The Home Buyers' Plan lets a first-time buyer withdraw up to $60,000 from a registered retirement savings plan toward a down payment, repayable over time, while the FHSA lets a buyer contribute up to $8,000 a year to a lifetime maximum of $40,000 that grows tax-sheltered specifically for a first home.
CMHC, Sagen or Canada Guaranty mortgage default insurance is what actually lets a buyer put down as little as 5 percent up to $500,000 and 10 percent on the portion above that, rather than the 20 percent a lender would otherwise require, and Saskatchewan charges provincial sales tax on that insurance premium at closing.
None of these programs is a grant that lowers the purchase price; they are ways to assemble or insure a smaller down payment. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.