First-time buyer · Joliette · 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 Joliette in 2026, in numbers.
A first purchase in Joliette in 2026 starts under $500,000: a house at a $475,000 median in the agglomeration in the second quarter (price flat year over year, 36 days), less in the 1960s to 1990s bungalow neighbourhoods of Joliette and Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, a condo or a plex downtown. At $350,000 with 5% down, the monthly payment is about $1,692 at 4.24% over 30 years and the household must earn about $78,000; at $475,000, $2,296 and $104,000. Joliette's advantage in 2026: the price is pausing (0%) and supply equals sales, giving the first-time buyer time to compare resale with Saint-Charles-Borromée's new builds.
The Joliette agglomeration (Joliette, Saint-Charles-Borromée, Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, Saint-Paul) sold its median house for $475,000 (flat year over year, +64% in five years) in the second quarter of 2026 in 36 days, with 117 sales and 111 houses active; condos, few in number, have no published quarterly median. For a first-time buyer, the entry point is the house between $375,000 and $475,000 (1960s to 1990s neighbourhoods, Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, the neighbouring municipalities) and the downtown condo or plex under $375,000; Saint-Charles-Borromée's new builds are above. The table puts numbers on the minimum down payment, the premium, the monthly payment and the income required; under $500,000, Joliette's welcome tax (3% above) is fully refunded to a first-time buyer.
| 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.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $15,000 | $11,400 | $1,450 | $1,808 | $67,000 |
| $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 |
| $475,000 | $23,750 | $18,050 | $2,296 | $2,862 | $104,000 |
| $500,000 | $25,000 | $19,000 | $2,417 | $3,013 | $109,000 |
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 |
Note: since Finances Québec's Information Bulletin 2026-2 (April 2026), the $5,875 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).
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.
| Segment and sector (QPAREB, Q2 2026), cheapest first | Median price | Days on market | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| House, Sorel-Tracy | $419,000 | 42 days | 174 |
| House, Joliette | $475,000 | 36 days | 111 |
| House, Saint-Hyacinthe | $499,000 | 22 days | 110 |
| House, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts | $534,200 | 76 days | 151 |
| Condo, Montreal CMA | $430,000 | 48 days | 10 215 |
In Joliette itself, the 1960s to 1990s bungalow neighbourhoods to the north and west sell the house below the median; downtown, around place Bourget, sells plexes, condos and brick houses, to compare street by street. Notre-Dame-des-Prairies and Saint-Paul offer 1980s to 2010s family houses at the median; Saint-Charles-Borromée sells new builds, above. The neighbouring municipalities (Saint-Thomas, Sainte-Mélanie, Crabtree) offer the village house and the hobby farm, with a car. Repentigny ($580,000) and Mascouche ($615,000), on the road to Montreal, are $100,000 to $140,000 pricier; Saint-Lin-Laurentides ($490,000) is the other entry door of the northern suburbs.
The Loaa & Manseur team, led by Lotfi Manseur and Loaa Al Daow, is 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 of large residential teams according to the official RE/MAX ranking, computed on actual transactions. Its Google profile counts 221 reviews with a 4.9 rating. Its offices are at 55 avenue de l'Équinoxe in Brossard, one bridge from the island, and every broker's licence can be checked in the OACIQ public register. Three things to verify yourself before calling us, and to demand of any other broker.
Our pages on Joliette, the welcome tax in Joliette, Saint-Lin-Laurentides and the FHSA maximum complete the file.
About $78,000 in gross household income for a $350,000 condo or plex, $93,000 for a $425,000 house and $104,000 for $475,000, with 5% down, a 30-year amortization and the stress test at 6.24%.
Joliette's 1960s to 1990s neighbourhoods and Notre-Dame-des-Prairies for a house under $475,000; downtown for a condo or a plex; Saint-Lin-Laurentides ($490,000) and Sorel-Tracy ($419,000) as alternatives, in Q2 2026.
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.