Alex Lavender, Your Halifax Mortgage Broker

Whether you’re a first time home buyer or a seasoned real estate investor. If you need some general advice or detailed loan strategies. Alex Lavender is your mortgage broker in Halifax, here to help you with all your mortgage needs.

✅ Compare mortgage rates with multiple lenders
✅ Help for first time home buyers & seasoned investors
✅ Loan & credit strategies and general mortgage advice

Alex Lavender, Your Broker

Whether you’re a first time home buyer or a seasoned real estate investor. If you need some general advice or detailed loan strategies. Alex Lavender is your mortgage broker in Halifax, here to help you with all your mortgage needs.

✅ Compare mortgage rates with multiple lenders
✅ Help for first time home buyers & seasoned investors
✅ Loan & credit strategies and general mortgage advice

Fast & Free Mortgage Application

Alex Lavender works for you not the banks.

Our mortgage broker services are 100% free for traditional mortgages.

Ensuring that you get the lowest rate and the best service is our #1 priority.

Serving Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and anywhere in Nova Scotia. Get in touch today or see below for what options we offer.

Want to learn more about mortgages?

Alex Lavender is one of the top rated mortgage brokers in Halifax & Dartmouth and the author of the free book Mortgages for Millennials. This book is your quick and easy way to learn everything about mortgages for Canadians.

Get Started:

Mortgage Options

Bad Credit Loans

  • All credit scores accepted
  • $200,000 minimum property value
  • Purchases – 20% down payment
  • Refinances – up to 80% of house value

Learn more about our bad credit mortgages here.

Pre-Approval

  • Fast pre-approval letters
  • Find out what you qualify for
  • Discuss different options
  • Guidance for improvement if you can’t qualify

Learn more about our mortgage approval process works.

Top Rates

  • Minimum credit score of 600
  • Down payment starting at 5%
  • Employment required
  • House must be at least $200k+

Contact Alex today or download Alex’s mortgage information pdf to learn more about getting the best rates. Or learn about our private mortgages here.

Self-Employed

  • Stated income verification when tax return income is not sufficient
  • 20% minimum down payment
  • All credit scores accepted

Learn more about our self-employed mortgages.

Purchase + Improvements

  • Roll your renovation costs into your loan
  • Up to $40,000 of renovations
  • 120 days to complete the work
  • Not available for appliances

Read more about our mortgage plus improvements here.

Refinancing

  • Lock in a better rate
  • Take out equity
  • Reduce your monthly payments

Contact Alex Lavender to learn about your refinancing options.

Mortgage Calculator

$

5%

1%

5%

$
$

$1421

Monthly Payment

Principal & Interest $1421

Monthly Taxes $1421

Monthly HOA $1421

Monthly Insurance $1421

Why Use a Mortgage Broker?

Alex Lavender grew up in a small town of 700 people. He has first hand experience witnessing the positive power of what community can do for individuals. Alex brings that small-town sense of community to Halifax and Dartmouth. Helping thousands of Nova Scotians buy their first house, refinance, get pre-approvals, and compare rates.
Using a broker allows you to compare and contrast rates from a variety of lenders. Get the best rate today! Start with 1 easy application:

How Brokerages Work:

  • FREE to use, we work for you, not the banks. Giving you the ability to choose between multiple lenders and compare rates side by side.
  • Mortgage specialist, we have helped thousands of Nova Scotians buy their first home. We’ll do the heavy lifting to let you choose the loan that is the best for you!
  • Efficient, we use your information to pull real mortgage approvals from multiple lenders. You can use Alex as your mortgage specialist and get rates from banks and lenders all in one place.

Meet Alex Lavender:

Alex Lavender is and Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) the author of “Mortgages For Millennials” and has been providing services in Halifax as a mortgage broker for years.

He takes pride in helping Nova Scotians purchase their first homes, refinance their current homes, or obtain a loan when no other options are available.

Alex listens to your situation and uses the necessary information to provide you with a variety of options from different lenders, including the big banks.

Alex’s Testimonials

Alex was wonderful to deal with for our mortgage. He was responsive immediately and dealt with all our questions. It was a pleasure to deal with Alex and... read more

thumb kim Caines
December 20, 2022

I had a great experience getting my mortgage through Alex Lavender! Very professional, knowledgeable, snd people oriented. He was very informative, and efficient to make everything come together! I would... read more

thumb effy peel
December 20, 2022

It was a real pleasure working with Alex. He was always available and fast to answer all of our questions. When others were saying we could not get a mortgage,... read more

thumb Melissa Poitras
December 20, 2022

Mortgage Types

Fixed

A fixed mortgage provides you the security of locking in an interest rate for the term of your loan. You will know exactly how much principal and interest you will be paying on the mortgage during the term.

Terms range from 6 months to 10 years, and most offer additional payments to pay down the principle.

Variable

A variable-rate mortgage allows you to take advantage of the current low interest rates. Most variable loans are below prime and can range from 1 – 5 years.

However the interest rate will fluctuate as the bank of Canada’s prime rate changes.

Open

An open term mortgage allows you the flexibility to pay off a portion or the full principle amount at any time. Interest rates are usually higher for open mortgages and are tied to the bank’s prime rate.

There are no penalties for paying off the full outstanding amount with this type.

