First-Time Home Buyer in Georgetown
Real Georgetown prices, the buyer programs that actually exist in Halton Hills, and the down payment math on a genuine local purchase.
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First-Time Home Buyers
First-time buyer in Ontario? Let's take the guesswork out.
Nobody hands you a manual for this. You get a pre-approval number, a pile of jargon, and a deadline. I walk first-time buyers through it in plain language, from what you can actually afford to what lands on your closing statement.
Most first-time buyers I talk to have the same worry, and it isn't the rate. It's not knowing what they don't know. What counts as a down payment. Whether the pre-approval is real. What the lawyer is going to ask for two weeks before closing.
So that's how I work these files. We start with what you can genuinely carry, not the biggest number a lender will print. Then we build backwards: the deposit, the closing costs, the paperwork your lender will want at the worst possible moment. Fewer surprises. A lot less stress in the last two weeks.
This is probably you if…
You've never bought before and the process feels like a black box.
You have a pre-approval, but you're not sure how solid it actually is.
You're saving a down payment and want to know what's realistically enough.
You've heard about the FHSA and Home Buyers' Plan but not how they stack.
You budgeted for the down payment and forgot about closing costs.
You're buying in Halton Hills, Georgetown or Acton and want local numbers.
Go deeper
Real Ontario numbers and scenarios. Pick the one that sounds like where you're at.
Closing Costs in Georgetown, Ontario
Land transfer tax at real local price points, legal fees, title insurance, and the PST on mortgage insurance almost nobody budgets for.
Read more →London Ontario Down Payment Assistance
Up to $25,000 interest-free toward a down payment. Who qualifies, how repayment works, and how it stacks with the FHSA and Home Buyers' Plan.
Read more →Mortgage Broker vs Bank in Ontario
Your bank offers one shelf. I have dozens. What that difference means for a first-time buyer's rate, options, and odds of approval.
Read more →Not ready to book? Stay in the loop.
Get the same plain-English mortgage notes I send first-time buyers: rate moves, program changes, and what actually matters when you're getting ready to buy.
You're on the list.
Thanks. I'll be in touch, and you'll get the same plain-English mortgage notes I send clients. Check your inbox (and spam, just in case).
Questions I get a lot
How much do I really need for a down payment in Ontario?
Five percent on the first $500,000, then ten percent on the portion above that, up to $1.5 million. On a $700,000 purchase that's $45,000. Under twenty percent down means default insurance gets added, and in Ontario you pay PST on that premium in cash at closing. That last part catches almost every first-time buyer off guard.
Is a pre-approval the same as being approved?
No, and this is the one I wish more buyers knew. A pre-approval holds a rate and gives you a working budget. It is not a lender committing to your specific purchase. The real approval happens after you have an accepted offer, when the lender reviews the property and re-checks your income and credit. Nothing about your finances should change in between.
What should I budget for closing costs?
Plan on roughly 1.5 to 4 percent of the purchase price. Land transfer tax is usually the biggest piece, and first-time buyers get a provincial rebate up to $4,000. Then legal fees, title insurance, adjustments, and the PST on mortgage insurance if you're under twenty percent down.
Does it cost me anything to work with you?
On a standard purchase, no. The lender pays me when your mortgage closes, the same way a seller pays a real estate agent. If your file needs private or alternative lending, any fee is disclosed in writing before you sign anything.
Buying your first home this year?
Let's figure out what you can actually carry, and what the whole thing will cost you on closing day. No cost, no obligation, no pressure to move fast.