Refinancing with Canadian banks within 3 years

Refinancing with Canadian banks within 3 years

Investor · Halifax, NS · Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 5 votes

Hi BP Canada,

I've run into this scenario a couple of times recently and I keep getting vague and inconsistent answers from le banc. Any insight or clarity would be greatly appreciated.

Buy a property off market at a serious discount -> rehab-> new tenants at increased rents etc. Then we go to refi through the same bank and they look at appraisal, debt servicing and purchase price and lend on the lowest value (always the purchase price). I'm told that after 3 years they will ignore the purchase price but that's a long old brrr. 

I would've guessed that buying with cash and bringing it to the bank after improvements would avoid that but it doesn't according to rbc commercial lending. Does anyone have experience with the big 5 or credit unions looking income/expenses and appraisals over purchase price within that 3 year period?

I know that these are questions for our banker but it seems like the more questions I ask the more rules suddenly appear and get applied to me.

*This is commercial lending I'm dealing with- all tapped out with residential mortgages. 

Thanks!

Mike

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Rental Property Investor · Port Coquitlam, BC · Member since 2017 · 520 posts · 527 votes
4y

@Mike Hamson commercial lenders really only care about the current numbers... have you reached out to a commercial broker yet? @Jordan Perry is active in this forum and works with clients in the maritimes

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  • Rental Property Investor · Port Coquitlam, BC · Member since 2017 · 520 posts · 527 votes
    4y

    @Mike Hamson commercial lenders really only care about the current numbers... have you reached out to a commercial broker yet? @Jordan Perry is active in this forum and works with clients in the maritimes

  • Specialist · Mortgage Broker Canada · Member since 2015 · 316 posts · 118 votes
    4y

    @Mike Hamson Put your knowledge of residential financing aside - Commercial lending is a different animal. Unlike residential mortgages, commercial mortgages have a minimum DSCR that drives the loan decisioning. Commercial lenders use lower lending value to mitigate risk - you may have an appraisal completed but they determine the value.

  • Investor · Halifax, NS · Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 5 votes
    4y
    Quote from @Account Closed:

    @Mike Hamson commercial lenders really only care about the current numbers... have you reached out to a commercial broker yet? @Jordan Perry is active in this forum and works with clients in the maritimes

     Thanks @Account Closed, I'll reach out to him. 

    @Julie Toh Appraisal aside, the DSCR is giving the bank a much higher value than purchase price + improvements but they are ignoring that because we aren't outside the 3 yr window. So until 3 years is up they hold the value at purchase price + improvements costs. The message I'm getting is they are averse to lending someone more than they put into a property even if the math isn't in their favour.

  • Tyler JuddPro Member
    Real Estate Investor · Williams Lake, British Columbia · Member since 2017 · 5 posts · 0 votes
    4y

    Hi Mike, 

    We bought a small commercial (13 unit) on seller finance in July 2021, we reno'd and rented up a few of the vacant units showing a large increase in NOI compared to the previous owner. We had it appraised in January ‘22 and re-financed in April with a local Credit Union. They matched the terms, conditions and rates that Scotia offered us.

    So I’d dig around with different lenders. Both Scotia and our local CU indicated that they would prefer 3 years history, but they were both ready to pull the trigger with only 6 months ownership. 

    Good luck!

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