Plain-English guides for first-time buyers in Toronto and the GTA: what you can afford, where, what it really costs, and how to get help with the down payment.
First home in Durham Region: TRREB August 2026 medians for Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering and Clarington, cash to close, and real GO Lakeshore East times.
Buying a first home in Mississauga: TRREB August 2026 medians by type, cash to close at $500K and $855K, no city land transfer tax, plus GO and LRT facts.
A phase-by-phase first-time home buyer checklist for Ontario: 12 months out to keys and the first month after, with the 2026 rule or number behind each step.
2026 property tax rates for eight GTA cities from each city’s own page, worked tax on $600K and $900K, condo fees, water, insurance and closing-day cash.
Co-signer or guarantor for a first mortgage in Ontario: title, liability, how lenders count it, and the effect on the FHSA, HBP and land transfer tax refund.
Which down payment help is open to GTA first-time buyers in 2026: Habitat GTA, Options for Homes, Toronto’s HOAP, and what Peel, York and Durham offer.
What a single income of $70K to $150K qualifies for in the GTA in 2026, how a rental suite or co-signer changes it, and the risks solo buyers must cover.
The household income needed to buy the median condo or freehold townhouse in each GTA city, at minimum down and a 4.0% illustrative rate, with every assumption.
The GTA’s cheapest cities and Toronto districts for a first home, ranked by TRREB August 2026 median condo and freehold townhouse prices, with caveats.
What $500K, $700K and $900K buy a GTA first-time buyer, from TRREB August 2026 medians, with the minimum down payment, CMHC premium and land transfer tax.
