I'm Andy Nagpal, a real estate broker with eXp Realty, and I help first-time buyers in London and Middlesex County buy their first home. I help you compare neighbourhoods and properties, prepare an offer and work through the steps to closing. Below you'll find the first-time buyer programs you can still use, what a first purchase in London costs, and how I work with you from the first showing to closing day.
Build a London shortlist before you start touring
A first purchase in London starts with the trade-offs you can live with: an older house with repair needs, a condo with monthly fees, or a townhouse farther from your daily destinations. I help you compare the total cost and the location before you focus on finishes.
Set your search brief. We start with your lender-confirmed range, cash available for closing, commute and must-haves.
Compare homes and neighbourhoods. We compare recent sales, property condition and everyday travel. For condos, include fees and a lawyer’s review of the status certificate in your decision.
Plan the offer and closing. We discuss price, deposit, conditions and timing, then coordinate the next steps with your lender, inspector and lawyer.
These programs don't depend on a City intake. Each has its own eligibility rules, so confirm the details with your lender, lawyer or accountant before you count on one.
Ontario land transfer tax refund
Up to $4,000 back on the provincial land transfer tax for eligible first-time buyers, usually claimed by your lawyer at closing. London has no municipal land transfer tax. Official source ↗
First Home Savings Account (FHSA)
Contribute up to $8,000 a year, to $40,000 in total, and withdraw it tax-free for a qualifying first home. Official source ↗
RRSP Home Buyers' Plan
Withdraw up to $60,000 from your RRSPs toward a first home, repaid over 15 years. Official source ↗
First-Time Home Buyers' GST/HST rebate (new homes only)
Up to $50,000 for eligible first-time buyers of a newly built home, for purchase agreements made on or after March 20, 2025. Resale homes don't qualify. Official source ↗
The FHSA and the Home Buyers' Plan can be used together, and both can sit alongside the land transfer tax refund. The full comparison is in my guide to down payment assistance programs.
Down payment and closing costs on a typical London East home
The minimum down payment is 5% of the first $500,000 of the price and 10% of the portion above that, for homes under $1.5 million. Put down less than 20% and your mortgage needs default insurance.
On a $431,900 home (the London East benchmark)
Amount
Minimum down payment (5% of the first $500,000)
$21,595
Ontario land transfer tax
$5,113
First-time buyer refund (first-time buyers only)
Up to $4,000, leaving $1,113
Municipal land transfer tax
None in London
With mortgage insurance, budget for the provincial sales tax on the premium, which is paid in cash at closing and can't be added to the mortgage. Legal fees, title insurance, registration and the inspection are yours too. How much down payment you need, with examples →
Source: London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR), August 2026 release; Ontario Ministry of Finance land transfer tax rates.
Where $500,000 works in London and Middlesex
Staying at or under $500,000 keeps the whole minimum down payment at 5%. In August 2026, the benchmark home cost $616,900 in London North and $552,600 in London South, both over that line, but $431,900 in London East. Across the LSTAR area, townhouses ($430,400) and condo apartments ($315,900) sat well under it.
East London and White Oaks. The city's most accessible entry points for first-time buyers.
Summerside and parts of the southeast. Newer builds at more accessible price points.
Old East Village and Old South. Less square footage, more walkability and character.
Townhouses and condos across the city. Often the way into an area where detached homes sit over $500,000.
Middlesex County. Thames Centre (Dorchester) and Middlesex Centre (Komoka, Kilworth and Ilderton) are within a short drive of the city.
A budget that includes closing costs. Down payment, land transfer tax after the refund, and the cash you need at closing, worked out before you tour.
Homes that fit your range. A shortlist in the areas that suit you, including townhouses and condos where detached homes run over your budget.
Offers that protect you. Price, deposit, conditions and closing date planned with your lender, inspector and lawyer.
Buyer Protection Guarantee. Not satisfied with your home within 18 months? I'll sell it for you at no commission to me.*
VIP Buyer Home Warranty. A one-year systems and appliance breakdown warranty with coverage up to $15,000, on me.
*Terms apply — not intended to solicit buyers already under contract with another brokerage. Ask me for full written program details. The Homeownership Down Payment Assistance Program is run by the City of London, which decides eligibility; I'm not affiliated with it.
The City's down payment program: closed since October 9, 2026
The City of London's Homeownership Down Payment Assistance Program closed to applications on Friday, October 9, 2026 at 4:30 p.m., and the City doesn't accept applications received after that. It lent eligible renters 5% of the price, up to $25,000, on homes up to $500,000. When I checked on 4 November 2026, the City's page (last modified 8 October 2026) said it's expected to re-open April 1, 2027. Who qualified and how existing loans are repaid are in the questions below. Watch the official program page for the next intake and its rules.
Source: the City of London program page and FAQ (links under Sources below). The City decides who qualifies; I'm not part of the program.
Common questions
Eligible first-time buyers can use the Ontario land transfer tax refund (up to $4,000), the First Home Savings Account ($8,000 a year, $40,000 in total, withdrawn tax-free for a qualifying first home) and the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan (up to $60,000, repaid over 15 years). If you buy a newly built home, the federal First-Time Home Buyers' GST/HST rebate can be worth up to $50,000; resale homes don't qualify. London has no municipal land transfer tax.
Often it costs you little or nothing, but it isn't automatic. Before we start, we sign a buyer representation agreement that sets the fee my brokerage is owed and says what happens if a seller covers some, all or none of it. Many sellers offer to pay toward the buyer's brokerage fee, but if a seller offers less than the agreed fee, the agreement says whether you pay the difference. I'll check what each seller is offering before you write an offer, so it's part of your budget, not a surprise.
No. The City of London's Homeownership Down Payment Assistance Program closed to applications on Friday, October 9, 2026 at 4:30 p.m., and the City doesn't accept applications received after that. When I checked on 4 November 2026, the City's page (last modified October 8, 2026) said the program is expected to re-open April 1, 2027. Watch the official City page for its next intake before you plan around it.
Eligible renters in London and Middlesex County could borrow 5% of the purchase price, up to $25,000, as an interest-free loan forgiven on its 20th anniversary if there's been no default. The home had to cost $500,000 or less, gross household income had to be $113,700 or less and liquid assets $100,000 or less, with mortgage insurance required. It's funded with the federal and provincial governments through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative.
At least 5% of the first $500,000 of the price and 10% of the portion above that, for homes under $1.5 million. On a $450,000 home that's $22,500. Put down less than 20% and your mortgage needs default insurance, and closing costs come on top of the down payment, paid in cash at closing.
Under the rules that applied until it closed, no. The City's FAQ said someone who owned a home in the past could qualify, as long as they rented in London or Middlesex County and didn't own any residential property. The Ontario land transfer tax refund is different: that one is only for first-time buyers.
Not if you stay 20 years. If you sell, stop living in the home as your main residence, or default before then, you repay the loan plus 5% of any capital gain. The City's FAQ says that if you sell at a loss, at fair market value and at arm's length, repayment of the loan is waived.
It depends on whether space or location matters more. East London and White Oaks are the city's most accessible entry points, Summerside and parts of the southeast offer newer builds, and Old East Village and Old South trade square footage for walkability. Townhouses and condos open up areas where detached homes sit over $500,000.
