Your Maximum Home Price
The maximum home price that you can afford depends on a number of factors but the most important are your gross household income, your down payment and the mortgage interest rate.
This table gives you an idea of the maximum home price you can afford.
Income, Home Price and Down Payment Guide
Household Income | 5% Down Payment | Maximum Home Price | 10% Down Payment | Maximum Home Price | 25% Down Payment | Maximum Home Price |
$25,000 | $3,000 | $60,000 | $6,300 | $63,000 | $18,900 | $75,600 |
$30,000 | $3,900 | $78,000 | $8,200 | $82,000 | $24,700 | $98,800 |
$35,000 | $4,800 | $96,000 | $10,100 | $101,000 | $30,300 | $121,200 |
$40,000 | $5,700 | $114,000 | $12,000 | $120,000 | $36,000 | $144,000 |
$45,000 | $6,600 | $132,000 | $13,900 | $139,000 | $41,700 | $166,800 |
$50,000 | $7,500 | $150,000 | $15,800 | $158,000 | $47,400 | $189,600 |
$60,000 | $9,300 | $186,000 | $19,600 | $196,000 | $58,800 | $235,200 |
$70,000 | $11,050 | $221,000 | $23,400 | $234,000 | $70,100 | $280,400 |
$80,000 | $12,500 | $250,000 | $27,200 | $272,000 | $81,500 | $326,000 |
$90,000 | $14,400 | $288,000 | $31,000 | $310,000 | $92,800 | $371,200 |
$100,000 | $16,275 | $325,500 | $34,800 | $348,000 | $104,300 | $417,200 |
| Figures are rounded to the nearest $100. |
The Income, Home Price and Down Payment Guide table assumes a mortgage interest rate of 8%; average tax and heating costs in Canada; and the mortgage an average Canadian would qualify for based on a 32% debt/service ratio.
For most people the hardest part of buying a home — especially the first one — is saving the necessary down payment. Many people will not have 20% of the purchase price to put down. With mortgage loan insurance, you can purchase a home with a minimum down payment of 5%. Mortgage loan insurance protects the lender and, by law, most Canadian lending institutions require it. The way it works is if the borrower defaults (fails to pay) on the mortgage, the lender is paid back by the insurer. The cost for this type of insurance is in the form of a premium and can be paid in a single lump sum or it can be added to your mortgage and included in your monthly payments.
Most mortgage loan insurance products require homebuyers to provide the down payment from their own resources, such as savings and RRSPs. Gift down payments from immediate relatives are also acceptable.
For down payments of less then 10%, CMHC enables lenders to offer homebuyers the flexibility to use additional sources of down payment such as borrowed funds or lender incentives.
| Financing Required | Premium % of Loan Amount |
| Up to and including 65% | 0.50 |
| Up to and including 75% | 0.65 |
| Up to and including 80% | 1.00 |
| Up to and including 85% | 1.75 |
| Up to and including 90% | 2.00 |
Up to and including 95%
Traditional Down Payment
Non-traditional Down Payment | 2.75 2.90 |
Extended Amortization Surcharges
Greater than 25 years, up to and including 30 years
Greater than 30 years, up to and including 35 years | 0.20 0.40 |
| *Premiums in Ontario and Quebec are subject to provincial sales tax. The provincial sales tax cannot be added to the loan amount. |
Other important factors to consider when determining your maximum home price are your personal preferences and your calculations from earlier on in Step 2.
Get a Mortgage Pre-Approval
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| |  Amortization: The period of time required to reduce the mortgage debt to zero when all regular blended payments are made on time and provided the terms (payment and interest rate) remain the same. |  |
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| Interest: The cost of borrowing money. Interest is usually paid to the lender in regular payments along with the repayment of the principal (loan amount). | |
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Once you've made the necessary calculations and feel that you are ready to obtain a mortgage, it's a good idea to select a lender to get pre-approved. This means that the lender will look at your finances to establish the amount of mortgage you can afford. At that time, the lender will give you a written confirmation or certificate for a fixed interest rate good for a specific period of time.
Some buyers may not wish to pursue a mortgage pre-approval until they have found the home they want to buy. However, having a pre-approved mortgage amount makes the search for your new home much easier and less time-consuming because you have a good price range in mind.
Some of the things you will need to have with you the first time you meet with a lender are:
- Your personal information, including identification such as your driver's license
- Details on your job, including confirmation of salary in the form of a letter from your employer
- Your sources of income
- Information and details on all bank accounts, loans and other debts
- Proof of financial assets
- Source and amount of down payment and deposit
- Proof of source of funds for the closing costs (these are usually between 1.5% and 4% of the purchase price)
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| Principal: The amount that you borrow for a loan. Each monthly mortgage payment consists of a portion of the principal that must be repaid plus the interest that the lender is charging you on the outstanding loan balance. During the early years of your mortgage, the interest portion is usually larger than the principal portion. | |
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| Mortgage payment: A regularly scheduled payment that is often blended to include both principal and interest. | |
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Will You Have Trouble Qualifying for a Mortgage?
Your calculations may show that you will have trouble meeting monthly debt payment and that you will likely have trouble getting approved for a mortgage. Here are some things you can do:
- Pay off some loans first
- Save for a larger down payment
- Revise your target house price
Other Helpful Strategies
- Meet with a credit counsellor who can help you minimize your debts.
- Buy your home through a rent-to-own program provided by the builder, a non-profit sponsor or a government sponsor.
- Find out about programs through which you can help build your own home.
- Ask the housing department of your municipality about any special programs available.
The Importance of Your Credit Rating
Before approving you for a mortgage, lenders will want to see how well you have paid your debts and bills in the past. To do this, they simply get a copy of your credit history (credit report) from a credit bureau. This provides them with information on your financial past and use of credit. Before your lender sees your credit history, you should get a copy for yourself to make sure the information is complete and accurate. Simply contact one of the two main credit-reporting agencies (Equifax Canada Inc. or TransUnion of Canada) to get a copy of your credit report. There is often a fee for this service.
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| Credit report: The main report a lender uses to determine your credit worthiness. It includes information about your ability to handle your debt obligations and your current outstanding obligations. | |
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Lack of Credit History
If you have no credit history, it is important to start building one by, for example, applying for a standard credit card with good interest rates and terms, making small purchases and paying them as soon as the bill comes in.
Fixing a Credit Record
If you have bad credit, lenders might not want to give you a mortgage loan until you can re-establish a good credit history by making debt payments regularly and on time. Most unfavourable credit information, including bankruptcy, is dropped from your credit file after seven years. If you have bad credit, you may want to consider credit counselling.
Despite your poor credit history, you might still be able to get a mortgage loan if you have a relative such as a family member willing to be a guarantor or co-signer on the loan. This person must meet the lender's borrowing criteria, including good credit history, and is legally obligated to make the mortgage payments if you do not.
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