Most purchasers and sellers send their agreements to their real estate lawyer after the agreement has already been signed. At this point, it is typically too late to amend or get out of the deal. This is why it is important to have your lawyer review the agreement...

I had a potential client call me this week about a property he owns with his wife, from whom he had recently separated. They are working through their separation agreement, but in the meantime, he felt uncomfortable leaving their house in joint names, as he wanted his...

In Ontario, except for a tiny (less than 1%) fraction of properties across the province that have major title issues, all real estate is done electronically. A lawyer who is licenced to do real estate law in Ontario can close a deal anywhere in the province. So, if...

In Ontario, the law is very clear: common law and legally married are two separate things. In the context of real estate, that means that, if the house is only in your spouse’s name and you aren’t legally married, your spouse can mortgage or sell the property without...

It seems like it should be a simple question: if you’ve never personally bought a house, you should qualify, right? Unfortunately, it’s not so simple. If you live in a home that your legally married spouse owns, you no longer qualify. Same if you are common law (in...

Final tax bills are starting to come out in Simcoe County. Here’s a little known fact: if you don’t pay your property taxes, your city can sell your house in order to collect them. When I was a law student, I prepared tax deeds for people buying these properties....

Short and sweet today: When thinking about the cost of a home, remember to be aware of more than just mortgage payments. You will need to pay taxes, house insurance, and utilities, and you should always budget for repairs and emergencies. When calculating whether you...

With the mortgage rules changing almost daily these days, it is becoming increasingly difficult to qualify for financing. As a result, many young and first-time buyers are turning to parents or other relatives to co-sign the mortgage in order to get that approval. As...

What happens when you own a property jointly with someone, and don’t want to share any more? Your kindergarten teacher probably wouldn’t be happy, but technically, you can sever a joint tenancy without any notice to the other parties. Basically, you do a transfer from...

As a follow up to my post last week, what happens if you’re the one who doesn’t want to close? Generally, if you refuse to close, you must have a legitimate reason. As a buyer, if something is uncovered that would severely affect your enjoyment or use of the house, or...