Keep the Home.
Buy Out Your Spouse.
A separation-specific refinance that lets one spouse take over the matrimonial home with up to 95% loan-to-value financing. We run the math before your lawyer drafts the agreement, so the buyout you negotiate is the buyout you can actually close. Calgary and Alberta-wide. Confidential conversations.
A Refinance Built for
Separation, Not Equity Cash-Outs.
Standard refinances cap at 80% of your home's value. The spousal buyout program — recognized by CMHC, Sagen, and Canada Guaranty — lets you go up to 95%, because federal rules treat it as equivalent to a purchase, not a refinance. That higher ceiling is often the difference between keeping the home and being forced to sell.
The catch: the funds are restricted. They go to settling matrimonial property as documented in your separation agreement. They cannot be used to consolidate other debt, fund renovations, or take cash out. The program does one job and does it well.
What We Handle
- Pre-agreement modelling — we run the buyout math before your lawyer drafts it, so the number in the agreement is one you can fund
- 95% LTV spousal buyout placement — across CMHC, Sagen, and Canada Guaranty insured lenders
- Single-income qualifying analysis — including spousal and child support as qualifying income where the lender allows it
- Co-signer and amortization structuring — when the math is tight, we model the alternatives
- B-lender and private lender access — if credit, income, or timing makes the prime channel unworkable
- Lawyer-broker coordination — we work directly with your family law and real estate lawyer so the discharge, transfer, and new mortgage close cleanly
- Discreet communication — phone, WhatsApp, encrypted email — your call. We do not contact anyone without your written permission
How a Spousal Buyout
Mortgage Actually Works
The short version: you refinance the matrimonial home in your name only, the lender funds enough to pay out your spouse's share of the equity per your signed agreement, your spouse comes off title and off the mortgage, and you continue with the home as a sole borrower.
1. Signed Separation Agreement
The agreement spells out the matrimonial property division and the buyout amount. Lenders fund based on this document. No agreement, no spousal buyout program.
2. Appraisal of the Home
An accredited appraisal sets the home's current market value. The 95% LTV calculation is based on the appraised value, not the assessed value or what either spouse thinks it's worth.
3. Qualifying File on One Income
You qualify on your own income, with spousal or child support counted where the lender allows. The federal stress test still applies.
4. Insured Approval
Default insurer (CMHC, Sagen, or Canada Guaranty) approves the file as a spousal buyout. Insurance premium applies because LTV is above 80%.
5. Lawyer Coordination
Your real estate lawyer discharges the old mortgage, removes your spouse from title, and registers the new mortgage. Funds flow to settle the buyout.
6. Closing & Release
You close in your name only. Your spouse receives written confirmation of release from the original lender. The home is yours.
Who the Spousal Buyout
Program Fits.
Not every separation needs a spousal buyout. Sometimes selling and splitting is the right call. The program fits when one spouse genuinely wants to keep the home, can carry it on a single income (with or without support payments and a co-signer), and the equity in the home is large enough to require the higher 95% LTV ceiling.
The Buyout Likely Works When
- You want to keep the home — for the kids' stability, for your own roots, or because rebuying in this market is harder than holding
- The home has substantial equity and the buyout amount can't be funded under standard 80% refinance rules
- Your single income (plus support, if applicable) supports the new payment under stress-tested debt service ratios
- You have a signed separation agreement, or your lawyer is drafting one and the buyout number isn't locked yet
It May Not Be the Right Fit When
- Neither spouse can carry the home alone — selling and splitting is cleaner
- The equity is small enough that a standard refinance under 80% LTV would cover the buyout
- Your credit took serious damage during the separation and prime lenders won't approve — we'd look at B-lender or private financing instead
- The separation isn't ready to be documented — agreements need to be signed before the spousal buyout program can run
Realistic Timeline
From First Call to Closing
Most files close in 30 to 60 days from a signed agreement. Here is what each phase actually looks like, so you can plan your life around it.
Week 0 — First Call
Confidential consultation. We model the buyout math against your home, your income, and your credit. You walk away knowing whether the buyout is realistic before you negotiate it.
Weeks 1–4 — Agreement
Your family law lawyer drafts and finalizes the separation agreement. We stay on call to re-run numbers as terms shift. Once signed, the spousal buyout file becomes live.
Weeks 4–6 — Approval
Application, appraisal, lender underwriting, and default insurer approval. We package the file for the lender most likely to approve at favourable terms.
Weeks 6–8 — Closing
Lawyer instructions, signing, mortgage funding, discharge of the old mortgage, title transfer, and written release of your former spouse from the original lender.
The Questions People
Actually Ask Us.
What is a spousal buyout mortgage in Canada?
A spousal buyout mortgage is a federally recognized refinance program that lets one spouse refinance the matrimonial home up to 95% of its appraised value to pay out the other spouse's share of the equity. It is treated as a purchase under the rules of CMHC, Sagen, and Canada Guaranty rather than a standard refinance, which is why the higher loan-to-value is allowed. You need a signed separation agreement, an appraisal, and the funds must be used solely to settle matrimonial property.
How much can I borrow?
Up to 95% of the home's appraised value. On a $600,000 home that's up to $570,000 in mortgage financing — assuming you qualify and the default insurer approves. The buyout amount you can fund is limited to what is required to settle the matrimonial property division per the separation agreement, not debt consolidation or cash-out for other purposes.
