I bought my own cottage with equity I assumed I would never have.

For years I thought a second place was a luxury meant for other people. Learning what my own home had quietly built changed that, and it changed what I do for a living.

The short version

I am Lora Fenn, Mortgage Maven — a mortgage agent who helps when traditional guidelines say no. I work with homeowners across Barrie, Oro-Medonte, Simcoe County, Collingwood and Muskoka, and with clients across Ontario and the rest of Canada.

Most people come to me with a problem, not a product request. The house got too small. The debt keeps creeping. The cottage has felt out of reach for years. My job is to show you what is actually possible with the equity you already have, in words that make sense.

Where this comes from

I grew up at a cottage in Muskoka. My mom taught me that money is a tool, not a status symbol, and she was the one organizing the ski trips and the canoe trips and showing me how to make every dollar count.

Years later, sitting in my own home, I finally understood that the value in it could do something. We used that equity to buy our cottage. Watching my family up at the lake now, I am so glad I figured it out, and a little sad it took me so long to ask the question.

That is why I am not precious about explaining things. Nobody ever explained it to me either.

How I work

I run this practice small and hands-on, on purpose. You get plain words, honest answers, and the time to actually understand your own money. I will tell you when something is not the right move, even when it costs me the deal.

The harder the file, the more interested I get. Self-employed, bruised credit, an unusual property, a deal another broker walked away from. Bring me that one.

And once you are my client, you are my client forever. I follow up, I check in, and I genuinely care how it turns out for you.

Away from the desk

I am married to Mike and mom to Aksel. I coach skiing around Collingwood, Blue Mountains and Oro-Medonte, coach wrestling in Orillia, and referee on weekends. I have ADHD, a brain that never stops, and a real dislike of paperwork, which is why I apologize every time I have to chase you for a document.

Most mornings start with coffee, usually somewhere with water in view.

If you have a goal sitting in the back of your mind, I would love to hear it

Let’s talk it through, no pressure.

General education, not financial advice. Any figures are illustrative only and subject to lender approval (O.A.C.). Lora Fenn, Mortgage Agent Level 1, DLC Yellow Brick Mortgages (Brokerage Licence #13854). 705-881-2780 · lfenn@dominionlending.ca · lorafenn.ca