TRENDING: How An Ottawa Office Conversion Ended Up In Receivership

Open Mortgage

An open mortgage lets borrowers repay their loan anytime without penalty, offering flexibility but often at higher interest rates.

Open Mortgage

September 30, 2025


What is Open Mortgage?

An open mortgage is a mortgage product that allows the borrower to repay the loan in full or in part at any time without penalty. Open mortgages typically have higher interest rates compared to closed mortgages due to their repayment flexibility.

Why Open Mortgage Matters in Real Estate

Open mortgages matter in real estate because they provide borrowers with maximum flexibility, making them ideal for short-term financing needs or when borrowers anticipate having funds to pay off the mortgage early. However, the higher interest rates may increase overall borrowing costs if the loan is held long term.

Example of Open Mortgage in Action

A company buying an industrial site discovers historical contamination. As the new owner, they may be liable for cleanup costs under provincial environmental laws.

Key Takeaways

  • Open mortgages allow repayment at any time without penalty.
  • Offer flexibility for borrowers with short-term needs.
  • Typically have higher interest rates than closed mortgages.
  • Useful when anticipating lump-sum payments (e.g., sale proceeds).
  • May increase long-term borrowing costs if not repaid quickly.

Related Terms

Additional Terms

Public Realm Improvements

Public realm improvements are enhancements to public spaces such as sidewalks, parks, plazas, and streetscapes, often funded or contributed by. more

Mortgagee in Possession

A mortgagee in possession is a lender who takes control of a property after borrower default, but before foreclosure or power of sale. The lender. more

Lease Surrender Agreement

A lease surrender agreement is a negotiated contract between a landlord and tenant that ends a lease before its scheduled expiration. Terms may. more

Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure refers to natural or engineered systems that manage stormwater, reduce heat, and improve sustainability in developments.. more

Escrow Holdback

An escrow holdback is a portion of funds withheld at closing and held in escrow until specific conditions are met, such as completion of repairs,. more

Underused Housing Tax

The Underused Housing Tax (UHT) is a federal annual 1% tax on the value of vacant or underused residential property owned by non-resident,. more

More For You

Ahead Of BC Election, UDI, Housing Central Push For Four Actions

Ahead Of BC Election, UDI, Housing Central Push For Four Actions
EJ Yao/Unsplash

On October 13, the Urban Development Institute (UDI), BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA), Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA), and Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHFBC) — the latter three of which are together known as Housing Central — published a joint news release “calling on every party in the provincial election to commit to bringing down the cost of building homes” as Election Day nears.

UDI is the group that lobbies on behalf of private developers while the Housing Central partners represent the non-profits, Indigenous housing providers, and co-ops in the community housing sector.

Keep ReadingShow less

Expert: Canada’s Homes Got Cheaper In September, But Buyers Still Pulled Back

Expert: Canada’s Homes Got Cheaper In September, But Buyers Still Pulled Back

Canadian homes got cheaper in September. Buyers responded by purchasing fewer of them. A falling price is welcome, but it does little for a household whose mortgage approval no longer covers the home.

There were 36,657 residential sales in September, 7.7% fewer than a year earlier. Sales fell 2.3% from August after seasonal adjustment, so the decline went beyond the usual seasonal change.

Keep ReadingShow less

New Barrie Condo Blends Several Strategies To Create Affordability

New Barrie Condo Blends Several Strategies To Create Affordability

405 Essa

While some condo developers are pivoting to purpose-built rentals or opting to build larger, more expensive units amid a sluggish condo market, one Barrie developer is harnessing modular and standardized construction techniques, alongside housing incentive programs, to bring affordability back to the condo market.

“Own a condo for less than rent” promises Sean Homes’s 405 Essa project, slated for the west side of Essa Road, just north of the Ferndale and Veterans Drive intersection in south Barrie. It’s an impressive offer, with monthly payments, including mortgage, taxes, and condo fees starting at just $1,500 for a $249,990, 375-sq.-ft pre-construction studio.

Keep ReadingShow less

How Olivia Chow And Brad Bradford Plan To Address Toronto’s Housing Woes

How Olivia Chow And Brad Bradford Plan To Address Toronto’s Housing Woes

Incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow (Facebook), City Councillor Brad Bradford (City of Toronto)

As the October 26 Toronto mayoral election approaches, the city’s housing and affordability crisis remains one of the most pressing issues among voters, and for good reason.

Fewer than 1 in 6 Torontonians can afford to buy a home in the city, minimum wage workers have to work 145 hours per month to afford the average asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment, and while the city pledged to facilitate 285,000 new homes by 2031 in 2022, it’s only achieved 32% of that goal as of this August.

Keep ReadingShow less

How An Ottawa Office Conversion Ended Up In Receivership

How An Ottawa Office Conversion Ended Up In Receivership

495 Richmond Road in Ottawa in October 2020. (Google Maps)

An office-to-residential conversion project in Ottawa has been placed under receivership after the conversion commenced without the approval of the lender, according to filings in Ontario Superior Court.

The property is a seven-storey office building with 106,195 sq. ft of leasable space, located at 495 Richmond Road in Ottawa near Westboro Beach and the Ottawa River.

Keep ReadingShow less
TRENDING: How An Ottawa Office Conversion Ended Up In Receivership

This BC Masterplan Has Buyers (Finally) Stepping Out From The Sidelines

This BC Masterplan Has Buyers (Finally) Stepping Out From The Sidelines

The Mason (Infinity Properties)

For the past couple of years, purchasing a home has felt like a bet very few have wanted to make. From shifting market dynamics to panic-inducing headlines, there's a slew of reasons the sidelines have been the preferred seating for would-be buyers.

Then, The Rail District by Infinity Properties in Abbotsford opened the doors to its first condo building. At The Mason, which completed this spring, 10 condos sold in a single 30-day stretch. And in the months since May, they've just kept on selling.

Keep ReadingShow less

Moving Day: September 2026 Industry Hires And Promotions

Moving Day: September 2026 Industry Hires And Promotions

From left: Nicholas Carusi, National Real Estate Group, TD; Connie Amero, JLL Canada; Steffan Smith, GWL Realty Advisors; Stefanie Siu Chong, BDP Quadrangle; Marib Pirzada, Mattamy Homes; Cortney Simkins, CIBC

We know you like to know what's up.

For your information, reference, and networking needs, here are the moves, hires, and promotions the real estate and development sector saw in September 2026:

Keep ReadingShow less

Expert: We Must Build A Better Trades Training System (Or Housing Will Continue To Suffer)

Expert: We Must Build A Better Trades Training System (Or Housing Will Continue To Suffer)

Canada has finally begun to confront its housing crisis with the urgency that it so rightly deserves.

In Ontario, policy initiatives have signalled a renewed commitment to getting more homes built. Federally, there is growing recognition that increasing supply is essential to restoring affordability.

Keep ReadingShow less
Privacy PolicyAbout UsTerms of UseAdvertise with UsJobsContact UsRSS Feed
All rights reserved SiteMedia © 2026.