What We Do · Calgary & all of Alberta
Mortgage services: every situation we handle, and where to read about yours
One page for the whole list — purchases, refinances, renewals, self-employed files, credit problems, rentals and the urgent ones.
About 20 minutes, no credit check, no obligation.
Josh Tagg is a Calgary mortgage broker who arranges residential mortgages across Alberta. He leads the Mortgages for Less team at INDI Mortgage, has been arranging mortgages since 2006, took over the brokerage his father founded in 2003, and is licensed by the Real Estate Council of Alberta. The team holds a 5.0 rating from close to 300 Google reviews. The files that come to us most often are the ones a single lender finds awkward — self-employed income, a mid-term break with a large penalty, bruised credit, a newcomer with a short Canadian credit history, or a deadline measured in days rather than weeks.
Buying a home
| Service | What it is for | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| First-time buyer mortgages | Your first purchase — minimum down payment, insurance, and what you can actually carry | First Time Home Buyers |
| Pre-approval and pre-qualification | Knowing your real number before you shop, and holding a rate while you look | Pre-Qualification |
| New to Canada mortgages | Permanent residents and work-permit holders with limited Canadian credit history | Programs exist at several lenders — ask us which fits your status and time in Canada |
| Using RRSP savings | Withdrawing from an RRSP for a down payment under the Home Buyers’ Plan | RRSP Home Buyer’s Plan |
| Bridge financing | Buying before your current home sells, so the two closing dates do not have to match | Short-term, secured against the home you are selling — usually days of interest, not months |
Not sure what you qualify for? The affordability calculator and the home purchase calculator will get you close before you speak to anyone.
Refinancing and using your equity
| Service | What it is for | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Refinancing and debt consolidation Dedicated page | Rolling high-interest debt into your mortgage, or pulling equity out for another purpose | Mortgage Refinance Calgary |
| Breaking a mortgage mid-term | Working out the prepayment penalty properly before you commit — the number that usually decides it | Penalties and the IRD |
| Home equity line of credit | Flexible access to equity where you draw only what you need, at a variable rate | Often paired with a mortgage as a readvanceable product — worth comparing against a straight refinance |
| Second mortgages | Raising money without touching a first mortgage that carries a punishing penalty | A real Calgary second mortgage file |
Estimate your equity room with the refinance calculator. Canadian refinances are capped at 80% of the home’s value, less what you still owe.
Renewing or switching lenders
| Service | What it is for | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Mortgage renewals | Your term is ending — the moment lenders count on you signing the first offer without checking | Renewals |
| Transfers and switches | Moving to a different lender at renewal without changing the amount you owe | Often free — many lenders cover the legal and appraisal costs on a straight switch |
| Monoline lenders | Broker-only lenders you cannot walk into, frequently cheaper and with fairer penalty formulas | Monoline Mortgage Lenders |
Self-employed and business owners
| Service | What it is for | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Self-employed mortgages Dedicated page | Sole proprietors, incorporated owners and contractors whose tax returns understate what they earn | Self-Employed Mortgage Calgary |
| Stated-income and bank-statement programs | Qualifying on business deposits when filed income will not carry the mortgage | Alternative lenders, usually 20% down — covered on the self-employed page |
| Self-employed renewals | The renewal that goes wrong because your income looks different than it did five years ago | What can go wrong, and how to prepare |
Credit problems and urgent situations
These are the files most brokers do not take, and they are a large part of what we do.
| Service | What it is for | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Foreclosure and mortgage arrears | You have missed payments or received a demand letter and need the clock stopped | Stopping a foreclosure in Alberta · Declined at renewal |
| Bad credit mortgages | A score in the 500s or 600s, collections, or a thin file after a rough few years | Soft vs hard credit inquiries |
| Consumer proposal and bankruptcy | Buying or refinancing after an insolvency, once you are discharged or paid out | Usually a two-to-three-year path back to prime — the plan matters more than the score |
| Private mortgages | Equity-based lending when speed or circumstances rule out a bank | Our private mortgage funds |
| Alternative and B-lender mortgages | The middle ground between a bank and a private lender, priced accordingly | RFA Alternative · MCAP Eclipse |
If a deadline is running, say so on the first call. What is possible in three weeks and what is possible in three days are different lists, and knowing which one you are on changes where we start.
Rental and investment property
| Service | What it is for | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Rental property mortgages | Buying a property to rent out, and how much of the rent a lender will count | Rental Mortgages |
| Rental portfolio financing | Several properties already, and lenders starting to say no | Rental Property Financing |
| Secondary suites | Using legal suite income to qualify, which Calgary lenders increasingly allow | How much suite income counts varies by lender and by whether the suite is legal and registered |
Specialty mortgages
| Service | What it is for | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Reverse mortgages | Age 55+, accessing equity without a monthly payment | Reverse Mortgage · HomeEquity Bank (CHIP) |
| Construction and draw mortgages | Building, or a major renovation funded in stages as the work is inspected | Draw Mortgage |
| Purchase plus improvements | Financing renovations into the purchase of a home that needs work | The lender advances the improvement money after the work is done and inspected |
Where we work
Our office is in Kensington at 223 14 St NW in Calgary and we are licensed across Alberta. Most of a mortgage is handled remotely, wherever you are:
Edmonton · Airdrie · Cochrane · Okotoks · Chestermere · Red Deer · Lethbridge · Medicine Hat · Grande Prairie · Fort McMurray · St. Albert · Spruce Grove
★ 5.0 · 293+ Google reviews
What Alberta homeowners say
Really good experience with the Mortages for Less Team. Tamar was very attentive to our needs.
Tamar was great to deal with. Efficiently got me everything I needed... And more. Thanks Tamar
Josh provided me with good advice and did not waste my time.
Easy to approach.understanding and very professional.
Didn’t end up getting a mortgage through him but Josh was incredibly helpful and provided objective advice.
Tamar is truly amazing and so patient. She helped us through the entire process (which was quite confusing to be honest). Highly recommend.
I recently used their service, Tamar was my broker and she did a great job. She solved all our doubts and gave us the best service.
Tamar was super helpful throughout the process of helping us renew our mortgage. We changed mortgage providers, but Tamar made the process smooth.
Common questions
Do I pay for any of this?
On a typical residential file the lender pays us, not you. Broker fees exist on alternative and private files, where the lender does not pay compensation. If a fee will apply we tell you before you apply — never at the end.
Which of these should I start with?
Start with the situation, not the product. Tell us what is actually happening — buying, renewing, consolidating debt, a business that does not show much income, a deadline — and we will tell you which of these applies and what it realistically looks like. No credit check is needed for that conversation.
Can you help if a bank already declined me?
Often, yes. A decline is one lender applying one policy. A different income calculation, a different lender, or an alternative program regularly produces a different answer on the same documents. It is one of the most common reasons people come to us.
Do you only work in Calgary?
No. The office is in Calgary and we are licensed across Alberta, with clients in Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie and the surrounding towns. Almost all of a mortgage is handled remotely.
How long does a mortgage take?
A straightforward approval can come back within a day or two, with the full file taking two to three weeks to fund. Alternative and private files move faster when they need to — we have closed urgent second mortgages inside a week. Tell us your deadline at the start.
Tell us what is actually going on
You do not need to know which service you need. Describe the situation and we will tell you what applies, what it costs, and whether it is worth doing. Free, no credit check, no obligation.
Or call (403) 241-3255.
Want the mechanics behind any of these? The Mortgage 101 library covers approvals, the stress test, debt-service ratios, default insurance, penalties and every major lender. Real client files with real numbers are in the case studies.
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