Step 1 is to get pre-approved for a mortgage. A pre-approval lets you know how much you can spend and locks you in at the current interest rate for 90 days or more, allowing you to shop with confidence. This is especially important with a potential interest rate hike by the Bank of Canada in 2018, which may impact your mortgage rate and ultimately, your home-buying budget.

“There really isn’t. Prices depend on a number of factors like supply, demand and other housing market conditions. These can vary greatly from city to city, and from one neighbourhood to the next. Rather than season, the numbers of days on market is the biggest indicator of your negotiating power. If the home was recently listed, the seller will have had less time to test the market and gauge buyers’ response to the price, and will be less likely to negotiate

The down payment is an essential part of your purchase. There are private lenders who offer mortgages with zero down, but the interest rate will likely be much higher and the cost to you will be much greater in the long run. This is generally not recommended. Don’t cut corners and risk your home and investment. Save up at least five per cent of the purchase price, and consider reducing your home-buying budget to make it more affordable. Aside from good ol’ scrimping and saving, you can also take advantage of the first-time Home Buyer’s Plan to borrow from your RRSPs – tax free! 

Your credit score is a measure of your financial health. According to the Government of Canada, your rating “indicates the risk you represent for lenders, compared with other consumers…The credit-reporting agencies Equifax and TransUnion use a scale from 300 to 900. High scores on this scale are good. The higher your score, the lower the risk for the lender.” Thus, a higher rating will typically secure a better mortgage rate, since you’re considered to be more likely to make your scheduled payments. If you have a poor rating, do some damage control before you apply for your mortgage.