Before you look at a single house in Hamilton or Niagara, get five answers. Whose name can go on the house? What will the bank lend you? How much cash do you need, and where is it now? Can rent from another unit help? Who pays whom at the end?
The numbers are real. In Hamilton, the average house, semi or townhouse sold for $658,653 in September 2026, according to our Hamilton market report for September 2026. Using the CMHC down payment rule (5% of the first $500,000, then 10% of the rest), that is about $40,865 down, before closing costs.
I'm Regina Marin-Suarez. I was born in Mexico City, I live in Grimsby, and I've worked in real estate since I was nineteen. I have this first conversation with every Spanish-speaking buyer, and I go through these five questions before we book any showings.
1. Whose name can go on the house?
I start here because this one can stop everything.
Canada has a federal ban that stops most people who are not citizens or permanent residents from buying a home. There are some exceptions. Ontario also charges a 25% tax on many foreign buyers. That covers someone on a work permit. It also covers parents in Bogotá who want to buy for a son studying at Brock in St. Catharines. Either way, we check your exact situation with a real estate lawyer first, because the rules have changed more than once, and finding out in week one beats finding out after you love a house.
If you are a permanent resident or a citizen, good. We move on.
2. What will the bank lend you?
This is the number that sets your price range. Everything else follows from it.
Newcomers often have a short Canadian credit history (your record of paying bills here). Some banks run programs for people new to Canada. These programs look at your job, your income and how long you have been here. A quick, free check with a mortgage specialist tells you your top number. It takes about an hour, and it saves you from falling for a house the bank will not pay for, which is the most painful mistake I see.
Get that number first. Then we shop.
3. How much cash do you need, and where is it sitting?
In the first call, I ask one thing before anything else. Where is your down payment right now, and in which country?
The answer changes the timeline. Most banks want to see about three months of statements showing where the money came from. Say your savings are in Mexico, or a parent in Lima is sending a gift. Then the money should move into a Canadian account early, with a clear paper trail and a signed gift letter.
You will also need cash for closing costs. In Hamilton and Niagara you pay Ontario's land transfer tax (a one-time tax when you buy). Unlike Toronto, there is no second city tax on top. First-time buyers can get up to $4,000 of the Ontario tax refunded. I don't give one closing cost number, because it changes with the price. We write each cost down together: lawyer, tax, inspection, moving.
4. Can rent from another unit help pay your mortgage?
This is where many of my buyers find their way in. House hacking means buying a home with two, three or four units, living in one, and renting the rest.
The CMHC rules are different by size. For two units, the down payment is the same as a regular house. The bank can count up to 100% of the rent toward what you can afford. For three or four units, you need at least 10% down, and the bank counts up to 50% of the rent.
In St. Catharines, the median asking price for an up-and-down duplex was $524,900 over the last twelve months. A triplex was $679,500. Those are asking prices, not sales, from our St. Catharines multiplex report. Self-contained units there were listed at a median of $1,700 a month in the twelve months to October 28, 2026, and they leased in about 7 days. In Hamilton, the same kind of unit asked $1,800.
If you are comparing a Hamilton duplex by price per unit, that report breaks it down by neighbourhood. My wider view of buying these homes sits on our Hamilton investment properties page.
5. Who pays whom?
Buyers from Mexico often expect a notario to handle the closing. Here, a real estate lawyer does that job. You hire your own.
In Ontario, the seller usually pays both agents out of the sale. You, the buyer, pay a deposit soon after your offer is accepted, often within a day. A brokerage holds it in trust, and it counts toward the price. You also pay your lawyer, your inspection and the land transfer tax.
None of this is hard. It just has to be clear before you sign, in the language you think in.
If you can answer all five in one sitting, you are ready to look. If you can't, take a month first. In September 2026, Hamilton had 2,557 homes for sale and they took 44 days to sell on average, so the right house will still be there.
Questions people ask
Can my parents in Mexico give me money for my down payment?
Yes. Most banks accept a gift from close family. They will want a signed gift letter saying the money does not need to be paid back. They will also want proof that it moved from your parents' account to yours. Send it early so it shows up on your Canadian statements.
Do I have to speak English to buy a house in Ontario?
No. You can talk through every step in Spanish with me. Still, the offer, the bank papers and the lawyer's papers are in English. That is why I go through each page with you before you sign it.
Is Hamilton a slow market for buyers right now?
It is slower than last year. Hamilton had 333 sales in September 2026, down 27% from a year earlier. There were also 1,069 new listings that month, so buyers have more homes to choose from and more time to decide.
Start with one conversation
You don't need a house in mind to start. Bring your questions and where your savings sit today, and we'll answer the five together. Book a call with our team here.
En español
Antes de ver casas en Hamilton o Niágara, necesitas cinco respuestas. Tienes que saber a nombre de quién puede ir la casa, cuánto te presta el banco, cuánto dinero necesitas y dónde está, si una renta puede ayudarte, y quién le paga a quién. En septiembre de 2026, el precio promedio de una casa en Hamilton fue de $658,653, así que el enganche ronda los $40,865. Si tu dinero está en México o en Sudamérica, muévelo pronto a una cuenta canadiense. El banco quiere ver de dónde viene. Escríbeme en mi página y platicamos en español.