The NivoaFlow Android app is on Google Play. iPhone is still to come. Available on the web now. Mobile apps
HomeFirst-time home buyerNova Scotia

Buying your first home in Nova Scotia

What Nova Scotia’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 .

Deadlines and time limits

The federal FHSA and Home Buyers’ Plan have time limits too. See the federal programs.

Municipal Deed Transfer Tax

The government page describes a Municipal Deed Transfer Tax that may apply when land is sold. Each municipality sets its own rate, and the tax is collected through Land Registry when the deed is registered. A provincial rates list dated July 2026 shows a rate for each municipality. Separately, the province charges a Non-resident Provincial Deed Transfer Tax to non-residents who buy residential property meeting certain criteria.

Municipal

Halifax Regional Municipality: Deed Transfer Tax, stated as 1.5 percent of the purchase price of the property.

“The deed transfer tax within the boundaries of the Halifax Regional Municipality is 1.5 percent of the purchase price of the property.”

Halifax Regional Municipality: Property tax information

Source

“Municipal Deed Transfer Tax rates are set by each municipality and the tax payable is calculated based on the sale price of the property.”

Government of Nova Scotia: Municipal deed transfer and property tax

What Nova Scotia lists for first-time buyers

OpenLoan Time limits

Apply for a loan to help with a down payment on your first home: Down Payment Assistance Program

  • 5%

    of the purchase price, interest-free, repayable over 10 years

The province lends first-time buyers who pre-qualify for an insured mortgage money toward the down payment. The loan has no interest and is repaid over 10 years. The loan must be used for the down payment, not for financing, closing or other costs.

Deadlines
  • Apply at least 3 weeks before the financing deadline on the Agreement of Purchase and Sale
Source

“You can get a loan of 5% of the purchase price of a home.”

Government of Nova Scotia: Down Payment Assistance Program

Amount in full

A loan of 5% of the purchase price of a home, interest-free and repayable over a 10-year period.

For a purchase price above $500,000, the page states that the required down payment is 5% on the first $500,000 plus 10% on the remaining balance.

Who qualifies (12)
  • Pre-approved for an insured mortgage by an approved lender
  • Total household income of less than $145,000
  • Every individual on the deed has a credit rating of 650 or more
  • Every individual on the deed is a first-time home buyer
  • Every individual on the deed is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and lives full-time in Nova Scotia
  • Does not have the financial ability to pay 5% of the purchase price without the program
  • Able to pay closing costs such as legal fees and taxes
  • Property is in Nova Scotia and will be the primary residence. Rental, seasonal and recreational properties are not eligible.
  • Purchase price of no more than $570,000 in Halifax Regional Municipality and the Municipality of East Hants
  • Purchase price of no more than $375,000 in the Municipality of West Hants, the Annapolis Valley (Kings, Annapolis and Digby Counties) and the South Shore (Shelburne, Queens and Lunenburg Counties)
  • Purchase price of no more than $300,000 in Yarmouth County and the Northern and Eastern regions (Cumberland, Colchester, Pictou, Antigonish, Guysborough and Cape Breton Counties)
  • If the property is a manufactured (mobile) home, it must be permanently attached to a property the buyer owns
How to claim or apply

Complete the Down Payment Assistance Program form and send it with the supporting documents by mail, or visit a regional housing office.

The page says to apply at least 3 weeks before the financing deadline on the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.

There is no cost to apply.

For a property in Halifax Regional Municipality or Hants County, the page says to contact the regional housing office to book an appointment before visiting.

OpenRebate Time limits

Apply for a First-time Home Buyers’ Rebate on a newly-built home

  • $3,000

    the most the rebate pays

  • 18.75%

    of the provincial HST paid on the newly built home

A rebate of part of the provincial portion of the HST paid on a newly-built home that is the buyer's primary residence. It is not for renovations or for converting a rental to a condominium.

Deadlines
  • Apply within 24 months of a date that depends on the type of construction
Source

“The rebate amount is 18.75% of the provincial portion of the HST paid for the newly-built home, up to a total of $3,000.”

Government of Nova Scotia: Apply for a First-time Home Buyers’ Rebate on a newly-built home

Amount in full

Up to $3,000.

The rebate amount is 18.75% of the provincial portion of the HST paid for the newly-built home, up to a total of $3,000.

For a newly-built housing co-operative, the rebate amount is 1.31% of the purchase price of capital stock, up to a total of $3,000.

Who qualifies (3)
  • The newly-built home will be the primary residence
  • The newly-built home is the first house the buyer has owned and occupied in Canada in the last 5 years, or it replaces a previous home that was involuntarily destroyed in the last 5 years
  • The rebate is not for renovations or converting a rental to a condominium
How to claim or apply

Complete the rebate application form and send it with the supporting documents by mail, or visit the Business Registration Unit.

The deadline is 24 months from a date that depends on the type of construction, such as the date of sale noted on the deed transfer documents for a home bought with land or a condo unit.

There is no cost to apply.

OpenProgram

First-time Homebuyers Program: pilot project

  • two to four per cent

    down payment, as a share of the purchase price

A pilot mortgage product offered through participating credit unions and backed by a provincial guarantee. It allows a smaller down payment and does not carry traditional mortgage insurance. It is not an application to the government, because enrolment happens during the credit union mortgage application.

Source

“have the financial ability to pay two to four per cent of the purchase price of the property as a down payment and cover other closing and legal costs”

Government of Nova Scotia: First-time Homebuyers Program: pilot project

Amount in full

A down payment of two to four per cent of the purchase price.

Mortgage financing is available on homes up to $570,000 in Halifax Regional Municipality and East Hants, and up to $500,000 throughout the rest of the province.

Mortgages under the program do not have mortgage insurance.

Who qualifies (8)
  • Total household income of less than $200,000
  • First-time homebuyer
  • Canadian citizen or permanent resident who lives full-time in Nova Scotia
  • Credit rating of 630 or more
  • Able to pay two to four per cent of the purchase price as a down payment and cover other closing and legal costs
  • Able to pass a mortgage stress test and be pre-approved through a participating credit union
  • Cannot afford a five per cent down payment for a traditional mortgage
  • Property is in Nova Scotia and will be the primary residence. Rental, seasonal and recreational properties are not eligible.
How to claim or apply

Contact a participating credit union.

The page states that no application to the government is needed, and that eligibility and enrolment are completed during the credit union mortgage application.

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 first-time buyer exemption, rebate or reduction for the Municipal Deed Transfer Tax
  • provincial tax treatment of the FHSA or the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan
  • whether the Down Payment Assistance Program combines with the FHSA, the Home Buyers' Plan or another federal program
  • a closing date for the First-time Homebuyers Program pilot

Common questions

What tax or fees apply when you buy a home in Nova Scotia?

The government page describes a Municipal Deed Transfer Tax that may apply when land is sold. Each municipality sets its own rate, and the tax is collected through Land Registry when the deed is registered. A provincial rates list dated July 2026 shows a rate for each municipality. Separately, the province charges a Non-resident Provincial Deed Transfer Tax to non-residents who buy residential property meeting certain criteria.

What first-time home buyer programs does Nova Scotia list?

Nova Scotia's own pages list Apply for a loan to help with a down payment on your first home: Down Payment Assistance Program, Apply for a First-time Home Buyers’ Rebate on a newly-built home, and First-time Homebuyers Program: pilot project. 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.

See where you stand before you save

NivoaFlow keeps your accounts, your FHSA and RRSP room, and your goals in one picture, so you can see what you have and what is spoken for.

35 days free. No credit card required.

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.