year there, and this year, a lot of early retirements. Add a market where the average sale slipped 4.5% in twelve months and you get files that need someone reading the whole picture, not only the credit score.
A Government Town
Three Ways Ottawa Shows Up in a Mortgage File
Ottawa mortgage questions tend to land in one of three places. Each one has its own page with the detail.
02 · INCOME ON CONTRACT
Consultants and Founders
Kanata North alone holds 540+ tech companies, and many Ottawa professionals bill departments through their own corporations. Banks often see less income than you actually earn.
Self-employed mortgages in Ottawa03 · A TIGHTER YEAR
Debt That Crept Up
The federal public service shrank from roughly 368,000 people to about 332,000 by August. When household income shifts, credit cards cover the gap fast.
Debt consolidation in Ottawa
Buying in Ottawa
What an Ottawa Home Costs Right Now
October's average sale was $678,512, down 4.5% on a year earlier. Here's the board's benchmark for each type of home, and the smallest down payment each one allows.
| Home type | Benchmark | Least down |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment condo | $377,500 | $18,875 |
| Townhouse | $539,800 | $28,980 |
| Single-family | $699,200 | $44,920 |
Ottawa Real Estate Board benchmark prices, October 2026. Minimum down: 5% of the first $500,000 and 10% of the remainder.
- Ottawa has no municipal land transfer tax. You pay Ontario's only, and first-time buyers can get up to $4,000 of it back
- Sales were down 10.7% from last October, so keep a financing condition in your offer
- Apartments fell 5.3%, the most of any type. Good news for buyers, harder for owners renewing on thin equity
Before you write an offer
"In a slower market, the buyer holding a written approval gets taken seriously."Kat Brazier, Mortgage Agent Level 2
- Your approval amount, in writing
- Cash to close, not only the down payment
- A rate hold while you look
Book a Call at a Time That Suits You
Thirty minutes, scheduled around your day, whether that's work, the grandkids or a Senators vs. Leafs hockey game you won't miss. You'll leave knowing what's possible and what it costs.
Evening and weekend times · No-obligation first call · Licensed in Ontario
Turned Down?
Banks Have a Box. You Don't Fit in It.
Ottawa branches are built for the steady salaried public servant. Step outside that profile and the answer slows down, or turns into a no. A consultant with a holding company. A retiree living on a pension plus RRIF withdrawals. A couple who leaned on a line of credit after a layoff notice.
I take those files to lenders that read them properly, from A-lenders to B-lenders and private money, with the cost of each laid out before you pick. If none of them makes sense, I'll tell you. More on what happens after a bank says no.
How I read a file
"I don't sell products. I solve problems. The files banks call complicated are the ones I do best."Kat Brazier, Mortgage Agent Level 2
- Pension, RRIF and contract income counted
- Alt and private lenders when they fit
- Honest costs before you commit
Renewals
Renewing an Ottawa Mortgage This Year
Plenty of Ottawa owners bought or refinanced in 2021 and 2022 and are renewing into a softer market. When the renewal letter shows up, don't just sign it. Since late 2024, a straight switch of an uninsured mortgage to another lender no longer needs the stress test, so a better rate somewhere else is a real option even if your income has changed. I start comparing four months before maturity.
Broker or Bank?
One Bank Has One Answer. I Have Fifty.
50+Lenders I can take your Ottawa file to, including all three reverse mortgage lenders.
| For an Ottawa borrower | Your bank | Kat Brazier |
|---|---|---|
| Lenders on offer | Its own | 50+ |
| Reverse mortgages | Not offered | All three lenders |
| Contract income | Often a no | Read properly |
| Pension plus RRIF | Sometimes | Counted |
| Renewal compared | Rarely | Always |
Working Together
Ottawa, Handled From Halton Hills
I'm based in Halton Hills and work with clients across all of Ontario. Virtual calls work great: we meet by phone or video and you sign electronically.
We Talk
Half an hour on your goals, income and equity, at a time that suits you.
I Shop It
Your file goes only to lenders that fit it, with a single credit check.
You Close in Ottawa
An Ottawa lawyer handles the closing while I keep the lender on schedule.
FAQ
Ottawa Mortgage Questions
Straight answers for Ottawa buyers and owners.
What's the minimum down payment on an Ottawa home?
On October's benchmarks, about $18,900 for an apartment condo, $29,000 for a townhouse and $44,900 for a single-family home. Those are minimums. Closing costs and land transfer tax sit on top, and I'll give you the full cash-to-close figure on our first call.
Is there a municipal land transfer tax in Ottawa?
No. Unlike Toronto, Ottawa doesn't add its own land transfer tax, so you pay Ontario's only. First-time buyers can get up to $4,000 of the provincial tax refunded.
Can I get a reverse mortgage on my Ottawa home?
If everyone on title is 55 or older, very likely. I'm a Certified Reverse Mortgage Specialist and compare CHIP, Equitable Bank and Home Trust EquityAccess. The detail is on my reverse mortgage Ottawa page.
I'm an incorporated consultant. Will a lender count my income?
Yes, if it reaches the right lender. Some count only the salary and dividends you pay yourself. Others look at the corporation's retained earnings or a stated-income program. My self-employed Ottawa page walks through each approach.
I live in Gatineau. Can you help with my mortgage?
Only for property on the Ontario side. My licence is with FSRA in Ontario, so a home in Gatineau needs a Quebec-licensed broker. If you're buying in Orleans, Kanata or anywhere else in Ottawa, I can help.
You're based in Halton Hills. Can you handle my Ottawa mortgage?
Yes. I'm based in Halton Hills, but I work with clients across all of Ontario, and virtual calls work great. We meet by phone or video, documents are signed electronically, and an Ottawa lawyer handles your closing. Same 50+ lenders, same 24-hour response.
Keep Reading
More Ways I Help
Start with the page that fits you: reverse mortgages in Ottawa, self-employed mortgages in Ottawa or debt consolidation in Ottawa. Across Ontario I also help couples separating and cottage buyers heading up the Valley or along the Rideau. Need money fast against the house? See private mortgages in Ottawa. Down the Rideau Canal, I also cover reverse mortgages in Kingston. Closer to my base, see my Georgetown and Milton pages.
Get in Touch
Let's Look at Your Ottawa Plan
Book 30 minutes and I'll tell you straight what's possible. If I can help, we'll move forward. If I can't, I'll tell you that too.
- 416-464-6763
- info@katbrazier.com
- Based in Halton Hills, serving Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and all of Ontario by phone and video
Kat Brazier, Mortgage Agent Level 2 · FSRA License #M23007671
Mortgage Powered Financial Group, FSRA #13720
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