Your first home starts with the right plan.
Before listings, open houses and offers, understand what you can comfortably afford, what a lender may approve, and what you need to prepare. Mortgage Villa helps you move from “Can I buy?” to “I'm ready to buy.”
Plan before house-hunting • Understand total costs • Compare mortgage options
From first question to front door.
A new buyer should never have to guess what comes next. Follow the path in order, or jump directly to the stage you are already in.
Understand why people buy, what professionals are involved, and the decisions that happen from planning through closing.
Explore the Homebuyer Guide →Separate the amount you might qualify for from the housing payment that still leaves room for savings, family priorities and everyday life.
Avoid Becoming House Poor →Review income, debts, credit, down payment and documents so your home search starts with a realistic financing range.
Start Pre-Approval →Organize income, employment, down-payment history, identification and other supporting documents before an accepted offer creates a deadline.
See What Lenders Review →Work with your realtor knowing both your financing range and your personal comfort range. The goal is a home you can enjoy after closing.
Before We Shop →Once you have a property, complete lender review, satisfy conditions, coordinate with your lawyer and insurer, and protect your approval through closing.
See the 10-Step Plan →Don't start with the maximum. Start with your life.
A lender's qualification answers one question: what may be financeable. Your own homebuying plan has to answer a bigger question: what payment leaves enough room for property taxes, utilities, maintenance, transportation, savings, family goals and unexpected expenses?
Calculate my comfort numberWhat may fit lender and insurer qualification rules.
What fits your monthly cash flow and priorities.
The range you use to focus the actual home search.
Qualification is a ceiling, not a lifestyle target.
Keep the Homebuyer Guide beside you.
Download Rolando Villa's Homebuyer Guide. Use it as a companion while you plan your budget, prepare your documents and move toward closing.
Know the help available before you buy.
Some programs reduce tax. Others help you use your own savings. Start with the options below, then confirm which rules apply to your household and property.
Program information reviewed October 6, 2026. “First-time buyer” means different things in different programs. Eligibility, ownership history, spouse or partner rules, residency, deadlines and property requirements must be checked separately.
Eligible first-time buyers can recover all or part of Ontario land transfer tax. You must be at least 18, occupy the home as your principal residence within nine months, and never have owned a home or an interest in one anywhere in the world. Spousal ownership rules also apply.
Canadian citizenship or permanent residency is required, with a limited route for buyers who obtain that status after closing. Apply within 18 months. Joint ownership can reduce the refund.
Check Ontario eligibility →Toronto charges its own land transfer tax in addition to Ontario’s. Eligible first-time buyers may receive a separate municipal rebate. Age, worldwide ownership, spousal ownership, residency and occupancy conditions apply.
Your lawyer can review both rebates. Applications after registration must be received within 18 months; a processing fee may apply. This municipal rebate does not apply to properties outside the City of Toronto.
Check Toronto eligibility →An eligible buyer can save in an FHSA. Contributions are generally tax-deductible, and qualifying withdrawals are tax-free. Participation room begins when you open your first FHSA; limited unused room can carry forward.
This is your own savings, rather than a government cash grant. Qualifying withdrawals do not need to be repaid. Check the account-opening and withdrawal conditions separately.
Explore FHSA rules →Withdraw eligible RRSP funds to buy or build a qualifying home under the HBP. The amount generally must be repaid to your RRSP over 15 years. A required repayment you miss is generally included in taxable income.
For a first withdrawal in 2026, current temporary relief starts repayments in 2031. HBP and a qualifying FHSA withdrawal can be used for the same home if you meet each program’s conditions.
Review HBP conditions and repayment →Eligible buyers may claim a home buyers’ amount on line 31270. The published CRA guidance for the 2025 tax year allows an amount of up to $10,000; that is the amount used to calculate a credit, not a $10,000 payment.
The credit reduces federal income tax payable. Confirm the applicable tax-year amount and rate when filing. Eligible joint buyers share the permitted claim for the same home.
Read CRA tax-credit guidance →For eligible new homes, the federal rebate covers 100% of GST or the federal part of HST on homes valued up to $1 million, with reduced relief between $1 million and $1.5 million. Ontario’s first-time buyer rebate offers up to $80,000 of the provincial HST component.
These rebates concern eligible new construction or substantial renovation, rather than ordinary resale homes. Purchase-agreement dates, construction timing, occupancy and first-time buyer rules matter. Ask your builder and lawyer whether rebates are credited in the price; do not assume they are extra cash after closing.
Check current CRA rebate rules →Buying a new home in 2026–2027? Ontario also has a temporary enhanced new housing rebate for qualifying builder purchases from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027, and qualifying owner-built homes. Your lawyer should compare the applicable rebates and any Ontario affordability payment; benefits must not be assumed to stack. See the official rules.
Does assistance replace my down payment or closing funds?
No single program covers every cost. FHSA and HBP use your own savings; land transfer rebates reduce eligible tax; income-tax credits are claimed through a tax return. Build a cash plan for the deposit, down payment, legal fees, adjustments, moving and emergency savings.
Could I qualify for local down-payment assistance?
Some municipalities or regional housing providers offer limited homeownership assistance when funding is available. Income limits, purchase-price limits, residency and repayment conditions vary. Check the housing department where you plan to buy before including assistance in your financing plan.
What should I bring to an assistance review?
Your intended city, new-build or resale plans, estimated budget, purchase and closing dates, citizenship or residency status, your and your spouse’s ownership history, FHSA details and RRSP balances. Share sensitive documents through an agreed secure process.
There's a path through it.
Whether you are buying your first home, renewing or planning your next move, start with the path that fits your household.
Review your mortgage before signing the lender’s renewal offer. Compare rate, term and flexibility.
Review my renewal →Explore debt consolidation, renovations, equity access and restructuring your mortgage.
Explore refinancing →Business income may require a different documentation and lender strategy.
See self-employed options →Plan around rental income treatment, down payment, cash flow, credit and property-specific lending rules.
Explore rental financing →General educational information only. Program eligibility should be confirmed with the administering agency and your lawyer or tax professional. A pre-approval does not guarantee final mortgage approval. Mortgage approval is subject to lender underwriting, borrower verification, property acceptance and applicable lender, insurer and regulatory requirements.
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