Joel DyckReal Broker SK Ltd.
Saskatoon · From the topic map

Do these grants require Saskatoon buyers to live in the home?

Yes, in almost every case. The Home Buyers' Plan, the First Home Savings Account and the Saskatchewan First-Time Homebuyers' Tax Credit all require the property to be your principal residence, not a rental or investment purchase, and the Canada Revenue Agency can reclaim the benefit if you do not move in as intended.

The Home Buyers' Plan allows a withdrawal of up to $60,000 from an RRSP toward a down payment, repaid over 15 years, and the Canada Revenue Agency requires you to occupy the home within a year of purchase or closing. The First Home Savings Account, contributed up to $8,000 a year to a lifetime limit of $40,000, follows the same owner-occupied intent, and the federal Home Buyers' Amount tax credit is written the same way.

Buying a rental or a second property with these programs is not simply discouraged, it is outside the rules, and using them for a purchase you do not intend to live in creates a tax problem later, not a benefit now.

Joel Dyck walks first-time buyers through which programs apply to their specific purchase before they count on money that will not show up. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

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