Document Secrets Every Real Estate Investor Needs Before Getting Financing

In this joint episode of the Wisdom Lifestyle Money Show, host Scott Dillingham of LendCity teams up with real estate investing coach Teresa Beneteau to deliver critical year-end financial preparation advice for investors heading into the new year. Recorded in mid-December, this timely conversation addresses one of the most overlooked yet essential aspects of building a real estate portfolio: having your documentation and tax filings in order before seeking financing.

Scott opens by sharing a powerful cautionary tale about a commercial client with a multimillion-dollar trucking facility loan who faced serious consequences from disorganized paperwork. Despite having good standing with a major bank, the client's failure to maintain proper documentation during an annual review resulted in the bank refusing to renew the loan. The client was forced into expensive private lending while scrambling to organize documents for credit union approval. This real-world example illustrates how document disorganization can cost investors thousands in unnecessary fees and higher interest rates.

Teresa emphasizes that tax filing is non-negotiable when seeking any type of financing, whether purchasing a new property, refinancing, or pulling equity for an ADU project. Lenders consistently ask for tax documents, notices of assessment, T4s or T1 generals, proof of income, and credit bureau information as part of their standard qualification process. The conversation reveals that the Canada Revenue Agency holds significant power over property owners with outstanding tax debt. If taxes remain unpaid for an extended period, the CRA can register a judgment against the property through Federal Court, creating a lien that supersedes all other lending agreements. This means the CRA can force a property sale and recover their debt before any lender receives payment, making current tax status a primary concern for mortgage approval.

The discussion turns practical as Scott explains the financing timeline for tax documentation. Lenders typically accept prior year tax returns until March or April of the following year, giving investors a window to file and prepare. However, once spring arrives, lenders begin requesting current year documentation for any closings scheduled beyond that period. Scott shares another client success story involving a homeowner who owed CRA $100,000 and needed to refinance. Major banks refused the application due to the substantial tax debt, requiring a creative two-transaction solution: first a private second mortgage to pay off CRA, followed by a refinance with a primary lender once the notice of assessment showed zero balance.

Credit scores receive significant attention in the conversation, with Scott identifying 680 as the threshold for accessing the best mortgage rates and terms in Canada. A client example demonstrates this point: a woman seeking a fixed rate under 4% was unable to qualify because her score of 613 fell below the lender's 680 minimum. While she still secured financing at 4.19% through an alternative lender, the lower score cost her better terms. Scott advises checking both Equifax and TransUnion credit bureaus, as approximately 95% of lenders use Equifax as their primary source, but items occasionally appear exclusively on TransUnion reports and can surface during CMHC reviews.

Teresa brings the joint venture perspective into focus, explaining how organized documentation demonstrates credibility to potential investment partners. When vetting JV partners, she requests both credit bureau reports and police clearances, offering her own documentation in exchange. This reciprocal transparency approach quickly reveals partner reliability. She recounts an experience where potential partners who readily accepted her documentation but refused to provide their own immediately revealed themselves as unsuitable collaborators. The principle extends beyond lending: if a partner cannot organize basic financial documents, they are unlikely to perform reliably when refinancing or capital events require timely action.

The episode concludes with actionable preparation advice for commercial financing, particularly for six-unit-plus properties. Scott recommends investors learn proper deal underwriting using the same tools lenders employ to calculate net operating income and debt coverage ratios. Combined with organized documentation, solid underwriting skills position investors for straightforward approvals. Both hosts emphasize that successful investing requires proactive preparation rather than reactive scrambling when opportunities arise.