First-time buyer · Quebec City · 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 Quebec City in 2026, in numbers.
A first purchase in Quebec City in 2026 starts under $500,000: a condo in Charlesbourg ($285,500 median in the second quarter), Beauport ($310,000) or the airport sector ($330,000), a house in Val-Bélair and L'Ancienne-Lorette ($460,000), Beauport ($467,000) or Charlesbourg ($470,500). 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 $109,000. Quebec City's trap is speed: 10 to 19 days in the family sectors, the fastest in the country, which makes pre-approval before the first showing a must.
The Quebec City agglomeration sold its median house for $485,000 and its condo for $335,000 in the second quarter of 2026, in 15 and 23 days, with 643 houses and 505 condos active (+33% and +26%); in August, the CMA was at $450,000 for the house in 28 days and $345,000 for the condo, with 2,162 listings (+27%). For a first-time buyer, the entry point is the condo between $280,000 and $350,000 (Charlesbourg, Beauport, Les Rivières, the airport sector) and the house between $430,000 and $500,000 (Val-Bélair, Beauport, Charlesbourg, Lebourgneuf); Sainte-Foy, Cap-Rouge and Upper Town are out of reach for a first purchase. The table below puts numbers on the minimum down payment, the premium, the monthly payment and the income required; the welcome tax refund (Quebec City surcharges at 2.5% above $500,000) covers the whole tax under $500,000.
| 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 |
| $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 |
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, Haute-Saint-Charles | $448,950 | 17 days | 101 |
| House, Airport sector, L'Ancienne-Lorette, Val-Bélair | $460,000 | 11 days | 82 |
| House, Beauport | $467,000 | 19 days | 152 |
| House, Charlesbourg | $470,500 | 14 days | 102 |
| Condo, Charlesbourg | $285,500 | 19 days | 122 |
| Condo, Beauport | $310,000 | 16 days | 173 |
| Condo, Haute-Saint-Charles | $320,000 | 17 days | n/a |
Charlesbourg (house $470,500 in 14 days, condo $285,500) and Beauport ($467,000 in 19 days, condo $310,000) are the affordable family sectors, with schools, the Laurentienne and Dufferin-Montmorency highways to downtown in fifteen minutes. Val-Bélair and L'Ancienne-Lorette ($460,000 in 11 days, condo $330,000) offer the house on a lot and the largest sales volume. Les Rivières ($500,000 in 10 days, condo $345,950) is the geographic centre, where everything is ten minutes away. Limoilou and Lower Town, at the city's lowest median ($325,000), are the market of plexes and urban condos, to compare building by building. Lévis, across the bridges, sells its house for $438,000 and its condo for $295,000: at equal budget, it is the other entry door.
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 Charlesbourg, Beauport, the welcome tax in Quebec City 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%. A larger down payment or existing debts change the number.
Charlesbourg (condo $285,500, house $470,500), Beauport ($310,000 and $467,000) and the airport sector, Val-Bélair and L'Ancienne-Lorette ($330,000 and $460,000) in Q2 2026; Limoilou for an urban condo under $325,000.
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.