How the HOMEH Down Payment Boost Helps You Buy Sooner

For most people, the slowest part of buying a home isn't finding it — it's saving the down payment. The HOMEH down payment boost shortens that wait by letting eligible buyers apply their Cashback Rebate straight toward the down payment. This guide explains how the boost works, how it can move up your timeline, and how to estimate yours.

Key takeaways

• The boost applies your HOMEH cashback directly toward your down payment instead of arriving after closing.
• Eligible buyers can access the industry's highest Cashback Rebate.
• A bigger down payment can help you buy sooner and reach the minimums faster.
• It stacks with savings programs like the FHSA and the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan.
• Estimate your boost with the HOMEH cashback calculator.

The boost in one sentence

HOMEH is a licensed brokerage that shares commission back with clients as cashback. The down payment boost is simply choosing to apply that Cashback Rebate for eligible buyers — toward your down payment at the moment of purchase, rather than receiving it separately afterward. Same cashback, deployed where it does the most.

Built on HOMEH cashback

The boost is one way to use the cashback explained in how HOMEH cashback works. If you'd rather have the funds after closing, you can — the boost is the version aimed at buyers focused on getting in sooner.

How it helps you buy sooner

The down payment is usually the bottleneck. Adding the boost on top of what you've saved can pull your purchase date forward — sometimes by years — by helping you clear the down-payment minimums faster.

Those minimums are fixed by national rules: 5% on the first $500,000 of price, 10% on the portion from $500,000 to $1,499,999, and 20% at $1.5 million or more. See how much down payment you need in Ontario. The closer your savings are to a threshold, the more a boost can do to get you over it now instead of later.

What a bigger down payment changes

Buying sooner isn't the only benefit — a larger down payment also reshapes the cost of your purchase:

• Lower mortgage insurance. CMHC premiums fall as your down payment rises and disappear at 20% down. See what is CMHC mortgage insurance.
• Smaller mortgage, lower payments. Every dollar down is a dollar you don't borrow or pay interest on.
• Easier qualification. Less borrowing can bring you inside lender debt ratios and the stress test.
• More choice. It can put homes within reach that were just out of budget.

It supplements your savings

The boost doesn't replace your own down payment — you still meet the minimum from your funds. It adds to what you've saved so you reach your goal faster.

Stack it with first-time buyer programs

The boost works alongside the savings programs designed for buyers. Combine it with the FHSA ($8,000/year, $40,000 lifetime, tax-deductible contributions) and the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan ($60,000 per person, tax-free withdrawal) to assemble a stronger down payment faster.

For the full toolkit, read first-time home buyer programs in Canada and the deeper dive in the HOMEH down payment boost, explained.

How to estimate and get your boost

Start by estimating your cashback, then talk to HOMEH about applying it as a down payment boost on your purchase. Check what you could afford once it's applied with the affordability calculator, and confirm you qualify for the cashback in who qualifies for HOMEH cashback.

Boost your down payment with cashback

Eligible HOMEH buyers can apply the industry's highest Cashback Rebate toward their down payment. Estimate yours with the cashback calculator and see the program at the down payment boost.