These are becoming increasingly popular as a way for purchasers to get into the housing market before they have a down payment ready. The danger, however, is getting financing down the road when it’s time to close the actual purchase. Many lenders are very hesitant to...

For most of us who live in cities, the answer is, well, I pull up to my driveway from the city street. This isn’t always, the case though; some city dwellers have different access, and many rural properties do. There are different ways that you could access your...

Barrie is the gateway to one of the most popular cottage areas in Ontario, which means that there are a lot of people driving through my city every Friday on their way to their vacation home. Sometimes, those cottages are a short walk from a lake or river; sometimes,...

It’s quite common when you buy to have the right for a few more visits to the house before closing. One of the best times to do one of those visits is the day before or day of closing. It’s not uncommon for me to get a call from a client the day after they move in...

Here’s a companion to my post from two weeks ago: if you are buying, when do you get to start moving in? This is a question that doesn’t have a great answer, because it really depends on a lot of things. First, who is your mortgage with, and have you gotten them...

The short answer: as soon as the deal is closed. Many people have the mistaken idea that they have until midnight, or until 6pm, but neither of those is true. Once the transfer is registered, you are technically trespassing if you’re still there. The long answer,...

If you are selling, there are some things that would always be helpful to have handy, both for your realtor and your lawyer, to ensure a smooth closing: Most recent tax bill. This is helpful to a buyer, and required for your lawyer to apportion the property taxes...

We see a lot of documents in our office that are presented as surveys, but are not surveys. It is only a survey if it is stamped and signed by an Ontario Land Surveyor; if that is not what you have, don’t agree to provide a survey to a buyer. Also be careful about...

The short answer: when they are actually a spouse. There is a lot of confusion about who counts as a spouse in Ontario. For the purpose of consenting to the sale of a matrimonial home, however, you only need consent if you are legally married. A common law spouse is...