There is a huge range between 5% and 25%!

This is from CMHC's website

"Typically lenders will require mortgage loan insurance if a borrower has a down payment of less than 20% of the purchase price of the home."

We paid 10% on our home and still had to pay CMHC. 20% down on our home would have been 65K, I didn't have that lol!

Involved NHW after a falling out with our building, what a joke. First you have to work your ass to get them out then only after you pay a deducible for the builders screwups. Then when they do show, they only want to do the moderator thing between the home owner and the builder. That falls apart out comes the list of acceptable deficiencies (adjacent floor tiles up to 3/8" differance in height, 8' wall out of level by 3/4") so they walk. Nothing gets done, they raise the builders premiun by $5k because of the complaint and he's freaking at you in your kids school parking lot.

As I figured the insurance was one of those perks to the buyer the builder uses the free insurance as a one stop shop a convenience thing so I guess it's not that bad. As far as the nhw that I have heard is just a name and is as good as the paper it's wrote on as other have found out. anyone read the fine print it's terrible.