Mortgage Blog

You Own Homes. But You Still Qualify as a First-Time Home Buyer!?

November 27, 2025 | Posted by: Sean Malachi

You Own Homes. But You Still Qualify as a First-Time Home Buyer!?

Unpacking Canada’s Jaw-Dropping New First-time home buyer Loophole

Over the past year, Canada has introduced sweeping changes to its first-time home buyer programs, making homeownership more accessible not just for true first-timers, but also, somewhat surprisingly, for experienced real estate investors who meet certain criteria. As a Broker with a focus on working with real estate investors, I didn’t expect to be so involved in this area. But reflecting back, our team was able to help many new and existing clients leverage these updated incentives to help create some great financial opportunities.

Key Changes for First-Time Home Buyers:

• Higher Maximum Purchase Price: The maximum insured purchase price was raised to $1.5 million. This means buyers in more expensive urban markets can now put down a much smaller down payment, opening doors that were previously closed.
• Down Payment Structure: The minimum down payment is now just 5% on the first $500,000, and 10% on the remaining amount, up to that $1.5 million ceiling.
• Extended Amortization: First-time home buyers with insured mortgages can now opt for a 30-year amortization, resulting in lower monthly payments and increased affordability.
• Additional Incentives: Limits have been increased for the First Home Savings Account (FHSA), and certain provinces have expanded their down payment match programs.

How Our Team Helped Clients Leverage These Changes:

• We worked with an investor who already owned six smaller multiplex properties. By partnering with his common-law spouse, who qualified as a first-time home buyer, they secured a seventh property with only 7% down and a 30-year amortization, significantly enhancing their net worth and return on investment.
• Another client had been denied by her bank solely due to owning several properties. After our team’s review, we discovered she was going through a divorce, and thanks to the revised criteria, she qualified as a first-time home buyer. The result: a new home with minimum down payment and extended amortization.
• A third client owned multiple rentals but didn’t occupy them personally. Under the new rules, we got him an approval too, despite all the previous turn-downs.

Why Most People Miss Out: Many clients, and even industry professionals, still aren’t aware of how much more is possible under these new rules. Even experienced investors, or those who have previously been told 'no' by their banks, are surprised by the options that are available. Working with the right lender or broker can make a huge difference in getting tailored solutions.

My Advice to You: Don’t just call us for your mortgage, call us for that valuable second opinion. Our job is to advocate for your success, not the banks’. With these recent changes, you might qualify for programs and benefits you didn’t even realize existed. We’re here to help you build wealth and reach your financial goals.

If you’re curious whether these new incentives might apply to you or want to discover creative ways to expand your real estate portfolio, reach out for a personalized review. The path to homeownership, or growing your holdings, could be simpler than you think!

Let’s connect, your next big real estate opportunity may be just a conversation away!

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