CMHC allow buyers work for down payment - 2004-02-24
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is modifying its rules so home buyers can utilize non-traditional ways, including sweat equity, to make the down payment on a house.

Grace Thrasher, a spokeswoman for CMHC, said yesterday that home buyers who participate in the construction of their new home can now put the value of that work toward the 5-per-cent down payment required for a CMHC mortgage.
Read the full story at Globe and Mail

Zero Down Payment Plan Could Make Initial Home Ownership 'Too Easy' - 2004-02-24
To purchase the $150,000 house in Charles Village that he wants, first-time buyer Eric Landers has put aside more than $10,000 for the down payment.

The down payment, which can total several thousand dollars, is a critical cost that lenders require when deciding whether to grant a mortgage to a buyer.

The Bush administration has proposed a zero down payment plan to help more people buy homes.
Read the full story at Miami Herald