In short
A purchase is prepared in this order: establish your borrowing capacity and down payment, budget for the land transfer tax and closing costs (on top of the price), have the notary or lawyer check the title depending on your province, then get an inspection before removing conditions. Each step has its calculator and guide below.
The tools
Budget and financing
- Mortgage affordability: how much can you borrow? (Canada 2026)
Two ratios (GDS 39%, TDS 44%), one higher rate: the affordability math explained. Example: $120,000 of income ≈ $485,000 of loan at the stress test —…
- Mortgage pre-approval: what it guarantees, and what it does not
Income verified, credit pulled, rate held 60 to 130 days (CMHC) — but a pre-approval covers you, not the house. Pre-qualification vs pre-approval vs…
- Down payment: the real cost of 5% instead of 20% (Canada 2026)
Below 20% down, mortgage insurance is mandatory: a 4% premium ($19,000 on $500,000), about $33,300 once financed, plus a sales tax due in cash in…
- 25- or 30-year amortization: what it really changes, city by city
Lower payment, lower qualifying income, more interest: the 30-year amortization's real effect on each Canadian city's reference home — who qualifies…
- HBP + FHSA: stacking both for a first home (Canada 2026)
The $60,000 HBP and the $40,000 FHSA stack for the same purchase: up to $100,000 of tax shelter per person, $200,000 for a couple — double the 20% down…
- First-time home buyer programs and incentives in Canada (2026)
Every first-time home buyer program in Canada in 2026: FHSA ($40,000), HBP ($60,000), HBTC ($1,500), new-home GST rebate (up to $50,000), plus…
- Self-employed mortgage: qualifying without a T4 (Canada 2026)
Lenders qualify the self-employed on their two-year average NET income — not revenue. The quantified threshold (~$105,000 for a $500,000 home with 20%…
- Alternative lenders: when the bank says no (Canada 2026)
A bank refusal ≠ the end of the project: B lenders finance atypical files at a rate about 1 to 2 points higher plus fees. The 'price of yes' quantified…
- Rent or buy? The monthly gap, city by city
The real monthly gap between renting and buying in 16 major Canadian metros — CMHC rents, board prices, Bank of Canada rates. Two readings (cash outlay…
Taxes and closing costs
- Quebec's welcome tax (land transfer duties): the exact math (2026)
Quebec's land transfer duties are calculated in brackets: 0.5% / 1% / 1.5%, plus up to 3% municipal above $500,000 (Laval since 2026). About $5,611 on…
- Closing costs and land transfer tax when buying a home, by province (Canada 2026)
How much are closing costs and land transfer tax when buying a home in Canada? Province-by-province table on a $500,000 example: Alberta and…
- GST/HST on a new home: the rate by province, and the three rebates
Resales are exempt; new homes are taxed: 5% everywhere, 13% in Ontario, 14% in NS, 15% in NB, GST+QST in Quebec. The first-time buyer rebate (Bill C-4,…
- Notary fees when buying a home in Quebec: what to budget
Fees of $1,000 to $2,500 plus about $450-500 in related costs (APNQ/La Presse; Chambre des notaires: no mandatory tariff). Who pays what, what moves the…
- What the lawyer or notary costs on a home purchase, province by province
Fees in the range of $1,000–$2,000 in most provinces, $1,000–$2,500 in Quebec (June 2026 reading) — disbursements and land transfer tax extra. No…
Notary, title and documents
- Notary or lawyer: who signs your home purchase, province by province
In Quebec, a mortgaged deed of sale requires a notary — Canada's only civil-law province. Everywhere else it's a lawyer, except BC where a notary public…
- The real estate lawyer at closing: role, choice, costs (Canada 2026)
The security airlock between your money and the property: title search, lien discharge, pro-rata adjustments. Who chooses the lawyer or notary, who pays…
- Who owns that property? Searching a land title, province by province
Land registries are public: $1.50 per document in Quebec (since April 1, 2026 — it was $1 since 2002), ≈ $36.50 in Ontario (OnLand), ≈ $11 in BC (LTSA),…
- Title insurance in Canada: what it costs, what it covers, and who actually requires it
A one-time premium in the range of $200 to $500 for a typical home, paid once at closing. No law requires it — your lender does, by contract, and its…
- Certificat de localisation, RPR, survey: the same document lives three lives across Canada
≈ $1,580 for a single-family home per the OAGQ 2025 guide, paid by the seller in Quebec; Alberta's RPR $800–$1,500 with municipal compliance ($199 in…
- Buying a condo: the certificate that protects you, and its price — province by province
Status certificate $100 all-in in Ontario (10 days), estoppel $200 in Alberta (+$100 for 3-day rush), Form B $35 in BC (7 days), Quebec's syndicate…
- Cancelling an accepted offer: the cooling-off periods, province by province
Only one province lets you rescind a resale: BC (3 business days, 0.25%). New condos: 10 days in Ontario and Alberta, 7 in Manitoba; Quebec's 10-day…
Inspection and warranties
- Pre-purchase home inspection: price, scope, and the licence by province (Canada 2026)
What a pre-purchase inspection really covers, its cost (~0.13% of the purchase price), and the verified licence map: mandatory in BC and Alberta,…
- Home inspection vs appraisal: two professions everyone mixes up
The inspector examines the building's condition and works for you ($750–$850 in Quebec, ~$500 elsewhere). The appraiser measures value — and their…
- New home warranty, province by province: four mandatory regimes, four deserts
Mandatory in only 4 provinces: Ontario (Tarion 1-2-7, deposits $60,000–$100,000), Quebec (GCR — but not condo towers), Alberta (1-2-5-10) and BC…
The professionals
Frequently asked questions
How much should I budget on top of the price?
The land transfer tax of your province, the notary or lawyer fees, the inspection and the tax adjustments. The closing-costs guide lists them province by province.
Notary or lawyer?
In Quebec, the deed is signed before a notary; elsewhere a lawyer usually closes the purchase. The “notary or lawyer” guide gives the rule for each province.
Is an inspection mandatory?
No, but it is the only way to know the condition of the home before removing your conditions. Inspector licensing depends on the province; the pre-purchase inspection guide explains it.