HomebuyingKey 10 questions to ask when getting a mortgage in Canada in 2026
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Check out today's best mortgage rates in Canada by type and term.
| Insured ? | 80% LTV ? The rates in this column apply to mortgage amounts between 65.01% and 80% of the property value. The home must be owner-occupied and have an amortization of 25 years or less. You must have purchased it for less than $1 million. These rates are not available on refinances. Refinances require "Uninsured" rates. | 65% LTV ? The rates in this column apply to mortgage amounts that are 65% of the property value or less. The home must be owner-occupied and have an amortization of 25 years or less. You must have purchased it for less than $1 million. These rates are not available on refinances. Refinances require "Uninsured" rates. | Uninsured ? | Bank Rate ? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Insured 4.64% | 80% LTV 4.19% | 65% LTV 4.19% | Uninsured 4.99% | 4.99% | ||
Insured 3.99% | 80% LTV 3.89% | 65% LTV 3.89% | Uninsured 4.44% | 4.53% | ||
Insured 3.69% | 80% LTV 3.79% | 65% LTV 3.79% | Uninsured 3.9% | 4.39% | ||
Insured 3.84% | 80% LTV 3.99% | 65% LTV 3.99% | Uninsured 4.39% | 4.44% | ||
Insured 3.69% | 80% LTV 3.55% | 65% LTV 3.55% | Uninsured 3.69% | 4.19% | ||
Insured 4.19% | 80% LTV 4.24% | 65% LTV 4.24% | Uninsured 4.89% | 5% | ||
Insured 5.04% | 80% LTV 4.34% | 65% LTV 4.34% | Uninsured 5.24% | 6.09% | ||
Insured 3.9% | 80% LTV 3.95% | 65% LTV 3.9% | Uninsured 3.9% | 5.95% | ||
Insured 3.45% | 80% LTV 3.45% | 65% LTV 3.45% | Uninsured 3.5% | 4.24% | ||
Insured N/A | 80% LTV N/A | 65% LTV N/A | Uninsured N/A | N/A | ||
Insured 5.45% | 80% LTV 5.45% | 65% LTV 5.45% | Uninsured 5.5% | N/A |
There are three main drivers behind mortgage rates in the Northwest Territories and Canada at large:
The Bank of Canada influences mortgage rates through its policy rate. The Bank’s objective is to keep inflation in the target range of 1% to 3% and preserve the value of the Canadian dollar. It achieves this by setting the target overnight rate, also known as the policy rate.
As of today, the policy rate is 2.25%. The central bank uses the target rate to influence how the banks set their own rates and acts as a barometer for the rate at which banks borrow and lend among themselves.
The higher the inflation, particularly if it’s above 3%, the higher the likelihood of a rate hike. Though inflation does not directly affect mortgage rates, the Bank tends to raise rates to cool down economic activity and force homebuyers to retreat from the market. It’s worth noting that government bond yields, which influence fixed rates, are affected by inflation as well, in addition to factors like oil prices, geopolitical tensions and broader economic conditions (which currently remain uncertain).
Banks, credit unions, monoline lenders and other financial institutions compete to attract borrowers across the Northwest Territories, and during competitive market conditions, lenders may offer better rates. Given the smaller and more remote nature of the NT market, the number of active lenders may be more limited than in larger provinces, making it especially worthwhile to shop around and compare multiple lenders to secure the best possible mortgage rate.
Before a bank, mortgage company or broker in the Northwest Territories will be willing to lend you the money for your mortgage, they will want to get a sense of your financial health. To do this they will consider a few different things.
1. Down payment
Ideally, a lender would like to see you make a down payment of 20% or more on the purchase of your new home. This is the first indicator that you are probably a low-risk borrower but before they come to this conclusion fully they will want to review a couple more items.
2. Debt service ratios
A mortgage payment is a big debt to have each month, especially when you have other bills that are due every 30 days. Brokers, banks and mortgage companies will want to know you can comfortably handle all of them. To find out if you can they rely on two formulas that compare your monthly income vs. your monthly expenses:
3. Credit score
Your credit score says a lot about your history as a borrower, specifically about how reliable you are with making payments and managing credit. If you have a bad credit score lenders will shy away from giving you a mortgage.
Your credit score is based on four aspects: whether you make payments on time (either on installment loans or revolving credit accounts); whether you’re responsible with the credit limits available to you (i.e. using less than 20%-30%); whether you’ve maintained longstanding relationships with banks and lenders, and, lastly, whether you’ve avoided opening too many new accounts.
4. Income
If you have a good and stable income that’s another sign for the lender that you will be capable of making your mortgage payment every month.
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How do these mortgage types differ? Conventional (low-ratio) mortgage requires a down payment of 20% or more, with no mandatory insurance, while a high-ratio mortgage requires a down payment of below 20%, plus mandatory insurance.
