The Canadian Government can help you buy real estate.

Buyer and first-time buyers can turn to the government for help in several ways to enter the real estate market. There are a number of programs you can tap into to increase affordability.

• Part of The Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy, the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive is a shared equity mortgage that enables first-timers to reduce monthly mortgage payments without raising their down payment. www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/nhs/canada-first-time-home-buyer-incentive

• Launched last July, CMHC’s Shared Equity Mortgage Providers Fund is a 5-year, 100-million-dollar lending fund that assists in the completion of 1,500 new units aimed at first-time buyers. This means at least 1,500 potential purchasers may realize their dream of homeownership https://bit.ly/2UoxwDZ

• Options for Homes is a powerful down payment program that is payment free until buyers sell or move. Eligible buyers can own up to 10 years sooner. This program boosts a down payment of 5% by 10 or 15% of the purchase price of a new home or condo. It is being offered at The Humber, a condominium in the up-and-coming Weston Village neighbourhood on the banks of the Humber River http://www.optionsforhomes.ca

• Of course, Canada’s Home Buyers’ Plan enables first-time home buyers to borrow up to $35,000 from their RRSPs for a tax-free down payment on a qualifying home. This has helped a great many first-time buyers in the past and will continue to do so. There are some restrictions, so it is best to check the website htttps://bit.ly/2OquY12

• Plus, qualified first-time home buyers can take advantage of land transfer tax rebates. Ontarians can qualify for up to a maximum of $4,000. Torontonians can apply for up to a maximum of $4,475, and may also qualify for the Ontario rebate. This can make a real difference for first-time buyers.