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What You Are Signing
We review your Agreement of Purchase and Sale, financing condition, inspection condition and, for condominium purchases, the Status Certificate.
Virtual law firm serving clients across Ontario
First-Time Home Buyers in Ontario
Buying your first home is exciting, and the legal process, closing costs and rebate rules can feel unfamiliar. Amer Ali Law gives first-time home buyers across Ontario clear guidance from the moment an offer is accepted until ownership is registered and the keys are released.
Your documents are reviewed with you, signing takes place by secure video call, and your purchase is completed electronically. No unexplained legal language, just a carefully managed closing designed to help you move forward with confidence.
First Purchase
Your first purchase comes with important deadlines, financial decisions and legal obligations. We make sure you understand them.
We review your Agreement of Purchase and Sale, financing condition, inspection condition and, for condominium purchases, the Status Certificate.
Before signing, we provide a clear breakdown of your funds, transfer tax, legal costs, adjustments and the exact balance required to complete your purchase.
We ask the right questions to identify any government tax rebate programs you may qualify for and ensure that applicable rebates are properly accounted for in your closing.
What We Handle
Every part of your closing is sequenced, explained and managed by a real estate team that works with Ontario property transactions every day.
If you are purchasing a resale condominium, we review the Status Certificate and supporting documents for common expense arrears, legal proceedings, insurance, reserve fund and issues affecting the condominium corporation’s finances.
Once you are ready to proceed, we open your file and send you a secure portal link. You can complete your questionnaire, upload documents and verify your identity remotely.
For condominium purchases we review the Status Certificate, financial statements, budget, insurance, rules and any disclosed litigation or special assessment.
We complete title, execution, tax and utility searches to confirm ownership, identify registered interests and flag anything that must be addressed before closing.
We review your lender’s mortgage instructions, satisfy its legal conditions and prepare the mortgage for registration. We also arrange title insurance and explain what your policy does and does not cover.
We review the Statement of Adjustments, calculate land transfer tax and applicable rebates, and confirm the exact figure you need to send.
We meet with you by secure video call to explain and sign your closing documents at a time that suits you.
On closing day we transfer the required funds and electronically register the Transfer and mortgage. We notify you as soon as ownership is registered and your keys are released.
First-Time Buyers
Rebates and Eligibility
“First-time home buyer” does not have one universal definition. The Ontario land transfer tax refund and the GST/HST first-time home buyers’ rebates use different eligibility tests.
| Program | Potential Benefit | Where It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario Land Transfer Tax Refund | Up to $4,000 | Qualifying resale and new-construction homes throughout Ontario |
| Toronto Municipal Land Transfer Tax Rebate | Up to $4,475 | Qualifying resale and new-construction homes within the City of Toronto |
| Federal FTHB HST Rebate | Up to $50,000 | Qualifying newly built or substantially renovated homes. Full federal relief up to $1 million, phased out between $1 million and $1.5 million, and none at $1.5 million or more. Agreements from 20 March 2025 to 31 December 2030. |
| Ontario New Housing Rebate | Up to $80,000 | Provincial relief on a qualifying newly built or substantially renovated home. Full relief on the 8% provincial portion up to $1 million, reaching the $80,000 maximum at $1 million. That $80,000 maximum then holds flat between $1 million and $1.5 million, declines on a straight line to $24,000 between $1.5 million and $1.85 million, and remains at the $24,000 baseline above $1.85 million. First-time buyers reach it through the first-time buyer rebate, for agreements signed from 20 March 2025 to 31 December 2030. That component is still awaiting federal regulations. Buyers who are not first-time buyers may reach the same relief through the Ontario Enhanced rebate, for agreements signed from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. It is one relief with two routes, not two rebates to add together. |
An eligible first-time buyer purchasing a qualifying new home may therefore have access to as much as $130,000 in combined federal and Ontario GST/HST relief. These figures are program maximums, not guaranteed payments. The amount available depends on the purchase price, tax paid, agreement date, occupancy and other eligibility requirements, and different rules apply to leased land, co-operatives and owner-built homes.
A typical resale purchase may qualify for the Ontario land transfer tax rebate and, if the property is in Toronto, the Toronto municipal rebate. The GST/HST first-time home buyers’ rebates do not apply to an ordinary resale home.
A qualifying new or substantially renovated home may be eligible for the land transfer tax rebates as well as the federal and Ontario GST/HST first-time buyer rebates. The builder may credit an anticipated rebate in the purchase price or require the buyer to assign the rebate to the builder, so the Agreement of Purchase and Sale must be reviewed carefully.
