Post-GFC regulatory tightening expanded the Canadian private mortgage market from a niche to a structural segment. For U.S. capital, it remains one of the most attractive credit opportunities historically inaccessible to them.
Much like Non-QM lending in the U.S., Canadian private mortgages serve borrowers with profiles that fall outside conventional bank criteria — self-employed professionals, property investors, and individuals seeking bridge or short-duration financing.
These loans are short-term, interest-only, secured by real property, and underwritten to conservative combined-loan-to-value ratios (≤80%).
In the wake of the Global Financial Crisis, regulators tightened bank lending standards — increasing the demand and need for private lenders.
The private mortgage segment in Ontario now represents over 13% of new originations — up from 5% in 2019. This is policy-driven and durable: a regulatory direction, not a cyclical event. Demand continues to expand as more Canadian borrowers fall outside bank underwriting templates each year.
Traditional Canadian mortgages typically carry a 5-year term, forcing borrowers to refinance on a regular cadence. When they do not qualify at the conventional refi window, they need a bridge.
Canadian mortgages are full-recourse and do not discharge in bankruptcy. In a default, lenders can enforce a timely sale through a well-worn, non-judicial Power of Sale process — which can be resolved in as quickly as 180 days.
Private mortgage loans in Canada achieve yields 3 to 4 percentage points above comparable U.S. mortgages — a premium reflecting market inefficiency, not credit deterioration.
Canadian residential 90-day arrears stayed below 1% throughout the Global Financial Crisis, even as U.S. arrears spiked to 5%.