Published: June 5, 2014 • Last updated: April 25, 2021 at 12:38 pm

Extremely Well-Qualified Homebuyers May Still Be Able To Purchase A Home With No Down Payment

From time to time I meet people who are anxious to buy a home, but have no down payment saved up. They are frustrated being on the sidelines and watching everyone else grow their home equity.

So, with all the recent changes to mortgage rules, is it still possible to buy a home with no down payment? The answer is yes and no.

While the past is no guarantee of a future outcome, history tells us that homeownership is a key component of building financial strength and security for Canadians.

If you want to join the club, put together a down payment, and take the leap to homeownership.

When you buy a home, you are expected to have access to a down payment towards the overall purchase price of the home. Lenders do not want the down payment to be borrowed. It has to be your own money – either money you have saved up, or money is given (not loaned) to you by relatives.

The larger your down payment, the smaller your mortgage will be. These days, you need a down payment amount of at least 5% on the first $500,000 of the purchase price of the house and an additional 10% for anything over $500,000. For example, if the purchase price is $600,000, you would require 5% on $500,000 and 10% on the remaining $100,000 for a total down payment amount of $35,000.

The lenders also want to see you have enough additional money on the day of closing for costs such as legal fees, land transfer tax, PST on the mortgage insurance premium, possible property tax advance payment, and things like utility hook ups and moving costs.

Typically, lenders will want to see an additional 1.5% of the purchase price for these unavoidable miscellaneous costs.

Sources of the down payment

1. Your personal savings

This money can be invested almost anywhere, as long as you can get at it before the closing date. Could be in a savings account, or a GIC, or mutual funds, or maybe your tax-free savings account (TFSA).

2. Your RRSP

If you have already accumulated monies in an RRSP, you could use up to $35,000 (for each of you) from your own RRSP to use as a down payment.

As long as the money has been inside an RRSP for at least 90 days, it can be removed without tax consequences to help you buy your home – and you have up to fifteen years to put it back inside your RRSP.

3. A gift

With the cost of homeownership so high these days, many young people turn to their relatives for help with their first down payment. This is fine with the lenders, as long as both you and your relatives sign a one-page‘ gift letter’ stating the money is a gift, rather than a loan.

4. Borrow your down payment?

Many years ago when I bought my first house I had this exact same problem. I had an excellent credit score, and a great job, but had not managed to save enough money for proper down payment.

I had a large unused personal line of credit which I decided to use towards my down payment. I was petrified the bank would somehow be able to see I had done this and that the purchase transaction would come crashing down around me.

Well, that time it all worked out just fine – and I was able to pay off the line of credit quickly from bonuses and intense saving – but it is NOT a strategy I would recommend for you.

Besides, today the lenders have far more sophisticated computer systems and underwriting processes to detect such activities.

Can you imagine finding out a couple of days before your closing date that the lender (or mortgage insurer) has changed their mind and you are no longer qualified for a mortgage?

At the very least, your deposit with the real estate agent would be at risk – but more likely you would set off a domino effect on all the other real estate transactions connected to your home purchase.

• You presumably gave notice on your present home
• Your seller presumably has to close the purchase and move into another home
• And your seller’s seller may also have to close their purchase and move into another home
• And so on and so on

Why take this chance? It could really mess up your life.

Over the years I’ve helped numerous first time home buyers purchase a home, even in the toughest circumstances.

Are you a first-time buyer and have questions? Ask Ross how he can help.

Related Articles:

• First Time Home Buyers Ontario: Everything You Need To Buy Your First Home
• Why You Need A Down Payment Strategy
• ASKROSS Decodes Mortgage Lingo: Loan To Value And High Ratio
• The Difference Between Down Payment And Deposit
• First Time Buyers Can Borrow Down Payment

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