Eligibility Definitions
The land transfer tax refund uses a lifetime ownership test. The GST/HST new housing rebates use a recent-occupancy test.
Ontario Land Transfer Tax Refund
For this refund, “first-time” generally means that you have never owned a home, or any ownership interest in a home, anywhere in the world.
You must generally
If you have a spouse
This is effectively a lifetime ownership test. Simply selling a previous home and waiting several years does not restore eligibility.
GST/HST New Housing Rebates
The federal and Ontario first-time home buyers’ GST/HST rebates use a different definition. They focus primarily on whether you recently lived in a home owned by you or your spouse or common-law partner.
You must generally
How much is available?
Unlike the land transfer tax refund, this is not necessarily a lifetime ownership test. Someone who previously owned a home may eventually qualify if they satisfy the required lookback period and all other conditions.
Because builder pricing and rebate clauses vary, eligibility and the expected credit should be confirmed against the signed agreement, not assumed from the advertised purchase price.
Additional Programs
These are not closing-day land transfer tax rebates, but they may help with your purchase.
An FHSA allows eligible buyers to make tax-deductible contributions and complete qualifying withdrawals tax free. Annual participation room begins at $8,000, subject to a $40,000 lifetime limit.
The Home Buyers’ Plan may allow an eligible buyer to withdraw up to $60,000 from an RRSP toward a qualifying home purchase. FHSA and Home Buyers’ Plan withdrawals may be used for the same home where the conditions of both programs are met.
Speak with your accountant or financial advisor about eligibility and withdrawal timing.
Cash to Close
Your down payment is only part of the money required to close. Depending on the transaction, your closing funds may also include:
| Ontario land transfer tax | After any available rebate |
| Toronto municipal land transfer tax | Where applicable |
| Legal fees and disbursements | Title insurance |
| Property tax, utility or condominium adjustments | Lender, broker or appraisal charges |
| New-construction adjustments and builder charges | Any difference between the mortgage advance and the amount required to close |
Land transfer tax is separate from your mortgage advance and must form part of the funds available for closing.
If your down payment or closing funds are held in an FHSA, RRSP, investment account or another registered account, arrange the withdrawal or transfer well before closing. Financial institutions may need several business days to transfer the money into an account from which you can send the closing funds.
Not Just Virtual
The convenience of a remote closing, backed by the responsiveness and guidance a first purchase deserves.
We explain the legal position in plain language and are always available for questions.
You receive a detailed breakdown of your intake and fees, so nothing arrives unexplained before closing.
Submit documents, verify identification and sign by video from wherever you are.
Whether you are purchasing in Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, London, Windsor or another Ontario community, your closing can be completed remotely.
Residential real estate is the foundation of our practice, not a sideline. Your first purchase is handled by a team that works with Ontario property transactions every day.
First-Time Buyers, Answered
Clear answers before the deadlines start moving.
Ideally, contact us before you waive any deposit reviews, financing, inspection or Status Certificate conditions. If your offer has already been accepted, send us the complete agreement as soon as possible so we can review the transaction and begin preparing the file.
Yes. First-time buyers are not automatically exempt. Ontario provides a refund of up to $4,000, and Toronto offers an additional municipal rebate of up to $4,475 for qualifying properties in the city. Any remaining tax must be paid on closing.
The result depends on your relationship and ownership structure. A non-spouse co-buyer’s history may reduce the refund according to the qualifying purchaser’s share of ownership. Land transfer tax rules generally prevent a spouse from claiming the refund where the spouse previously owned a home.
No. The first-time home buyer GST/HST rebates are intended for qualifying newly built or substantially renovated homes. Resale buyers may still qualify for the Ontario and Toronto land transfer tax rebates.
Not necessarily. A builder may credit an anticipated rebate against the purchase price or require you to assign the rebate to the builder. In other cases, an application may need to be submitted after closing. Your agreement and eligibility must be reviewed to determine how the rebate will be handled.
Your closing is designed to be handled remotely, from secure document exchange and identity verification to video signing and electronic registration. If your circumstances require an in-person step, we will coordinate it clearly and conveniently.
The final balance is calculated after we receive the seller’s Statement of Adjustments and your lender’s mortgage instructions. We provide the figures before your signing appointment and explain every amount included.
Most institutional lenders require a lender title insurance policy. We generally arrange an owner policy as well, which can protect against certain title defects, fraud, survey issues and other covered risks. We explain the coverage and applicable premiums before closing.