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FirstHomeGuide.ca

Home Buying Calculators & Tools

Free interactive tools to help you plan your home purchase — built for Canadian first-time buyers with 2026 rules and rates.

Interactive Calculator

Mortgage & Affordability Calculator

Estimate your monthly payments, CMHC insurance, stress test qualification, and land transfer taxes — all based on 2026 Canadian rules.

Property Details

Typical range: $100K - $2M

= $25,000.00 (5.00%)

Typical range: 1% - 10%

Land Transfer Tax
Estimate based on province of purchase
Land Transfer Tax$6,475.00
First-Time Buyer Rebate-$4,000.00
Net LTT Payable$2,475.00

First-time buyers receive up to $4,000 rebate (homes up to $368,000 pay no LTT).

Estimated Monthly Payment

$2,873.13

over 25 years at 5.00%

Down Payment

$25,000.00

5.00% of purchase price

Mortgage Amount

$475,000.00

Before CMHC insurance

CMHC Insurance

$19,000.00

Premium rate: 4.0%

Total Mortgage

$494,000.00

Mortgage + CMHC premium

Stress Test Qualification

You would need to qualify at 7.00% (contract rate + 2% or 5.25%, whichever is higher).

Stress test monthly payment: $3,460.05

Total Interest Paid

$367,938.59

Over 25 years

Total Cost of Home

$886,938.59

Purchase + interest + CMHC


Affordability Calculator

How much can you afford?

Enter your financial details to find your maximum purchase price, based on Canadian mortgage stress test rules and GDS/TDS ratios.

Income & Debts

Car loans, student loans, credit cards, lines of credit

Mortgage Details

Current typical rate: ~4.5%

30-year amortization requires 20%+ down payment.

Housing Costs
Monthly costs factored into your qualification

% of home value per year (typical: 0.5% - 2%)

50% of condo fees count toward GDS/TDS ratios

You could afford up to

$445,173

Based on 6.5% stress test rate GDS is the binding constraint

Maximum Mortgage

$407,423

Includes $12,250 CMHC insurance

Your Down Payment

$50,000

11.2% of purchase price

Monthly Payment

$2,775.96

All housing costs included

CMHC Insurance

$12,250

Premium rate: 3.1%

Stress Test Qualification

You qualify at 6.5% (your rate 4.5% + 2%, or 5.25%, whichever is higher).

Stress test monthly mortgage payment: $2,729.02

Debt Service Ratios
Lenders use GDS and TDS to determine how much you can borrow
GDS (Gross Debt Service)(binding constraint)39.0%

Limit: 39.0%

TDS (Total Debt Service)42.6%

Limit: 44.0%

Monthly Payment Breakdown
At your actual rate of 4.5%
Mortgage (principal + interest)$2,254.98
Property tax$370.98
Heating$150.00
Total Monthly Housing Cost$2,775.96

Closing Cost Calculator

Estimate your closing costs

Closing costs typically add 1.5% - 4% on top of your purchase price. Know exactly what to budget for before you buy.

Property Details
%

Used to calculate CMHC insurance PST

Property Type

Estimated Closing Costs

$13,249

2.6% of purchase price

Total Cash Needed

Down payment ($50,000) + closing costs ($13,249) + $5,000 emergency buffer

$68,249

Legal & Professional
Legal fees$2,000
Title insurance$400
Home inspection$500
Appraisal fee$400
Subtotal$3,300
Government Fees & Taxes
Provincial land transfer tax$6,475
First-time buyer LTT rebate-$4,000
PST on CMHC insurance$1,116

8% Ontario PST on CMHC premium

Subtotal$3,591
Adjustments
Estimated prepaid costs and adjustments at closing
Property tax adjustment$2,500

Estimated prepaid property taxes (half-year)

Utility adjustments$200
Interest adjustment$858

Interest from closing to first payment date (~15 days)

Subtotal$3,558
Moving & Setup
Moving costs$1,500
Lock changes$300
Home setup essentials$1,000
Subtotal$2,800
Cost Summary
Legal & Professional$3,300
Government Fees & Taxes$3,591
Adjustments$3,558
Moving & Setup$2,800
Total Closing Costs$13,249

Comparison Tools

Compare your options

Side-by-side comparisons to help you make the best financial decisions for your first home purchase.