Which mortgage type offers cheaper rates? As of August 2026, the average conventional 5-year fixed rate is 4.38%. That’s 5 bps above the average high-ratio 5-year fixed rate, which stands at 4.33%.
| Date | Average Conventional Rate | Average High Ratio Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 09/25 | 4.53% | 4.44% |
| 10/25 | 4.49% | 4.36% |
| 11/25 | 4.38% | 4.33% |
| 12/25 | 4.48% | 4.35% |
| 01/26 | 4.59% | 4.53% |
| 02/26 | 4.55% | 4.53% |
| 03/26 | 4.34% | 4.32% |
| 04/26 | 4.32% | 4.28% |
| 05/26 | 4.36% | 4.21% |
| 06/26 | 4.38% | 4.19% |
| 07/26 | 4.37% | 4.13% |
| 08/26 | 4.39% | 4.08% |
Last Updated: September 1, 2026
How do these mortgage rates differ? A fixed rate mortgage is a rate fixed over a period of time. Interest rates and the mortgage payments remain the same (and consistent) over that mortgage term. A variable rate mortgage is different. While the mortgage payment remains constant, the interest rate payments fluctuate with the prime interest rate.
Which rate is cheaper? As of August 2026, the 5-year fixed rate is 4.65%. That’s 21 bps above the 5-year variable rate, which stands at 4.44%.
| Month | Fixed | Variable |
|---|---|---|
| 09/25 | 4.62% | 4.69% |
| 10/25 | 4.64% | 4.55% |
| 11/25 | 4.65% | 4.44% |
| 12/25 | 4.67% | 4.44% |
| 01/26 | 4.73% | 4.47% |
| 02/26 | 4.67% | 4.44% |
| 03/26 | 4.44% | 4.40% |
| 04/26 | 4.40% | 4.06% |
| 05/26 | 4.34% | 3.90% |
| 06/26 | 4.34% | 3.85% |
| 07/26 | 4.27% | 3.83% |
| 08/26 | 4.26% | 3.81% |
Last Updated: September 1, 2026
Closing costs are the one-time fees buyers pay upon purchasing property in Northwest Territories. Generally, closing costs include:
Land transfer tax for the Northwest Territories does not exist. However, there are two fees that occur during land transfer:
Mortgage term: The mortgage term is the amount of time that you commit to your mortgage rate, lender and the terms and conditions of the contract. At the end of the term, you’ll renew your contract with the mortgage company for the remaining principal at a new rate. The process repeats until you’ve paid off the mortgage on your Northwest Territory home. A mortgage term can vary in length, from six months to 10 years, with the most common term in Canada being five years.
Amortization period: The amortization period is the amount of time it will take you to pay off your entire mortgage. In Canada, the maximum amortization period is 35 years. But, if your down payment was less than 20% and you were required to purchase mortgage insurance from the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC), then your maximum amortization period is 25 years.
That rate you end up getting for your mortgage loan will depend on whether you opt for an open mortgage or closed mortgage.
Some home buyers prefer an open mortgage because it gives you the flexibility to pay off your mortgage at any time. With a closed mortgage, if you pay it off before the mortgage term ends, you have to pay a penalty.
However, taking a closed mortgage means you’ll get a lower interest rate. Rates for open mortgages in the Northwest Territories and across the country are usually higher.
Few things in life are black and white, but when it comes to saving money on your mortgage there is no grey area when it comes to mortgage rates — the lower your mortgage rate the more you will save on the cost of interest over the lifetime of your mortgage.
The lowest rate possible isn’t the only thing you should want your new mortgage to have.
Another important feature it should include is prepayment privileges. Having prepayment privileges will give you the ability to make extra payments on your mortgage if you have some money to spare down the road. For example, if you receive a bonus or raise, or inherit money from a relative. Making just one extra payment will reduce your mortgage principal, amortization period and the cost of interest.
One other smart thing your mortgage should have is portability. Someday you may decide to buy another home or maybe you’ll get a can’t-pass-it-up job opportunity in another province and have to move. With a portable mortgage, you can take your mortgage with you and use it to finance your new home. You’ll save money because having a portable mortgage means you’ll avoid the charges that would occur if you had to close one mortgage and open a new one.
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Yes, it’s safe — you no longer need to visit a bank branch or mortgage broker’s office in person to apply for a mortgage. It’s becoming increasingly common for Canadians to apply for mortgages online. LowestRates.ca only works with reputable, trustworthy financial institutions. Your credit score won’t be affected and your information is secure. We don’t share your information with anyone unless you want to connect with a mortgage broker. We take care of the heavy lifting by comparing the market for you and can connect you with the best mortgage lenders in the country.
We have a strong selection of lenders on LowestRates.ca including the big banks and many independent providers and we’re adding more lenders all the time. This ensures we’re always delivering you a competitive rate. Even if you’re not ready to commit to anything, you can use our site as a starting point for research (it’s totally free, and you’re under no obligation).
The better informed you are, the more likely you'll negotiate a better deal for yourself. And, really, that’s what we care about the most.

Taras Trofimov
About the Author
Taras is the Content Manager for LowestRates.ca. He has produced thought leadership content for organizations like Constellation Software, Facebook and Yellow Pages as well as outlets like The Globe and Mail, Autoblog and MSN Autos.
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