First-Time Home Buyer Programs in Alberta in 2027: What Carries Over, What to Use

Every major first-time buyer program carries into 2027: the First-Home Savings Account, the $60,000 Home Buyers' Plan, 30-year insured amortizations, and the new GST rebate worth up to $50,000 on a new home. Alberta adds its own advantage — no land transfer tax. Used in the right order, these programs are worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Table of contents

1. Who counts as a first-time buyer in 2027?
2. The GST rebate on new homes — the big new one
3. The First-Home Savings Account: open it before you shop
4. The Home Buyers' Plan: $60,000 from your RRSP
5. 30-year amortizations and the $1.5 million insured cap
6. Alberta's built-in advantage: no land transfer tax
7. A realistic 2027 game plan, in order
8. Frequently asked questions
9. Talk to Jay

Who counts as a first-time buyer in 2027?

There is no single definition — each program has its own, and they are close but not identical. The common thread: you generally qualify if you have not owned and lived in a home in the current year or the previous four calendar years. For the GST rebate, the test looks at whether you (or your spouse or common-law partner) lived in a home you owned, anywhere in the world, in that window; you must also be at least 18 and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Practical meaning: someone who owned a home five-plus years ago and has rented since can qualify as a "first-time buyer" again for most of these programs. Someone whose partner bought last year likely cannot. Check your exact situation before you count on any of these numbers.

The GST rebate on new homes — the big new one

When you buy a brand-new home in Alberta, you pay 5% GST on the price. The first-time home buyers' GST rebate gives that tax back:

• New home up to $1 million: 100% of the GST back, up to a maximum of $50,000
• Between $1 million and $1.5 million: the rebate shrinks on a sliding scale
• $1.5 million or more: no rebate

Worked examples: on a $600,000 new build, the GST is $30,000 — an eligible first-time buyer gets all $30,000 back. On a $1,000,000 home, the GST is $50,000 — all of it back. On a $1,250,000 home, roughly half the maximum applies, about $25,000.

The rules that decide eligibility:

• The purchase agreement with the builder must be signed on or after March 20, 2025 and before 2031, with the home substantially complete before 2036
• It must be your primary residence, and you must be the first person to live in it
• It covers homes bought from a builder, homes you build yourself, and substantially renovated homes — resale homes do not qualify, because no GST is charged on them in the first place
• The rebate is law now (Bill C-4 received Royal Assent on March 12, 2026) and the CRA has been accepting applications since March 2026. In Alberta the rebate covers the full 5% GST — there is no provincial sales tax layered on top.

For an Alberta first-time buyer, this is the single largest new incentive in a generation — but only on new construction. If you are comparing a $600,000 new build against a $600,000 resale, the new build may effectively cost $30,000 less.

The First-Home Savings Account: open it before you shop

The FHSA lets you save $8,000 a year, up to $40,000 total, for your first home. Contributions reduce your taxable income, growth is tax-free, and a withdrawal used for a qualifying home is tax-free. Unused contribution room carries forward — but only from the year you open the account. Room does not grow while the account sits unopened.

That creates the simplest 2027 action item on this page: if you plan to buy your first home any time in the next several years and have not opened an FHSA, open one early in 2027 even if you can only put a small amount in. You start the clock on $8,000 of 2027 room, and unused savings can later move to your RRSP if plans change.

The Home Buyers' Plan: $60,000 from your RRSP

The Home Buyers' Plan lets a first-time buyer withdraw up to $60,000 from an RRSP, tax-free, toward a first home. Couples who both qualify can withdraw $60,000 each — up to $120,000 combined. The money must be repaid into your RRSP over 15 years, starting the second year after withdrawal; repayments are scheduled by the CRA and missed repayments are taxed as income.

The FHSA and HBP stack: savings in an FHSA and an RRSP can both go into the same first purchase, which is why the order below matters.

30-year amortizations and the $1.5 million insured cap

Two changes from December 15, 2024 carry through 2027 and quietly help first-time buyers:

• 30-year amortization on insured mortgages for first-time buyers. Stretching the schedule from 25 to 30 years lowers the monthly payment — on a $400,000 mortgage, roughly $180–$210 a month lower depending on the rate — at the cost of more interest over the life of the loan.
• Insured mortgages up to a $1.5 million purchase price. Before December 2024, homes over $1 million needed 20% down. First-time buyers in higher-priced pockets of Calgary can now buy with less than 20% down up to $1.5 million (the minimum down payment rules still scale with price).

Alberta's built-in advantage: no land transfer tax

Alberta does not charge a land transfer tax. In Ontario, the provincial land transfer tax alone on a $600,000 home is about $8,475 — and Toronto charges a second, municipal tax on top. In Alberta you pay Land Titles registration fees instead, typically a few hundred dollars. It is not a program you apply for; it is simply a cost Alberta buyers never pay, and it belongs in any honest comparison of where a first purchase goes furthest.

A realistic 2027 game plan, in order

1. Open the FHSA first — early in the year, before anything else, so your $8,000 of 2027 room starts.
2. Confirm which "first-time buyer" definitions you meet — GST rebate, FHSA, HBP and lender rules are similar but not identical, especially if a partner has owned before.
3. Get pre-approved on the real numbers — including the 30-year amortization option, and taxes and fees, not just the payment.
4. Price new builds with the GST rebate in the math — a builder home up to $1 million can be up to $50,000 cheaper after the rebate than its sticker suggests.
5. Keep the windows in view — the GST rebate applies to builder agreements signed before 2031; nothing on this page forces a rushed 2027 purchase, but the FHSA clock only runs once the account exists.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the FHSA and the Home Buyers' Plan together?
Yes. Both can go into the same first home, as long as you meet each program's rules and timing.

Does the GST rebate apply to resale homes?
No. Resale homes do not carry GST, so there is no tax to rebate. The rebate is for new or substantially renovated homes, and homes you build yourself.

I owned a home years ago. Can I qualify again?
Often, yes. Most of these programs look back four calendar years plus the current year: if neither you nor your spouse lived in a home you owned in that window, you may qualify again. Confirm your dates against each program's test.

Is there an Alberta provincial first-time buyer grant?
Alberta's main built-in advantage is structural rather than a grant: no land transfer tax, and only the 5% federal GST on new homes (no provincial sales tax). The big cash programs are federal — FHSA, HBP and the GST rebate.

Do I have to buy in 2027 for these to apply?
No. All of these programs continue past 2027. The time-sensitive items are the FHSA (room only accumulates once the account is open) and the GST rebate (builder agreements must be signed before 2031, with homes complete before 2036).

Talk to Jay

Planning a first purchase in Calgary, Edmonton, Airdrie or Chestermere in 2027? I will build the plan with the real numbers — every program you qualify for, full costs, no surprises. Reach out through jaypatelhomes.com or message me on Instagram @jaypatel.albertarealtor.

— Jay Patel, REALTOR® | RE/MAX Complete Realty