Free guide: home buying basics in English, Hindi and Punjabi
A free, plain-language guide to mortgages, down payments, GDS and TDS, the stress test and closing costs in Ontario. Download it in English, Hindi or Punjabi.
Buying a home is a big decision, and it’s even harder when the words are unfamiliar. Many families in Woodstock and Oxford County talk about money at home in Hindi or Punjabi, so I’ve put the essentials into one short guide, in all three languages.
Each language version uses the same numbers, and the Hindi and Punjabi guides keep the key English terms in brackets, so you’ll recognize them when you meet your lender.
Download the guide
हिंदी में
यह मुफ़्त गाइड अब हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध है। इसमें मॉर्गेज (mortgage), डाउन पेमेंट (down payment), GDS और TDS अनुपात, स्ट्रेस टेस्ट (stress test) और ओंटारियो में क्लोज़िंग खर्च (closing costs) को आसान भाषा में समझाया गया है। कोई सवाल हो तो बेझिझक संपर्क करें।
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ
ਇਹ ਮੁਫ਼ਤ ਗਾਈਡ ਹੁਣ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੌਰਗੇਜ (mortgage), ਡਾਊਨ ਪੇਮੈਂਟ (down payment), GDS ਅਤੇ TDS ਅਨੁਪਾਤ, ਸਟ੍ਰੈੱਸ ਟੈਸਟ (stress test) ਅਤੇ ਓਨਟਾਰੀਓ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਲੋਜ਼ਿੰਗ ਖ਼ਰਚਿਆਂ (closing costs) ਨੂੰ ਸੌਖੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਮਝਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਸਵਾਲ ਹੋਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਬੇਝਿਜਕ ਸੰਪਰਕ ਕਰੋ।
It’s free, there’s no sign-up, and it’s written for real people, not bankers.
What’s inside
- How a mortgage works: principal, interest rate, term and amortization, with a worked example on a $550,000 home.
- Down payment and mortgage insurance: the minimum you need at each price, and what CMHC insurance costs.
- GDS and TDS: the two ratios lenders use to decide how much you can borrow.
- Fixed or variable, and the stress test: what each choice means for your payment.
- Closing costs in Ontario: land transfer tax, the first-time buyer refund, and a sample budget.
- First-time buyer programs: the FHSA, the RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan and more.
- A glossary of the terms you’ll hear from lenders and lawyers.
Want to go deeper?
Each topic in the guide has its own post on the blog:
- How a mortgage works in Ontario
- GDS and TDS: the two ratios that decide how much you can borrow
- Fixed or variable, and the mortgage stress test explained
- Down payment and mortgage insurance in Canada
- Closing costs in Ontario: what to budget
- First-time homebuyer incentives in Ontario
- Ontario home buyer’s guide
Talk it through
A guide can only go so far. If you’d like to sit down and go through your own numbers, book a free call and we’ll work out a plan for buying in Woodstock or anywhere in Oxford County.
The guide is general information based on rules in effect in September 2026, not financial, legal or tax advice. Confirm your own numbers with your lender, mortgage broker and lawyer.
