Get Your First Mortgage

Discover expert advice, flexible options, competitive rates, and cash dividends for banking with us. Getting your first mortgage can be easy!

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  • Get your approval in one business day!

Get Your First Mortgage

A happy couple dreaming of a house. A happy dog dreaming of a doghouse.

Discover the benefits!

  • Enjoy flexible options
  • Earn cash dividends
  • Be debt-free faster
Happy couple holding house keys

Get up to $3,000* cash back!

Choose Innovation for your first mortgage and earn up to $3,000* cash back!

Learn More

Before You Start...

Get your first home faster! See our mortgage application checklist (pdf) to be ready for your first meeting with us.

Interested in saving faster for a down payment? 
Learn more about the First Home Savings Account. Because contributions aren’t taxed and withdrawals used to purchase a home aren’t either, you can save more money for your down payment! 

Apply Today

Join the 65,000+ Canadians who bank with us

Video Transcript

Innovation cares about the person you're trying to be and the goals you have which is phenomenal.

My mortgage advisor met all my needs at Innovation Credit Union and it helps a young guy like me get into the industry and develop over the long term.

I might even buy a castle! Literally!

Get your dream home

Apply Today

What are the eligibility requirements to apply for a mortgage?

Proof of Residence

You must be a Canadian resident.

Proof of Age

You must be 18 years of age or older to apply.

Apply Today

Enjoy flexible options

  • Open mortgages let you make large payments without penalty.
  • Closed mortgages make budgeting easier since you’ll always know your mortgage payment amount.
  • A fixed rate protects against rate increases.
  • A variable rate floats with prime to take advantage of rate decreases. 

Earn cash dividends

You earn cash dividends on a mortgage with us through our Member Rewards program. The more you bank with us, the more you benefit.

Be debt free faster

Pay down your mortgage faster with our 20/20 pay-down option. You can choose one or both options:

Pay up to 20% of your original mortgage principal each year without penalty.

Increase your monthly payments by 20% without penalty.

Let's see some 20/20 pay down examples!

20% monthly payment increase

Let's say you have the following mortgage:

  • Mortgage: $200,000
  • Rate: 4.69%
  • 25 year amortization
  • Monthly payment= $1,128.17

You can increase your monthly payments by 20%.
$1,128.17 x 20%= $225.63

This means your maximum monthly payment could be $1,353.80. ($1,128.17 + $225.63).

If you pay $1,353.80/month, your mortgage length changes from 25 years to 18.3 years!

20% original principal pay down
Let's keep the same mortgage details.

You can put up to $40,000 extra on your mortgage per year ($200,000 x 20% = $40,000) over the course of your mortgage without penalty. This would also change your mortgage length from 25 years to 17.17 years!

See our mortgage prepayment calculator to enter your own pay down scenarios.

If you'd like to take advantage of our 20/20 option, contact us today!

More information

  • Available for personal use: principal residence, secondary residence, cabin, cottage, condo, non-revenue property
  • Conventional and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) approved
  • Interest compounded annually
  • Term lengths 1 ,2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 years 
  • See current rates
  • All payment frequencies available
  • Prepayment options 
    • You can prepay up to 20% of the original amount of the mortgage during each 12-month period from the anniversary date. This privilege is not cumulative from year to year and does not apply if you wish to prepay the mortgage in full, renegotiate the rate, or prepay more than 20%. 
    • If you wish to prepay in full, renegotiate, or prepay more than 20%, you'll pay the greater of:
      • 90 days’ interest or the interest difference of the current posted rate of a similar mortgage type with an equal term. 
      • Innovation will allow 20% prepayment without penalty at the time of payout providing funds are not coming from another financial institution and the prepayment privilege has not been utilized since the anniversary date. (Mortgage schedules allow for the collection of the additional 20% penalty. The privilege is subject to change.) 
  • Payment increase 
    • During each term, you may increase the regular payment by a cumulative maximum increase of 20%
    • If the regular payment has increased, you may decrease the payment to an amount not less than original payment set at the beginning of the term
  • Property sold 
    • If the property is sold during the mortgage term, the penalty may be waived subject to you obtaining an Innovation mortgage of equal or greater value and selecting a minimum 1- year term. 
    • If the new mortgage is approved within 6 months from the date of payout of the previous mortgage, the penalty can be refunded upon disbursal of the new mortgage proceeds. 
  • Convertible and buy down options/consolidations:
    • Pay the greater of 75% of: 
      • 90 days’ interest or 
      • the interest difference of the current posted rate of a similar mortgage type with an equal term. 
    • May select any Personal Closed Mortgage product.
    • For consolidations, the above penalties shall apply or a blended rate as approved by our Retail Team.
  • Early renewal
    • 6-month option to early renew
    • Current expiry must be within 6 months or less
  • Applicable application fees

