Port Alberni sits at the head of a 40-kilometer inlet, where the Somass River meets the sea and massive cargo ships glide past your morning coffee spot carrying lumber to distant markets. This isn’t your typical Island retirement town—though plenty of retirees have figured out that $62,800 goes further here than in Victoria, especially when you’re surrounded by some of the most accessible wilderness on Vancouver Island.
The Alberni Valley earned its “Salmon Capital of the World” title honestly. Chinook salmon here regularly break the 50-pound mark, drawing anglers from across North America who book guides months in advance. That’s not tourist marketing fluff—it’s the kind of reputation that keeps vacation rental properties busy and supports a surprisingly robust hospitality sector employing over 8% of the local workforce.
Healthcare dominates employment at nearly 19%, followed by retail at 14%. This economic mix creates stability that forestry alone never could, though the mills still provide that industrial backbone. The median age of 49 tells the real story: people aren’t just visiting Port Alberni, they’re staying. Young families arrive for affordable housing, outdoor lifestyle, and short commutes, while empty nesters discover they can own waterfront property without waterfront prices.
Cathedral Grove’s ancient Douglas firs draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, but locals know the real treasure is year-round outdoor access. Skiing at Mount Washington takes 90 minutes, Tofino’s surf breaks are two hours away, and world-class fishing starts in your backyard. The Alberni Valley offers something rare—small-town affordability with big-city recreational access.
With 68% single-family homes and our 65% maximum LTV, Port Alberni presents solid opportunities for equity-based lending. The combination of steady healthcare employment, tourism growth, and lifestyle migration creates the kind of market stability that makes mortgage brokers take notice.
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Our Mortgage Products Available in Port Alberni
| Mortgage Product Name | Max LTV | Key Notes for Port Alberni |
|---|---|---|
| Credit Repair and Debt Consolidation | 60.0% | Standard product terms |
| Variable Income | 60.0% | Standard product terms |
| Bare Land and Unique Properties | 60.0% | Standard product terms |
| Bridge Financing/Fully Open Term | 60.0% | Standard product terms |
| Commercial | 60.0% | Standard product terms |
| Development/Subdivisions | 50.0% | Standard product terms |
| Equity Lending | 60.0% | Standard product terms |
| Purchases | 60.0% | Standard product terms |
Detailed Mortgage Product Information
Credit Repair and Debt Consolidation
Maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) for Credit Repair and Debt Consolidation in Port Alberni:
60.0 %
“Their credit report reads like a horror novel, but the house was just renovated and is worth a lot…”
Here’s what happens when life takes a wrong turn. A bad business venture. Workplace Injury. That divorce that dragged on for two years. Suddenly your credit score looks like a batting average and the banks won’t even return your calls.
But here’s the thing – none of that changes what your ho...
Variable Income
Maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) for Variable Income in Port Alberni:
60.0 %
“Their income is all over the map, but there’s definitely income…”
Here’s a funny thing about lending based on Line 15000 of your Notice of Assessment: It’s a neat little box to underwrite against. Works great if you’re a salaried employee. Not so great if you’re running a fishing charter in Campbell River where thres fishing season, and the rest of the year.
We get it. Income isn’t always ti...
Bare Land and Unique Properties
Maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) for Bare Land and Unique Properties in Port Alberni:
60.0 %
“The appraisal came back as ‘property type: other’…”
Here’s a truth about real estate that nobody wants to admit: not everything fits in a box. Banks have boxes. Nice, tidy boxes labeled “single family home” and “condo” and “townhouse.” Their computer systems literally don’t have a dropdown menu option for “converted church with commercial kitchen” or “geodesic dome on 40 acres.”
We’ve funded...
Bridge Financing/Fully Open Term
Maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) for Bridge Financing/Fully Open Term in Port Alberni:
60.0 %
“Subjects came off their current home last week but their new place closes Friday…”
Here’s a funny thing about bridge financing: everyone thinks it’s complicated. It’s not. Someone needs to close on their new house before their old house sells. Or their sale fell through after they removed subjects on their dream home. Or they found the perfect downsizer condo but haven’t listed the family hom...
Commercial
Maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) for Commercial in Port Alberni:
60.0 %
“We need a commercial mortgage, but we’re in Fort St. James…”
Here’s the thing about being a MIC that lends in tiny towns: sometimes commercial comes with the territory. The general store that’s been there since 1952. The six-plex that passes for high-density housing in Vanderhoof. The campground that’s also someone’s retirement plan.
We’re not going to pretend we love commercial lending. We ...
Development/Subdivisions
Maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) for Development/Subdivisions in Port Alberni:
50.0 %
“Got a client with subdivision dreams? Unfortunately we’ll probably say no…”
Look, we know you’ve got that client. The one with 5 acres in Kamloops who’s convinced they’re sitting on a goldmine once it’s subdivided. They’ve got the sketches. They’ve done the math. They just need a lender who “gets it.”
We get it. We just don’t do it anymore.
After 20 years of funding subdivisions across rura...
Equity Lending
Maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) for Equity Lending in Port Alberni:
60.0 %
“They have tons of equity but don’t qualify under B20…”
Here’s the thing about equity lending: it exists because banks literally can’t do it. B20 guidelines require income verification. Full stop. No wiggle room. No common sense exceptions.
We’re provincially regulated. The funds we lend on come from individual investors, not the Bank of Canada. So when your client has 50% equity but their in...
Purchases
Maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) for Purchases in Port Alberni:
60.0 %
Moving is supposed to be exciting. New town, new job, new chapter. So why do banks act like you’re asking for their firstborn when you need a mortgage?
“You haven’t been at your new job for thre months”
“Your self-employment income doesn’t count in a new market.”
“We need to see established a year if you are part time contract - even if you’re working 40 hours under your new role”
Meanwhile...