Builder incentives

Two builders can offer the same dollar figure and be worth completely different amounts.

Published offers are scoped to the named community and eligible homes. Unconfirmed savings are not used in the payment comparison.

Sources reviewed October 29, 2026 · availability requires builder confirmation

Worked examples use a $700,000 home, 10% down, 4.89% base rate, 30-year amortization.

Federal GST rebate for first-time buyers

Removes up to the full 5% GST on new homes up to $1M for first-time buyers, phasing out to $1.5M.

Ontario HST (provincial portion) relief

Provincial new-home tax relief depends on the applicable program, eligibility and purchase dates. Confirm with your lawyer; advertised builder prices may already include rebate assumptions.

Activa

Trussler West · Vista Hills · other Activa communities

Headline offer

Request current home-specific promotions

Cash credit

Not confirmed

Upgrades & extras

Not confirmed

The promotions page includes August 2025 offers. Those historical amounts are not treated as current savings here. Ask Activa for a current written offer for the specific home.

Source

Mattamy Homes

Wildflowers, Kitchener · Laurel Creek, Waterloo

Headline offer

No current community-specific builder incentive confirmed

Cash credit

Not confirmed

Upgrades & extras

Not confirmed

Government rebates are separate from builder incentives. Request current pricing, deposit terms and included features directly from Mattamy; no unverified discount or upgrade allowance is included here.

Source

Fusion Homes

Wallaceton, Kitchener (offer scope) · Cadence, Cambridge

Headline offer

Up to $40,000 included upgrades on select Wallaceton Urban Towns

Cash credit

Not confirmed

Upgrades & extras

Up to $40,000 · eligible homes only

  • Select Wallaceton homes: $0 development charges and $0 utility hookup fee
  • Listed homes include appliances and one parking space
  • $25,000 deposit on eligible 60-day closings; confirm the full purchase terms

October 6, 2026 Wallaceton move-in-ready price sheet. Upgrade values vary by home. The $25,000 figure is a builder deposit for eligible 60-day closings, not necessarily your mortgage down payment. This offer is not confirmed for Cadence.

Source

Starward Homes

Maple Grove at River Mill, Cambridge

Headline offer

$20,000 design dollars + price guarantee at Maple Grove

Cash credit

Not confirmed

Upgrades & extras

Up to $20,000 · eligible homes only

  • Maple Grove: $20,000 design dollars
  • Price guarantee subject to builder terms

Published on the Maple Grove community page. Design dollars are not cash savings. The price guarantee and any HST-rebate pricing are subject to the builder's full written terms.

Source

Freure Homes

Black Oaks, Cambridge

Headline offer

Request current Black Oaks pricing and purchase terms

Cash credit

Not confirmed

Upgrades & extras

Not confirmed

The builder confirms Black Oaks, but current cash credits, upgrade allowances and deposit incentives have not been substantiated by a current official offer sheet.

Source
Compare confirmed offers

What each confirmed incentive does to your payment.

Only offers with a confirmed, sourced figure are included. Builders marked “Not confirmed” above are left out — we do not estimate on unverified numbers.

Purchase price$700,000
Down payment10% · $70,000

Assumptions: 4.89% base rate, 30-year amortization — the same as the payment calculators. Estimates only, not a quote.

Fusion Homes

Wallaceton, Kitchener (offer scope) · Cadence, Cambridge

Monthly impact

None — value is in included upgrades, not cash

Total value

Up to $40,000 · eligible homes only

October 6, 2026 Wallaceton move-in-ready price sheet. Upgrade values vary by home. The $25,000 figure is a builder deposit for eligible 60-day closings, not necessarily your mortgage down payment. This offer is not confirmed for Cadence.

Starward Homes

Maple Grove at River Mill, Cambridge

Monthly impact

None — value is in included upgrades, not cash

Total value

Up to $20,000 · eligible homes only

Published on the Maple Grove community page. Design dollars are not cash savings. The price guarantee and any HST-rebate pricing are subject to the builder's full written terms.

Four lessons

How to read an incentive sheet.

A rate buydown beats a price cut

A $20,000 price cut on a $700,000 home (10% down, 4.89% over 30 years) lowers the payment by roughly $95 a month. A permanent 1% buydown on the same home lowers it by roughly $370. Same builder, same house, very different math.

Temporary buydowns expire

A 2-1 buydown lowers your rate for two years, then it snaps back. Qualify on the real rate, not the teaser rate, or year three becomes a problem.

Closing credits are cash, not savings

A $20,000 closing credit is genuinely useful if cash is your constraint. It does almost nothing to your monthly payment. Know which problem you are solving.

Design upgrades rarely return their cost

A $25,000 upgrade allowance is priced at retail, not cost. Spend it on structural items you cannot change later, not on finishes you could buy cheaper after closing.

Incentive terms change frequently and vary by home, phase and closing date. Figures shown are illustrative estimates for planning only. Confirm all terms directly with the builder.

See which incentive is worth the most to you.

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