Buying · Sainte-Thérèse · down payment 2026
Buy now with the minimum down payment or wait for 20% in Sainte-Thérèse: the real cost of the CMHC premium, the saving time, rent and prices during the wait, median house and condo.
For the median house in Sainte-Thérèse ($650,000), the minimum down payment is $40,000 and 20% is $130,000, or $90,000 more to save. At $16,000 a year (a couple maxing out the FHSA), that is 5 years and 8 months of waiting, at stable prices. Buying now costs the CMHC premium ($24,400, added to the loan), the Québec sales tax on the premium ($2,196) and about $14,463 of interest on the premium over 25 years: $41,059 in all. Prices only need to rise 1.09% a year during the wait for waiting to cost more than the premium, without even counting rent. Assumptions: Centris median price (January to September 2026) of single-family houses and condos; minimum down payment and CMHC premium per the 2026 schedule; interest on the premium = payment gap over 25 years at a 4.09% fixed rate; a couple saving at the maximum FHSA pace, $16,000 a year ($8,000 each), starting from the minimum down payment already saved; price growth = change in the city's Centris median price from 2025 to 2026, used as a scenario, not a forecast. Source: Centris (Matrix) for prices, compiled on November 10, 2026.
The short answer
For the median house in Sainte-Thérèse ($650,000), the minimum down payment is $40,000 and 20% is $130,000, or $90,000 more to save. At $16,000 a year (a couple maxing out the FHSA), that is 5 years and 8 months of waiting, at stable prices. Buying now costs the CMHC premium ($24,400, added to the loan), the Québec sales tax on the premium ($2,196) and about $14,463 of interest on the premium over 25 years: $41,059 in all. Prices only need to rise 1.09% a year during the wait for waiting to cost more than the premium, without even counting rent.
Buying now in Sainte-Thérèse: what the premium costs
| 2026 in Sainte-Thérèse | Median price | Minimum down payment | 20% down payment | Wait to reach 20% | CMHC premium | QST on the premium | Interest on the premium (25 years) | Total cost of the premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median house | $650,000 | $40,000 | $130,000 | 5 years and 8 months | $24,400 | $2,196 | $14,463 | $41,059 |
| Median condo | $372,500 | $18,625 | $74,500 | 3 years and 6 months | $14,155 | $1,274 | $8,390 | $23,819 |
Centris (Matrix) median prices, January to September 2026; 2026 premium schedule; insured 5-year fixed rate of 4.09%, 25 years.
Waiting for 20% in Sainte-Thérèse: what it costs
| In Sainte-Thérèse, during the wait | Price 2025 to 2026 | Price increase if that pace continues | Increase per 1% a year | Yearly growth that makes waiting cost more than the premium | Rent paid during the wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median house | +13.5% | $684,631 | $37,703 | 1.09% | $115,600 |
| Median condo | +0.4% | $5,298 | $13,201 | 1.79% | $71,400 |
What these numbers say in Sainte-Thérèse
- The premium adds about $130 a month to the payment on the median house in Sainte-Thérèse. That is the real monthly cost of not having 20%.
- The median house price in Sainte-Thérèse rose 13.5% from 2025 to 2026. If that pace continued during the 5 years and 8 months of waiting, the same house would cost about $684,631 more, and 20% would move away faster than savings: you would never catch up.
- Renting at the city's median Centris lease ($1,700 a month), the 5 years and 8 months of waiting add up to about $115,600 of rent, more than the whole premium.
- For the median condo ($372,500), the wait is 3 years and 6 months and the premium costs $23,819 all in; the threshold is a 1.79% yearly price rise.
- In the 49 cities where the median house is insurable, it takes a median 5 years and 5 months to reach 20% on the median house, and the premium costs $38,332 all in. A price rise of about 1.15% a year is enough for waiting to cost more.
Down payment rules
With less than 20% down, the mortgage must be insured (CMHC or another insurer): the premium, from 2.80% to 4.00% of the loan depending on the down payment, is added to the loan, and the 9% Québec sales tax on the premium is paid in cash at the notary. The minimum down payment is 5% up to $500,000 and 10% on the portion between $500,000 and $1.5M; from $1.5M, 20% is required.
What it changes for buying in Sainte-Thérèse
In Sainte-Thérèse, the wait is in line with the 50 cities tracked. The right approach: compare the premium with the rent you would pay during the wait, then buy with the down payment that leaves you a cushion. Now is the time to buy, with a clear plan. For the cash to plan for: the cash for a house in Sainte-Thérèse, the cash for a condo in Sainte-Thérèse.
How to read these numbers
Assumptions: Centris median price (January to September 2026) of single-family houses and condos; minimum down payment and CMHC premium per the 2026 schedule; interest on the premium = payment gap over 25 years at a 4.09% fixed rate; a couple saving at the maximum FHSA pace, $16,000 a year ($8,000 each), starting from the minimum down payment already saved; price growth = change in the city's Centris median price from 2025 to 2026, used as a scenario, not a forecast. Price growth during the wait is a scenario: prices can also stall or fall, which is why the page gives the threshold at which waiting becomes more expensive. The welcome tax and notary fees are the same in both cases.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need 20% down to buy in Sainte-Thérèse?
No. With less than 20% down, the mortgage must be insured (CMHC or another insurer): the premium, from 2.80% to 4.00% of the loan depending on the down payment, is added to the loan, and the 9% Québec sales tax on the premium is paid in cash at the notary. The minimum down payment is 5% up to $500,000 and 10% on the portion between $500,000 and $1.5M; from $1.5M, 20% is required.
How much does the CMHC premium cost in Sainte-Thérèse?
For the median house in Sainte-Thérèse, about $41,059: the $24,400 premium added to the loan, $2,196 of QST paid in cash and about $14,463 of interest on the premium over 25 years, at 4.09%.
Can you get rid of the premium later?
The premium is paid once, at purchase. It is not refunded, but prepayments allowed by your contract reduce the interest you pay on it. See also biweekly mortgage payments in Sainte-Thérèse and 25 or 30-year amortization in Sainte-Thérèse.
Sources: Centris (Matrix), Statistics module, median sale price of single-family houses and condos for the municipality of Sainte-Thérèse (2025 and January to September 2026); CMHC mortgage loan insurance premium schedule; Government of Canada minimum down payment rules ($1.5M insurable limit since December 15, 2024); FHSA annual limit (Canada Revenue Agency); compiled by the Loaa & Manseur team, aggregates only. The hub waiting for 20% down in 50 cities compares the 50 cities.
Our proof, not our promises
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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.