From first call to final close.
Initial consultation to understand your financial position and confirm investor eligibility. We assess net worth, available capital, and investment goals, then match you to the right project.
Initial consultationOnce qualified, a worksheet is submitted to the builder on your behalf to formally request purchase allocation for your selected property.
Builder submissionOur preferred mortgage broker simultaneously pre-qualifies both the investor and the project — reviewing property viability, projected cash flow, and CMHC MLI Select eligibility.
Broker + project reviewThe lender issues a Letter of Intent outlining the mortgage terms and conditions before you commit to the purchase.
Letter of intent issuedThe first deposit is submitted to the builder, firming the agreement. The purchase is now conditional on project viability as outlined in the APS.
Deposit submittedThe full application package is submitted to CMHC — typically a 60–90 day review while CMHC issues the Certificate of Insurance. This is also where the independent appraisal lands — above purchase price on every sold project to date.
60–90 day CMHC windowCMHC approves the project and insurance is confirmed. Your lawyer is introduced at this stage to begin preparation for closing.
CMHC approvedWhile construction completes, property management begins advertising and leasing units — aiming for maximum occupancy before you take title. Tenancy levels at closing vary by project.
Revenue beginsYou close on your multi-family property, professionally managed under the 50-year amortization structure. Actual occupancy at closing depends on market conditions and project timing.
Keys in handBuilt for passive investors.
CMHC MLI Select qualifies you on net worth and property DSCR — not your T4. A standard credit inquiry appears on your bureau; a minimum score of ~680 is typically required.
Your agreement is conditional on project viability. If the project is declined due to project viability, the agreement is voided and your deposit is returned per the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.
Property management markets and leases units before construction completes. The goal is maximum occupancy at handover — actual tenancy at closing varies by project.
Full terms and conditions, including details of these provisions, are outlined in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.
Three tests decide it.
All three are measured against the purchase price, and all three are assessed on the applicants together rather than on one name. The figures below are worked against an eight-plex at a purchase price of $2,350,000.
The cash equity that goes into the purchase. MLI Select allows up to 95% financing on qualifying projects, so the deposit can start at 5%.
Cash and near-cash assets available at closing. The 5% down payment comes out of this figure — it is not held on top of it, so plan on roughly a further 5% beyond the deposit.
Total assets less total liabilities, across personal and investment holdings. A partner or co-guarantor can be added to the application and their net worth counted alongside yours.
- Equity in your primary residence
- Equity in investment real estate
- Cash and savings
- Registered accounts — RRSP and TFSA
- A partner or co-guarantor’s net worth
- Cash and savings
- Registered accounts, often discounted
- Available room on a HELOC
Equity on its own is not liquid — but undrawn room on a line of credit secured against it is. The building being purchased never counts.
A worked example
$2.35M eight-plex · illustrativeBoth tests clear. The $117,500 down payment is drawn from that $338,000, leaving $220,500 against closing costs of roughly $13,000 to $22,000.
Minimum project size. Five doors or more on a single title.
The building’s net operating income must cover debt service by at least 1.10x.
Multi-family operating history, or a licensed property manager on the file. Our projects come with one.
All figures are illustrative and subject to change, to CMHC program rules, and to lender requirements on the specific borrower and project — they are not quotes or approvals. The example is hypothetical and does not reflect an actual applicant. Thresholds, asset treatment and the discounting of any asset class are determined by CMHC and the lender, who alone qualify a borrower or a project.
Every cost, line by line.
The fees that sit on a qualifying build — the amount, and who pays it. Several are reimbursed by the builder, and two are carried inside the mortgage rather than paid in cash.
All figures are estimates, subject to change and to lender and CMHC requirements on the specific project — not quotes. Third-party costs are set by the provider, not by Multi Family Deals. Items shown as paid by the builder are project specific — review the Agreement of Purchase and Sale for the terms that apply to a given project. Only CMHC and the lender qualify a borrower or a project. Investors may use any of their own licensed providers.
Documents for the broker and lender.
Ordered from the quickest to gather to the most involved. CMHC review runs 60 to 90 days once the file is complete, so the earlier these arrive, the earlier the clock starts.
Shareholders may submit items 04 to 08 to the lender individually rather than through the group.
60 to 90 days at CMHC, from a complete file.
This is the minimum document list. Following a preliminary review the lender may have additional requests, and the list is subject to change — the lender and CMHC may request more or fewer items on a specific project. Documents are handled confidentially and shared only with the parties underwriting the file.
The acquisition doesn't end here.
Closing is the foundation, not the finish line. Many investors who close on a first asset return for a second as the first builds equity.
Keys in hand. Tenants in place. Cash flowing under 50-year amortization.
As principal paydown and appreciation accumulate, a HELOC or refinance can unlock that equity for the next deposit.
Pulled equity can fund the deposit on the next acquisition — the same $80K–$155K typical entry range. The process repeats.
Each asset can help finance the next. The portfolio compounds — one structured acquisition at a time.
What can go wrong.
No one should put a deposit down on a projection they haven't stress-tested. These are the things that genuinely vary, in plain language.
MLI Select has criteria, and CMHC can decline a project. That is why the agreement is written conditional on project viability, and why we pre-qualify both you and the asset before anything is firmed.
Cash flow and DSCR are pre-tax pro-forma estimates. Actual results depend on lease-up, achieved rents, operating costs, and the financing terms available at close. Model the downside, not just the pro-forma.
Illustrations on this site are modelled at 4%. Your actual rate is set by the lender at the time of your commitment, and a higher rate reduces cash flow. Ask us to run your numbers at a rate above today's.
Eligibility, loan-to-value, amortization and premiums sit with CMHC and are subject to change at its discretion. What qualifies today may be scored differently on a future application.
Pre-leasing targets maximum occupancy on day one, but tenancy levels at closing depend on the market and the timing of completion. A slower lease-up delays the cash flow, it does not remove the obligation.
A purpose-built rental is not a position you exit in a week. Plan on holding through a full cycle, and keep the liquidity CMHC expects — roughly 10% of project price, the deposit included in that figure.
Real estate investment involves risk, including potential loss of capital. Nothing on this page is financial, investment, or legal advice — review your specific agreement and numbers with your lawyer, mortgage professional and accountant.