The 3 Barriers to Getting Approved for a Mortgage (And How to Navigate Them) | Real Estate Investing Canada

Jul 23, 2025

🎧 The 3 Barriers to Getting Approved for a Mortgage (And How to Navigate Them)
Real Estate Investing Morning Show – Hosted by Wayne & Gabby Hillier

On today’s episode, Wayne and Gabby are joined by investor-focused mortgage broker Keaton Kirkwood to break down the three major barriers to qualifying for mortgage financing—and how to overcome them. They also discuss what to look for in a joint venture partner, reflect on trends in Edmonton's suited house market, and give insight into why some past renovations haven’t aged well. Plus, a raw conversation about strategy, risk, and predatory rent-to-own tactics that every investor needs to hear.

🧠 What You'll Learn in This Episode

• The 3 major financing barriers: income, liquidity, and lender policy

• Why buying properties separately as a couple rarely helps most investors

• The truth about self-employed income and mortgage qualification

• What money partners look for in a JV working partner

• How trust and contracts both matter in joint ventures

• The rise and fall of Edmonton’s suited house renovation boom

• Why over-renovating for “high-end tenants” is a bad idea

• How to vet your JV partners and avoid blind trust

• When lease options might become the best investing strategy

• Why real estate investing should be treated like a business, not a hobby

👥 About Your Hosts
Wayne & Gabby Hillier are full-time real estate investors and coaches based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Through their REI Masters Mentorship Program, they help Canadians build long-term wealth using rental properties, BRRRRs, flips, joint ventures, and creative real estate strategies.
New episodes every weekday morning featuring real stories, coaching moments, and tactical investing advice.

💡 Resources & Contact
Learn about our Mentorship Program: www.reimasters.ca
Bookkeeping & tax help: www.finngo.com/rei
Submit a question: [e-mail]

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