Your first home, without the guesswork.
A first purchase brings new words, big numbers, and plenty of opinions. This page is the plain-language map, and Rose is the guide who tells you the truth at every step, in English, Arabic, or Armenian.
The first-timer's path, honestly.
Are you actually ready?
Not "can you get approved" - are you ready? Stable income, a down payment that doesn't empty you, and a life you can see staying put for a few years. Rose starts here, and if the honest answer is "not yet," she'll say so and tell you what would change it.
The money, mapped
Down payment, the ~5% deposit that's due within a day of an accepted offer, land transfer tax (two of them in Toronto), legal fees, inspection, moving, and the first year of ownership - added up as one number before you fall in love with anything.
Programs you qualify for
The FHSA, the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan, two land-transfer rebates, and a new GST rebate on new builds. Depending on your situation they can be worth tens of thousands - the plain-language breakdown is just below.
Pre-approval, properly
A pre-approval tells you your ceiling, and depending on the lender may hold a rate while you shop. It is not a promise - financing can still fall through on the property itself. Rose connects you with mortgage brokers she's actually closed with before the search starts, not after.
The search and the offer
Shortlist, showings, and an offer built for your situation - conditions included when they protect you. The same process as every Rose purchase, walked at first-timer speed with every form explained before you sign it.
Keys - and after
Closing day is lawyers, money moving, and keys. Then comes the part nobody briefs first-timers on: property tax bills, condo fees and what they cover, the maintenance you now own. And you can still call Rose after closing - same person, same number.
The programs, in plain language.
These programs can put real money behind a first purchase - depending on your eligibility, savings, and what you buy. Rose flags the ones worth checking; your lender, accountant, and lawyer confirm what applies to you. Figures verified at the government sources below, September 2026; rules change, so check yours there too.
FHSA - save tax-free
Room of $8,000 a year, $40,000 lifetime. Contributions cut your taxable income like an RRSP; a qualifying withdrawal to buy your first home comes out tax-free like a TFSA. If you're serious about buying in a few years, opening one starts the clock on your room.
RRSP Home Buyers' Plan
Withdraw up to $60,000 from your RRSP for a first home, tax-free at withdrawal, repaid over 15 years. It stacks with the FHSA - a couple using both can put serious tax-sheltered money toward one purchase.
Two land-transfer rebates
Toronto buyers pay land transfer tax twice - provincial and municipal. Eligible first-timers can get up to $4,000 back from Ontario and up to $4,475 from the City - up to $8,475 combined. Claimed at registration, the rebates can offset the tax due at closing; your lawyer handles the claim.
New-build GST break & 30-year mortgages
Since 2025, eligible first-time buyers can get the GST fully rebated on new homes up to $1M (partial relief to $1.5M). And insured mortgages now allow 30-year amortizations for first-timers and new builds - lower monthly payments, more total interest; Rose will show you both sides of that trade.
The official sources.
Rose explains it plainly; these are the government pages the plain language comes from. Programs change - your numbers get checked at the source before you rely on them.
First Home Savings Account
The official FHSA rules - who qualifies, how the $8,000-a-year room works, and how a tax-free withdrawal happens when you buy.
Visit →RRSP Home Buyers' Plan
The official HBP guide - the $60,000 withdrawal limit, the 15-year repayment schedule, and combining it with your FHSA.
Visit →Ontario land transfer tax refund
The provincial first-time-buyer refund of up to $4,000 - eligibility rules and how it's claimed at registration.
Visit →Toronto municipal land transfer tax rebate
Toronto charges a second land transfer tax - and rebates up to $4,475 of it for first-time buyers of new or resale homes.
Visit →First-time buyers' GST/HST rebate
New in 2025: eligible first-time buyers can get 100% of the GST rebated on new homes up to $1 million, with partial relief to $1.5 million.
Visit →Homebuying step by step
CMHC's plain-language guides and calculators - mortgage insurance rules, affordability tools, closing-cost checklists.
Visit →When the answer is no.
First-timers hear more pitches than anyone in this market. Rose's job is the opposite. You'll hear it straight when:
Renting is still the win
If another year of renting and FHSA contributions puts you in a stronger position than a stretched purchase today, that's the advice - even though it pays Rose nothing.
The pre-approval is a ceiling, not a target
The bank tells you the most it will lend, not what you should spend. Buying at the ceiling is the most common first-timer mistake; your budget comes from your life.
The starter-home myth
"Just get in anywhere" ignores closing costs on the way in and out. If a starter home means moving again in three years, the math often says buy the second home first.
FOMO isn't a strategy
Hot weeks pass. Rushing, waiving conditions you need, or bidding past your number is how a first purchase stops feeling good. Ready beats rushed, every time.
She was patient with us and worked literally around the clock to ensure we did not miss out on any opportunities. She truly has her clients' best interest at heart.
Start with one conversation.
Bring your situation - savings, income, timeline - and leave with the cash map, the programs worth checking with your lender, and an honest read on whether now is your time.