Do I need to be legally divorced first?
No. You need a signed separation agreement that documents the matrimonial property division. The legal divorce in Canada often takes a year or more, but lenders will process the spousal buyout based on the separation agreement well before the divorce judgment is issued.
Can I qualify on one income?
Yes, if your single income supports the mortgage payment plus your other debts under the lender's debt service ratios and the federal stress test. Spousal and child support payments can count as qualifying income when documented and supported by 3 to 6 months of payment history. The treatment varies by lender — some give support full weight, others apply a reduction. We package the file for the lender whose treatment works for your math.
What if I don't qualify on my own?
Several options. Adding a co-signer — often a parent — is the most common. Extending the amortization lowers the qualifying payment. Structuring the buyout amount to fit what you can fund (rather than the maximum possible) sometimes solves it. If credit or income is the real obstacle, B-lender or private lender financing exists, with different terms but the same outcome of getting the buyout done.
Will my spouse be released from the mortgage?
Yes — that is a core feature of the program. When the spousal buyout funds the new mortgage, the old mortgage is discharged in full. Your former spouse comes off title and off the mortgage, and the original lender issues a written release. Until you have that release in writing, both parties remain legally on the hook, which is why confirming the release is part of every file we close.
What if the buyout amount is more than 95% of the home's value?
Then it cannot be funded as a single spousal buyout mortgage. Options at that point: bring outside funds to make up the difference (savings, family loan, gifted funds documented properly), reduce the buyout through negotiation, sell and split, or look at private second-mortgage layering. We model each scenario before you commit.
How are conversations kept confidential?
We do not contact your spouse, your existing lender, your lawyer, or anyone else without your written permission. Calls, WhatsApp, and email are all available — pick what works for your situation. Many clients reach out before their separation is publicly known, and we structure the consultation around that reality.
Do I need a family law lawyer first?
For the buyout to fund, yes — a separation agreement signed by both parties is required. But you don't need to wait until everything is signed before talking to a broker. The most useful conversation happens early, when the buyout number is still being negotiated. We tell you what is fundable so the lawyer drafts something you can actually close.
A Word on Confidentiality
Separation files are different from a regular mortgage. We treat them that way.
- We never contact your spouse, your existing lender, or your lawyer without your written permission
- We will use whatever channel you prefer — phone, WhatsApp, encrypted email, in-person — including using a private line if needed
- If there is a safety concern, tell us. We have worked with files where the timing of contact had to be carefully managed
- The first call costs nothing and creates no obligation. We are not interested in pressure tactics
Deeper Guides on
Separation & Mortgages
If you want to read further before booking a call, these guides cover the parts of the conversation people most want to understand quietly first.
Divorce Mortgage Calgary →
The three real paths through a Calgary divorce mortgage — buyout, sell and split, walking away clean — and how each one works.
Separated but Still on the Mortgage →
What to do when the separation is happening but the mortgage situation hasn't been formally addressed yet.
Refinancing & Switching →
How a standard refinance compares to a spousal buyout, and when the standard 80% LTV refinance is enough.
Mortgage Refinancing Service →
If a standard refinance is the right fit instead, here's how the broader refinance service works.
Bad Credit Mortgage Options →
If credit took damage during the separation and prime lenders won't approve, here's what's still possible.
Self-Employed Mortgage →
If you're self-employed and going through a buyout, the qualifying conversation is different — here's how.
Spousal Buyout in Your
Alberta City or Region
The spousal buyout program runs the same way across the province, but every Alberta market has its own quirks — property values, appraiser availability, common income types, and what neighbouring communities expect. Pick your city for a closer look.
Edmonton →
Edmonton, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Leduc — including the Family Property Act 2020 update for common-law and AIP files.
Red Deer →
Red Deer, Sylvan Lake, Lacombe, Innisfail, Olds — central Alberta files with oil-services and ag-services income.
Lethbridge →
Lethbridge, Coaldale, Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, Cardston, Taber — southern Alberta agricultural and BFS files.
Medicine Hat →
Medicine Hat, Redcliff, Dunmore, Brooks — the first dedicated spousal buyout broker page in southeast Alberta.
Grande Prairie →
Grande Prairie, Clairmont, Wembley, Sexsmith, Beaverlodge — oil-patch rotational and BFS contractor files.
Fort McMurray →
Fort McMurray, Anzac, Conklin, Fort MacKay — oil-sands rotational income, bonus and overtime documentation.
Canmore & Bow Valley →
Canmore, Banff, Exshaw — high-value Bow Valley files with vacation-rental income and the CMHC $1.49M property cap.
Airdrie →
Airdrie, Crossfield, Beiseker — Calgary commuter belt with school-stability and dual-to-single income transitions.
Cochrane →
Cochrane, Bragg Creek, Springbank, Bearspaw — acreage-style files and Calgary-commuter BFS income.
Okotoks & Foothills →
Okotoks, High River, Heritage Pointe, DeWinton — southern commuter belt and higher-end Foothills files.
Chestermere →
Chestermere, Langdon, Strathmore — lakefront and lake-access higher-value files east of Calgary.
Don't see your city? →
Gold Lion Mortgages is licensed across Alberta. If your city isn't listed, reach out — we work files anywhere in the province.
Let's Run
Your Numbers.
No pressure, no judgment, no contact with anyone else. We model the buyout math against your file and tell you what is realistic before you commit to anything in writing. The first conversation is always free.