Scenario Details

Buying builds more wealth

After 10 years: Buying net worth $335,355 vs. Renting net worth $286,053

Buying becomes wealthier than renting after 3 years

Cumulative Wealth Over Time
Net equity (buying) vs. investment portfolio (renting)

Home Value (end)

$671,958

Equity: $335,355

Investment Portfolio (end)

$286,053

Down payment + monthly savings invested


Personalized Planner

Your Home Buying Timeline

Enter your financial situation and get a personalized month-by-month action plan for buying your first home in Canada.

Your Situation
Tell us about your timeline and finances
Financial Readiness

Your personalized plan

24-month plan

Projected Savings

$57,551

Est. Affordable Price

$395,830

Down Payment

$48,918 (12.4%)

Your timeline looks realistic based on your savings rate and income.
Month-by-Month Action Plan
24 milestones across 5 phases
1Foundation
Month 1Savings

Open a First Home Savings Account (FHSA)

Month 1Savings

Set up automatic savings transfers to your FHSA and savings accounts

$1,500/month

Month 1Credit

Pull your credit report to confirm your score

Month 2Savings

Build or top up your emergency fund (3 months of expenses)

Month 3Shopping

Research housing market and prices in your target area

2Savings & Preparation
Month 4Savings

Continue monthly FHSA contributions

$667/month toward $8,000/year max

Month 4Savings

Contribute to RRSP for the Home Buyers' Plan (HBP)

$533/month

Month 6Credit

Check credit score — monitor for improvement and catch issues early

Month 12Credit

Check credit score — monitor for improvement and catch issues early

Month 16Savings

File taxes and reinvest your FHSA/RRSP tax refund into your down payment savings

Est. refund: $3,338

Month 18Credit

Check credit score — monitor for improvement and catch issues early

3Getting Ready
Month 18Documentation

Contact a mortgage broker and start the pre-approval process

Month 19Documentation

Get your mortgage pre-approval letter

Month 19Shopping

Start attending open houses to understand market pricing

Month 19Shopping

Identify 2-3 target neighbourhoods within your budget

Month 20Shopping

Interview 2-3 buyer's real estate agents

4Active Search
Month 21Shopping

Finalize your buyer's agent and begin active home search

Month 21Documentation

Get home insurance quotes from 2-3 providers

Month 21Documentation

Identify and retain a real estate lawyer

Month 21Savings

Initiate RRSP HBP withdrawal (funds must sit in RRSP for 90 days before withdrawal)

$12,792

5Closing
Month 23Closing

Submit your offer, negotiate conditions, and proceed to closing

Month 24Savings

Withdraw FHSA funds for your home purchase (tax-free)

$13,336

Month 24Closing

Arrange movers, set up utilities, and forward mail

Month 24Closing

Closing day — keys in hand!


City Comparison Tool

Cost of Living Comparison by City

Compare the cost of buying a home across 20+ major Canadian cities. See average prices, down payments, mortgage costs, and affordability ratings side by side.

Select Cities
Choose two cities to compare side by side

Data Disclaimer

Prices are approximate averages and change frequently. For current data, consult your local real estate board.

Toronto

Ontario

Calgary

Alberta

Avg. Home Price

$1,100,000

Avg. Home Price

$575,000

Min. Down Payment

$220,000

20.00%

Min. Down Payment

$32,500

5.65%

Monthly Mortgage

$4,870.56

at 4.5%, 25yr amortization

Monthly Mortgage

$3,122.69

at 4.5%, 25yr amortization

Annual Property Tax

$7,370

Rate: 0.67%

Annual Property Tax

$3,680

Rate: 0.64%

Avg. Rent (1BR / 2BR)

$2,400 / $3,100

Avg. Rent (1BR / 2BR)

$1,600 / $2,000

Price-to-Income Ratio

11.6x

Challenging

Price-to-Income Ratio

5.8x

Moderate
Side-by-Side Comparison
Toronto
Calgary
Savings Needed to Buy
Down payment + closing costs (~3.5%) + 3-month emergency fund

Toronto

Down payment$220,000
Closing costs$38,500
Emergency fund$14,612
Total needed$273,112

Calgary

Down payment$32,500
Closing costs$20,125
Emergency fund$9,368
Total needed$61,993

Interactive Checklist

Document Checklist Generator

Get a personalized list of every document you need for your mortgage application — based on your situation.

Your Situation
Tell us about yourself so we can customize your checklist
Down Payment & Property

Documents Gathered

0 of 13

Income & Employment0/5
Down Payment Verification0/2
Identification0/3
Property Documents0/3

Programs available in your province

Every province offers different first-time buyer incentives. Select yours to see what you qualify for — stacked with federal programs like the FHSA and HBTC.

Select a province above to see available first-time buyer programs and your potential savings.