First-time buyer · Châteauguay · 2026 programs and QPAREB Q2 figures
How much you need to earn, how much you need set aside, which programs to stack and which sectors to look at: the first purchase in Châteauguay in 2026, in numbers.
A first purchase in Châteauguay in 2026 starts under $550,000, and it is the only city in the western South Shore where that is possible for a house: a $525,000 median in the second quarter, 36 days, 302 houses active (+43 %), with the 1960s to 1980s bungalows of the centre and south below the median; the condo, at $400,000 (+11 %), goes in 30 days with only 47 listings. At $400,000 with 5 % down, the monthly payment is about $1,933 at 4.24 % over 30 years and the household must earn about $88,000 to pass the stress test; at $500,000, $2,417 and about $109,000. The FHSA ($8,000 a year), the HBP ($60,000), the $5,875 welcome tax refund and the 30-year amortization stack up. Here are the numbers, the programs and the sectors. Since Finances Québec's Information Bulletin 2026-2 (April 2026), this credit is reduced by 2.35 % of the portion of the price above $750,000 and disappears at $1,000,000: $4,700 at $800,000, $2,350 at $900,000.
Châteauguay (QPAREB sector 39) sold its median house for $525,000 in 36 days and its condo for $400,000 in 30 days in the second quarter of 2026, with 302 houses (+43 %, the South Shore's sharpest rise in supply) and 47 condos active, a seller's market up to $790,000. For a first-time buyer, the entry point is the house between $400,000 and $525,000 in the 1960s to 1980s streets, more affordable than Candiac's condo ($450,000), and the condo between $350,000 and $425,000. The table below puts numbers on the minimum down payment, the insurance premium, the monthly payment and the income required for five purchase prices. The monthly picture is on the South Shore's August 2026 report.
| Purchase price | Minimum down payment | CMHC premium (added to the loan) | Monthly payment at 4.24 %, 30 years | Payment at the stress-test rate (6.24 %) | Gross household income required (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $350,000 | $17,500 | $13,300 | $1,692 | $2,109 | $78,000 |
| $400,000 | $20,000 | $15,200 | $1,933 | $2,410 | $88,000 |
| $450,000 | $22,500 | $17,100 | $2,175 | $2,712 | $98,000 |
| $500,000 | $25,000 | $19,000 | $2,417 | $3,013 | $109,000 |
| $550,000 | $30,000 | $20,800 | $2,646 | $3,298 | $119,000 |
Assumptions: five-year fixed rate of 4.24 % (September 2026), stress test at 6.24 %, 30-year amortization (allowed for first-time buyers on insured loans), CMHC premium of 4 % for a down payment under 10 %, municipal and school taxes estimated at 0.9 % of the price, heating $1,800 a year, gross debt service ratio capped at 39 %. Every file differs; the pre-approval gives the real number.
| Program | Amount | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| FHSA | $8,000 a year, $40,000 lifetime, deductible at contribution, tax-free withdrawal, never repaid | open the account now to accumulate room; see the FHSA maximum |
| HBP | up to $60,000 withdrawn from the RRSP, repayable over 15 years; combines with the FHSA | contribute to the RRSP at least 90 days before the withdrawal |
| Welcome tax refund (Quebec) | up to $5,875 for a first residence, since January 1, 2026 | the claim is filed after the tax bill; see the welcome tax refund |
| First-time buyer tax credits | about $2,900 (federal and Quebec together) | claimed in the year of purchase |
| 30-year amortization | on first-time buyers' insured loans and on new homes | simulate the effect on qualification (table above) |
| GST eliminated on new homes | up to one million in purchase price | compare new and resale for an equal budget |
| Down payment | 5 % up to $500,000, 10 % on the portion from $500,000 to $1.5 million (since December 15, 2024) | count the CMHC premium and its 9 % tax payable in cash |
The full list and conditions are in first-time buyer programs in Quebec 2026; the first-time buyer guide (free PDF, in French) gathers the steps.
| The cheapest sectors (QPAREB, Q2 2026) | Median price | Days | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| House, Châteauguay | $525,000 | 36 days | 302 |
| House, Southwestern South Shore (Saint-Constant, Delson) | $620,000 | 38 days | 208 |
| House, Brossard/Saint-Lambert | $803,000 | 41 days | 320 |
| House, Candiac, La Prairie | $820,000 | 39 days | 162 |
| Condo, Southwestern South Shore (Saint-Constant, Delson) | $395,000 | 31 days | 76 |
| Condo, Châteauguay | $400,000 | 30 days | 47 |
| Condo, Brossard/Saint-Lambert | $404,000 | 50 days | 524 |
| Condo, Candiac, La Prairie | $450,000 | 45 days | 157 |
The centre and south of Châteauguay, around boulevard Saint-Jean-Baptiste and old Châteauguay, sell the 1960s to 1980s bungalows below the $525,000 median: it is the western South Shore's first-time buyer house, to refresh, with 302 houses to compare. The northwest toward the 30 and Mercier sells the recent cottages at or above the median. For the condo, the buildings near boulevard Saint-Jean-Baptiste, the 132 and the river offer 47 units at $400,000: supply is thin, you have to be ready. The southwest (Saint-Constant, Sainte-Catherine: $620,000, condo $395,000 with 76 units) and Candiac-La Prairie ($820,000, condo $450,000) are the neighbours to compare; Mercier and Léry, in the same sector, offer larger lots.
Our pages on buying a condo in Châteauguay, first-time home buyers on the South Shore and the FHSA maximum complete the file.
About $78,000 in gross household income for a $350,000 condo, $98,000 for $450,000 and $109,000 for a $500,000 house, with 5 % down, a 30-year amortization and the stress test at 6.24 %.
The centre and south of Châteauguay for the house (1960s to 1980s bungalows under $525,000), the only house under $550,000 in the western South Shore; the buildings near Saint-Jean-Baptiste and the 132 for the condo ($400,000).
Yes: up to $40,000 from the FHSA (never repaid) and $60,000 from the RRSP through the HBP (repaid over 15 years), per person, for the same property. A couple can therefore gather up to $200,000 in tax-sheltered down payment.
Published forecasts (Desjardins, QPAREB, CMHC) expect stable to moderately rising prices in 2027 and a policy rate around 2.75 %; waiting does not lower the price, but it gives time to fill the FHSA. Our page buy in 2026 or wait until 2027 puts numbers on both scenarios.
Also available in French: version française de ce guide.
Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.
Équipe no 1 de RE/MAX Platine en 2024 et en 2025, 6e au Québec, 15e au Canada et dans le top 50 mondial au classement officiel RE/MAX. Réponse en moins de 24 heures, sept jours sur sept.