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Buying your first home in Northwest Territories

What Northwest Territories’s own government pages say about buying a first home, with the federal accounts and credits that apply in every province. Each item shows the sentence we read and a link to it.

Published . Last checked .

Land Titles Office transfer fee

The pages we read name a Land Titles Office fee to register a transfer of land, based on the value of the land. They do not name a land transfer tax. The figures come from the Land Titles Office Schedule of Fees updated September 1, 2025, which describes itself as a summary of the fees in the Land Titles Act and Land Titles Tariff of Fees Regulations.

Land Titles Office transfer fee
Value of the landFee
$1,000,000 or less$2.00 for each $1,000 of value or part thereof, subject to a prescribed minimum fee ($100)
Above $1,000,000$2,000 plus $1.50 for each $1,000 of value or part thereof in excess of $1,000,000
Source

“A flat fee applies to the registration of most transactions, however transfer fees are in proportion to the value of the affected land, and mortgage fees are based on the principal amount of the mortgage.”

Government of the Northwest Territories, Justice: Land Titles

What Northwest Territories lists for first-time buyers

OpenLoan

Home Purchase Program

  • 5%

    of the purchase price, or Maximum Construction Costs if that is less

Housing NWT offers a forgivable loan that provides a portion of the down payment on a modest home. It is for first-time home buyers with a modest income who live in one of six named communities. The loan is forgiven over one to three years, depending on its size. Applications are open year-round.

Source

“If you are a first-time homebuyer, the home purchase program can help you purchase a modest home by providing a portion of your down payment.”

Housing NWT: Home Purchase Program

Amount in full

A forgivable loan for down payment assistance.

The applicant will receive either 5% of the home purchase price or Maximum Construction Costs (MCC), whichever is less.

The page states the assistance is based on the applicant's income, family size, the community Core Need Income Thresholds and the Maximum Construction Cost for the zone.

Maximum subsidy (5%) by community
Community2 bedrooms or less3 bedrooms or more
Inuvik$17,864$19,526
Fort Simpson$16,414$18,076
Yellowknife$20,475$22,065
Norman Wells$17,029$18,726
Fort Smith$14,824$16,411
Hay River$16,024$17,471
When the loan is forgiven
Loan sizeForgiveness
Not exceeding $10,000Completely forgiven after one (1) year
$10,001 to $20,000Forgiven two (2) years from the anniversary date
$20,001 to $30,000Forgiven three years from the anniversary date
Who qualifies (8)
  • NWT resident over 19 years of age
  • Has lived in the NWT for three years, with one continuous year in the community of application prior to approval (the one year may be waived for students returning to their communities upon completion of their studies)
  • Modest income, below the Core Need Income Threshold (CNIT) for the community
  • Can secure their portion of financing through an approved financial institution
  • Has enough income to pay all costs associated with homeownership without spending more than 32% of gross income
  • First-time home buyer residing in a Zone A community (Fort Smith, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, Inuvik and Yellowknife)
  • Purchasing property that is on titled land or long-term residential lease (30 years)
  • Not eligible: people on income assistance as a primary source of income, people in arrears with Housing NWT, or people who currently own a home anywhere
How to claim or apply

Contact the Housing NWT District Office by phone.

Client counselling is required at all stages, and the application form is completed with a Housing NWT representative or its designated agent.

Federal items that apply in every province

The FHSA, the Home Buyers’ Plan and the home buyers’ amount apply wherever you live. Amounts, conditions, time limits and sources are on one federal page.

What we looked for and did not find

Not listed in the pages we checked:

  • a land transfer tax or property transfer tax
  • a land titles fee reduction or refund for first-time buyers
  • municipal taxes on property purchases
  • a territorial tax credit, rebate or exemption for first-time buyers
  • how the territory treats the FHSA or the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan
  • whether the Home Purchase Program combines with the FHSA or the Home Buyers' Plan
  • a first-time buyer program for public housing clients. The Homeownership Initiative page does not describe itself as a first-time buyer program, so it is not shown here.

Common questions

What tax or fees apply when you buy a home in Northwest Territories?

The pages we read name a Land Titles Office fee to register a transfer of land, based on the value of the land. They do not name a land transfer tax. The Land Titles Office fee schedule updated September 1, 2025 lists $2.00 for each $1,000 of value or part thereof for land valued at $1,000,000 or less, subject to a prescribed minimum fee ($100). For land valued above $1,000,000, it lists $2,000 plus $1.50 for each $1,000 of value or part thereof in excess of $1,000,000. The figures come from the Land Titles Office Schedule of Fees updated September 1, 2025, which describes itself as a summary of the fees in the Land Titles Act and Land Titles Tariff of Fees Regulations.

What first-time home buyer programs does Northwest Territories list?

Northwest Territories's own pages list Home Purchase Program. Each one is covered further down the page, with its amount, its conditions and a link to the source.

Can I use the FHSA and the Home Buyers' Plan together?

The CRA says you can withdraw amounts from your RRSPs under the Home Buyers' Plan and make a qualifying withdrawal from your FHSAs for the same qualifying home, as long as you meet all of the conditions at the time of each withdrawal.

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Other provinces and territories

Sources we read

This page is information, not advice. We read these pages on October 14, 2026. Programs, amounts and deadlines change, so confirm with the source before you act.

The federal sources are listed on the federal programs page.