  • Available for personal use: principal residence, secondary residence, cabin or cottage
  • Conventional and CMHC approved
  • Interest compounded annually
  • Term length 5 years
  • See current rates
  • Blended repayment terms 
    • All payment frequencies available 
    • CMHC Blended 5-year term 
  •  Non-blended repayment terms 
    • On demand, lump sum – due in 1 year or less
  • Interest only option available only for a construction mortgage
  • Prepayment options 
    • Prepay the whole or any part of the principal amount outstanding without penalty, unless payment is received directly or indirectly from another lender or financial institution. If that is the case, you shall pay a 90-day interest penalty.
  • No penalty charged if the property is sold
  • Convertible and buy down options/consolidations:
    • Upon payment of a $100 conversion fee you may select any  Closed Fixed Residential Mortgage product 
  • Applicable application fees

  • Available for personal use: principal residence, secondary residence, cabin, cottage, condo, nonrevenue property
  • Conventional and CMHC approved
  • Interest compounded annually
  • Term length 1 year
  • See current rates
  • Blended repayment terms
    • All payment frequencies available
  • Non-blended repayment terms
    • On demand, lump sum – due in 1 year or less 
    • Interest only option not available
  • Unlimited prepayment
  •  No penalty charged if the property is sold
  • Convertible and buy down options/consolidations
    • Upon payment of a $100 conversion fee, you may select any Personal Mortgage product
  • Applicable application fees

  • Available for personal use: principal residence, secondary residence, cabin, cottage, condo, nonrevenue property
  • Conventional and CMHC approved
  • Interest floating – semi-annual equivalent rate calculation
  • Term length 5 year
  •  See current rates
  • Blended repayment terms
    • All payment frequencies available
  • Non-blended repayment terms
    • On demand, lump sum – due in 1 year or less 
    • Interest only option not available
  • Unlimited prepayment 
  • No penalty charged if the property is sold
  • Convertible and buy down options/consolidations
    • Upon payment of a $100 conversion fee, you may select any Personal Mortgage product
  • Applicable application fees
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Save

Our No-Fee Bank Account has no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements. Save ~$11/month in fees!

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Earn

Earn cash dividends simply by doing your everyday banking with us. The more you bank with us, the more you benefit.

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Give

Your business helps us support your community. We allocate 2% to 4% of pre-tax profits/year to our communities.

Questions

Checklist - When applying for a mortgage, we'll need some documents and information. Here’s our mortgage application checklist.

Residential Mortgage Security - When you borrow money to buy a house, we require security in the form of real property.

Mortgage Default Insurance - As per Legislation, we can only lend up to 80% of the purchase price or value of your new home. If you have less than 20% for a down payment, you'll need mortgage default insurance (pdf).

A protection plan provides peace of mind for you and your loved ones. During a tough time, you can focus on your family. We'll focus on protecting you from financial loss.

With an insured mortgage, if you are unable to make your mortgage payments, CUMIS, our reputable insurance company, will make the payments for you. You can apply for a variety of insurance types for your mortgage: disability, life, loss of employment, or critical illness. So, for example, if you lost your job and had loss of employment insurance on your mortgage, CUMIS would make your mortgage payments until you found a job again (up to maximum time noted in your policy). You wouldn’t have to worry about losing your home during such a difficult time.

 

Get the home of your dreams

Buying your first home can be easy and affordable. Contact us to get started today! And remember to reference our mortgage application checklist to get your new home faster.

Apply Now

Need more help choosing your mortgage?

Try our mortgage selection tool!

Learn more about your mortgage options on the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada's (FCAC) website.

Your First Mortgage

Buying your first home can change your life. From having your own property to building equity over time, it’s an incredibly important decision that can have long-lasting benefits.

If it’s your first time buying a home, you may feel excited and eager — that’s great! And if you feel a little anxious or uncertain, that’s just fine, too. Securing a first mortgage in Canada and buying a home is an involved and complex process. 

The team at Innovation is here to help make things a little easier for you. You can count on informed advice and information about unique benefits available to you as a first-time home buyer. Guidance throughout the process can help you make informed decisions and realize your goal of home ownership.

That includes everything from the first-time buyer mortgage calculator found above to conversations with your mortgage specialist that address your needs for first mortgage financing. We’re also happy to share information about programs designed to help you lower the upfront cost of your mortgage, making it easier to buy a home.

Find a First Mortgage that Works for You

Get informed guidance and advice on your first mortgage today.

Apply Today

AIR = Annual Interest Rate

APR = Annual Percentage Rate

Annual Interest Rate = The total cost of credit expressed as an annual percentage, not including various non-interest charges.

Annual Percentage Rate = The total cost of credit expressed as an annual percentage, taking into account, both interest and various non-interest charges.

If there are no non-interest finance charges, the AIR and APR will be the same.

APR Assumptions:
a. $300,000 Mortgage
b. 25 Year Amortization
c. Applicable Term for Each
d. $400 Appraisal Fee

Applicable to residential mortgages only and subject to Innovation Federal Credit Union lending criteria for residential properties. Some conditions apply.

Interest rate compounded semi-annually not in advance. Interest rates are subject to change without notice.Applicable to residential mortgages only and subject to Credit Union lending criteria for residential properties. Some conditions apply.

Rates subject to change without notice.

Innovation Federal Credit Union will lend for properties located in Canada only.

Additional information for building mortgages could be required depending on the type of construction project you are undertaking.

Loans and mortgages can be approved in one business day if you have submitted all required paperwork  OR, you will be able to book an appointment in one business day and be approved in two businesses days if you have submitted all required paperwork.