Difference between Deposit and Downpayment

Tanya Toye • September 20, 2023

If you’re new to the home buying process, it’s easy to get confused by some of the terms used. The purpose of this article is to clear up any confusion between the deposit and downpayment.


What is a deposit?


The deposit is the money included with a purchase contract as a sign of good faith when you offer to purchase a property. It’s the “consideration” that helps make up the contract and binds you to the agreement.


Typically, you include a certified cheque or a bank draft that your real estate brokerage holds while negotiations are finalized when you offer to purchase a property. If your offer is accepted, your deposit is held in your Realtor’s trust account.


If your offer is accepted and you commit to buying the property, your deposit is transferred to the lawyer’s trust account and included in your downpayment. If you aren’t able to reach an agreement, the deposit is refunded to you. However, if you commit to buying the property and don’t complete the transaction, your deposit could be forfeit to the seller.


Your deposit goes ahead of the downpayment but makes up part of the downpayment.

The amount you put forward as a deposit when negotiating the terms of a purchase contract is arbitrary, meaning there is no predefined or standard amount. Instead, it’s best to discuss this with your real estate professional as your deposit can be a negotiating factor in and of itself.


A larger deposit may give you a better chance of having your offer accepted in a competitive situation. It also puts you on the hook for more if something changes down the line and you cannot complete the purchase.


What is a downpayment?


Your downpayment refers to the initial payment you make when buying a property through mortgage financing.


In Canada, the minimum downpayment amount is 5%, as lenders can only lend up to 95% of the property’s value. Securing mortgage financing with anything less than 20% down is only made possible through mortgage default insurance. You can source your downpayment from your resources, the sale of a property, an RRSP, a gift from a family member, or borrowed funds.


Example scenario


Let’s say that you are looking to purchase a property worth $400k. You’re planning on making a downpayment of 10% or $40k. When you make the initial offer to buy the property, you put forward $10k as a deposit your real estate brokerage holds in their trust account. If everything checks out with the home inspection and you’re satisfied with financing, you can remove all conditions. Your $10k deposit is transferred to the lawyer’s trust account, where will add the remaining $30k for the downpayment.


With your $40k downpayment made, once you sign the mortgage documents and cover the legal and closing costs, the lender will forward the remaining 90% in the form of a mortgage registered to your title, and you have officially purchased the property!


If you have any questions about the difference between the deposit and the downpayment or any other mortgage terms, please connect anytime. It would be a pleasure to work with you.

Tanya Toye

Mortgage Broker

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Establishing New Credit

By Tanya Toye • June 25, 2025
If you’re new to managing personal finance and you want to learn about credit, you’ve come to the right place. Establishing new credit is a bit of a catch-22. To build a credit history, you need credit. But it’s hard to get credit without having a credit history. So, where do you start? Well, the first thing you should know is that building credit takes time. It’s not something that happens overnight. If you’re looking to secure mortgage financing, you will want to have a minimum of two trade lines (credit cards, loans, or lines of credit) with a minimum limit of $2500, reporting for at least two years. If you don’t have any credit yet, the best time to get started is right now. However, that may be difficult because, as we've already identified, without a credit history, most lenders won’t feel confident about taking a chance on you. What’s the solution? Consider a secured credit card. With a secured credit card, you make a deposit upfront that matches the amount you want to borrow. A reasonable amount would be $1000 deposited on a single secured credit card. You then use your secured credit card to make household purchases and regular utility payments, paying off the total balance each month. If you default on the money borrowed for whatever reason, the lender will retain the money you put up as collateral. When looking for a secured credit card, be sure to ask whether they report to the two nationwide credit bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion. If the credit card company doesn't report, the credit card account will be useless for your purposes; move on until you find a company that reports to both credit bureaus. Once your secured credit card begins reporting to the credit bureaus, you begin to have a credit score; usually, this takes about three months. Now you can start to seek out a second trade line in the form of an unsecured credit card. Don’t forget to ensure that this card reports to both of the credit reporting agencies. Another option at this point could be a car loan. From here, you simply want to make all your payments on time! But what happens if you’re looking to secure mortgage financing before you have a fully established credit report? Well, if you have someone who would consider co-signing, you can certainly go that route. The mortgage application will depend on their income and credit report, but your name will be on the mortgage. Hopefully, when the mortgage is up for renewal, you’ll have the established credit required to remove them from the mortgage and qualify on your own. Although establishing credit takes a minimum of two years, it really begins with putting together a plan. If you’d like to discuss anything credit or mortgage-related, please get in touch!

Proposed GST Rebate Could Save First-Time Homebuyers Thousands

By Tanya Toye • June 20, 2025
There’s promising news out of Ottawa for first-time homebuyers that could significantly reduce the cost of getting into the housing market when purchasing a newly built or substantially renovated home. On May 27 th , the federal government proposed legislation to provide GST relief on new home purchases for first time buyers: A full rebate on purchases of up to $1 million and a partial rebate on homes between $1Million and $1.5Million. The proposal still needs to be passed by parliament, but this change could translate into savings of up to $50,000, making a big difference in both the short- and long-term homeownership affordability. In today’s high-price environment, first-time buyers often struggle to save the required down payment while also qualifying for a large enough mortgage. By removing or reducing the 5% GST on qualifying new builds and substantially renovated properties, this policy eases some of that financial burden. A recent report from Desjardins Economics shows these savings are more than just hypothetical. A first-time buyer purchasing a new home at the $1 million mark (inclusive of tax) could see a reduction of around $240 on their monthly mortgage payments. This money could then be redirected toward savings, home improvements or simply making life more manageable. Plus, with the tax removed, the required down payment is also slightly lower, which helps ease upfront costs. Maximizing support for first-time homebuyers For parents helping children buy their first home – whether through gifting the down payment or co-signing a mortgage – this change presents an opportunity to maximize that support. A lower purchase price and more affordable carrying costs make it easier for younger buyers toqualify for financing and remain financially stable after closing day. If you’re considering buying a newly built or substantially renovated home, now is a great time to talk to your mortgage broker about how this GST rebate could impact your mortgage strategy – and your bottom line. Have questions about your first-time homebuyer mortgage options or wish to book a free review to see if your mortgage is still right for you?  I’m here to help: 604-788-8693 | tanya@tanyatoye.ca