Pros And Cons

Mortgages are a major financial decision and it should not be taken lightly. While searching for the lowest rates may save you thousands of dollars, it’s important that you understand what you’re getting into. That’s why talking to a mortgage expert is a great place to start. Here are some of the pros and cons to help you understand the impact:

Pros

  • Easy to use, brokers are a one stop shop.
  • Free! We’re paid by lenders, not you.
  • Better rates, we have access to some of the lowest rates.
  • Expert advice, we live and breath mortgages and even wrote a book about it!
  • Independent and friendly advice. We want you to get the best rate possible for your situation.

Cons

  • Unfamiliar working with someone you just met.
  • No access to some lenders. While there are a variety of options we do not provide all the options out there.
  • More documents may be needed.

Mortgages Explained – Latest Posts

Alex Lavender helps Nova Scotians get high mortgages for your dream home. Whether you need a self employed mortgage or are looking to do construction with a mortgage plus improvements program, Alex can help. Or if you’re just looking for more information on mortgages checkout these blog posts for helpful tips.

First Time Home Buyer’s Guide For Nova Scotians

Are you a first time home buyer? Don’t be stressed! Alex Lavender is a Halifax local and author of the best selling book Mortgages For Millennials. He’s a mortgage broker that has helped thousands of Nova Scotians buy their first home. This first home buyers guide will break down exactly what the home buying process…

Continue reading

How to calculate interest rate differential (IRD)

The IRD is a financial penalty that may apply if you pay off your mortgage early, pay down the principal beyond what your terms allow, or break your mortgage for any reason before the term ends. The interest rate differential (IRD) is the difference between the interest rates on your current mortgage vs the interest…

Continue reading

Monoline Lenders Vs The Big Banks

When it comes to “A” level mortgage financing, there are two main types of lenders: monoline lenders and the big banks. There are also others like private lenders and credit unions but we won’t focus on those here as they vary between provinces. What Is A Monoline Lender? A monoline lender is considered a broker…

Continue reading

Should You Renew Your Mortgage Early?

Mortgages in Canada are commonly issued on five-year fixed terms. When the term ends you will need to renew your mortgage. Sometimes you may want an early mortgage renewal. In this post I’ll break down the pros and cons of renewing your mortgage early so you know what your best options are. The Early Mortgage…

Continue reading

What does it mean to refinance a mortgage?

Many Canadians wonder what it means to refinance a mortgage. Alex Lavender – Mortgage Broker will tell you exactly what a mortgage refinance means, the penalties involved, and the pros and cons.  What is a mortgage refinance? A refinance is when you obtain a new mortgage for a higher amount to pay off your existing…

Continue reading

Fixed vs Variable Mortgage Rate Guide

Mortgages in Canada come in 2 main types, fixed rate and variable rate. At any point in this official mortgage rate type guide you can jump to a section: Table of Contents Variable Rate MortgageDo not confuse fixed vs “closed”Deciding Between Fixed vs Variable Mortgage RatesThe Fixed-Rate Mortgage DilemmaFixed Rate Example:How to Think About Interest…

Continue reading

What Is The New Mortgage Stress Test?

On May 20, 2021 Canada’s department of finance announced new qualifying rates for all uninsured mortgages. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) announced that effective June 1, 2021 new minimum qualifying rates will be applied for all insured and uninsured mortgages. What does that mean for you? This means the new mortgage…

Continue reading

Should you use a mortgage broker?

You are probably reading this article because you have a general idea of what a mortgage broker is, but are wondering why use one? What value does a mortgage broker provide? And how much does a mortgage broker cost? This article will answer all of these questions and show you the pros and cons of…

Continue reading

How To Avoid The Mortgage Stress Test

In late 2017 the federal government introduced a mortgage stress test for Canadians that are applying or renewing a mortgage. Again on April 6, 2020 the stress test changed for insured mortgages. In this post we’re going to break down the top 5 ways to avoid mortgage stress test. Even if you have amazing credit…

Continue reading

How long does a mortgage pre-approval last?

It is important to know the difference between an approval and a pre-approval for a mortgage. A pre-approval is based on estimates using theoretical figures for a property. An approval is for a specific property once an offer is made and is backed up with documentation to prove the information in the application. I am…

Continue reading

Commonly Asked Questions

Your mortgage broker:

Meet Alex

Alex Lavender is one of Halifax and Dartmouth’s top mortgage brokers. Known for his kindness and flexibility he provides you with the tools to make the best decision and get the best rates!

Get Help With Your First Home Purchase

mortgages for millennials book

Mortgages For Millennials is one of Canada’s most helpful books on mortgages. Sold on Amazon and Kindle this book breaks down EVERYTHING you’ve ever wanted to know about mortgages.

Alex has a unique ability to make buying homes and mortgages easy to understand.

Buying your first home can be a very intimidating and scary process. For most people it’s going to be the single biggest purchase of your life.

When looking at financing options there is a lot of bank jargon that can be difficult to understand.

Alex has had the same struggles you’re having. Trying to learn the ins and outs of mortgages is stressful and overwhelming.

That’s why Alex wrote Mortgages For Millennials. This book answers all your questions, and help you understand exactly what you’re getting into, and which types of mortgages are the best for your situation.

Today’s Current Mortgage Rates