Mortgages · Lender review
Home Trust mortgage review
The B-lender that says yes when banks say no — no minimum credit score on the Classic, 95% LTV on the prime-side Accelerator — at the cost of posted-based penalties and a payout clause that can lock you in until you literally sell the house.
Best for: Borrowers who don’t fit bank criteria and need a broker-placed alternative lender with real products
Pros
- Classic mortgage has no minimum credit score — genuine alternative lending
- Accelerator (prime side) goes to 95% LTV with 30-year amortizations, portable and assumable
- 20% annual lump-sum room with a 20% payment increase on Accelerator
- Equityline Visa: a secured line to $1M with no annual or FX fees
Cons
- Classic terms restrict FULL payout to a bona fide arm’s-length sale (or after year 3) — you may be unable to refinance away
- Posted-rate IRD comparison (though without the discount add-back)
- Broker-only, with rate holds and several product details unpublished
- Equityline Visa not available in Quebec
Two products, two worlds
Home Trust — now part of the Fairstone Bank group, and the institution behind Oaken’s GICs — splits its lending in two. The Accelerator is near-prime: up to 95% loan-to-value, 30-year amortizations, portable and assumable. The Classic is the true alternative product: up to 80% LTV with no minimum credit score, priced accordingly. Both are placed through brokers only.
Read the payout clause before signing
Home Trust’s standard charge terms contain the most restrictive clause in our research: full prepayment of a closed mortgage is permitted “only upon the closing of a bona fides armslength sale of your property” — or after the third year on longer terms. In plain terms: on a Classic mortgage you may be unable to refinance to a cheaper lender mid-term at any penalty; the exit is selling the home or waiting.
Partial prepayment room still exists — 20% per year on the anniversary date, minimum $500 — and the IRD uses Home Trust’s posted rate without a discount add-back. But the sale-only clause is the headline: alternative lending’s real cost is often the terms, not just the rate.
The role it actually plays
For borrowers rebuilding credit or with income banks won’t recognize, a year or three at Home Trust’s rates can be the bridge back to prime lending — that’s the product’s honest purpose, and brokers use it exactly that way. The Equityline Visa (secured against the home, up to $1M, no annual fee) and the One Charge bundle add flexibility the big banks won’t offer this segment.
The plan should always include the exit: qualify back to a prime lender at renewal. Our stress-test calculator shows the hurdle you’ll need to clear.
Frequently asked questions
How does Home Trust calculate mortgage penalties?
Greater of three months’ interest at your contract rate or IRD against Home Trust’s posted rate for the nearest shorter term — posted-based, but with no discount add-back clause. Classic terms also restrict FULL payout to a bona fide arm’s-length sale (or after year 3 on longer terms). For a closed fixed mortgage the charge is the greater of three months' interest or the IRD; variables are typically three months' interest. Run your numbers in our penalty calculator, and remember only the lender's own payout statement is binding.
How much can I prepay at Home Trust without a penalty?
Lump sums up to 20%/yr on the anniversary date (min $500, no carry-forward) of the original principal per year, plus a payment increase of up to Up to 20% (Accelerator). Privileges reset annually and generally don't carry forward — and using them just before breaking a mortgage shrinks the balance the penalty is computed on.
Does Home Trust offer a HELOC or readvanceable mortgage?
Equityline Visa (secured, to $1M; not in Quebec). HELOCs at federally regulated lenders are stress-tested like mortgages and capped at 65% of home value within an 80% total — the mechanics (and the retiree angle) are in our HELOC guide.
Is a mortgage from Home Trust safe?
Borrowing carries no deposit-style risk — if a lender fails, your mortgage continues on its terms with a new owner; you never owe it back early. What matters is the contract: penalty method, prepayment room, and portability. That's exactly what this review scores.
The bottom line
As a bridge lender, Home Trust does a real job the banks refuse — just price the whole contract, not the rate: the sale-only payout clause on Classic terms is the kind of fine print that decides whether you can leave. Compare prime-side options first on the rate table.
See how Home Trust prices today
Benchmarks and verified lender offers, refreshed from the source.
Educational review, not financial advice or a mortgage offer. Product facts verified at Home Trust's own pages and disclosures on June 12, 2026; rates shown come from our daily pipeline (scraped or hand-verified at the lender, stamped per row) and change without notice. Penalty wording summarizes the lender's published method — the payout statement is the only binding figure.