Categories for Residential

10 Common Costs of Owning a Home

1-Property tax. May of the services you will enjoy in your new neighbourhood, from parks and recreation facilities to road maintenance and schools, are funded by property taxes. Rates vary widely from region to region and home to home. Annual taxes can top several thousand dollars in urban centres, so ...

Continue Reading

Free Home Buyers Guide Book

  I recently revised my Home Buyers Guide Book. It’s a collection of how-to’s, checklists, and worksheets to help buyers understand what to expect during the real estate purchasing experience. Click here to get a free copy. ...

Continue Reading

Pre-Emptive or “Bully” Offers

My salesperson showed us two property listings and, in both instances, we wanted to submit an offer. But the properties were sold before the posted offer date. How can this happen? In a seller’s real estate market, you can expect to find that more than one buyer is interested in ...

Continue Reading

Patent and Latent Defects in Real Estate

When you buy a property, you buy any latent defects. This is why it’s important to properly inspect a property before making an offer to purchase. Patent Defects A patent defect is a defect that is obvious enough that it should be discovered during a reasonable inspection of the home. ...

Continue Reading

10 Things to Do Before You List Your Home for Sale

1-Know why you really want to go. Some reasons are obvious, such as the need to sell if your moving to another city or putting in an offer on a new home. Other needs may be less definite, such as outgrowing your space or concerns about cash flow. By working ...

Continue Reading

Free Home Sellers Guide Book

I just finished a new Home Sellers Guide Book. It’s a collection of how-to’s, checklists, and worksheets to help clients understand what to expect during the real estate selling experience. Click on this link to get a free copy. As a compliance-focused broker, I recommend clients not only understand market ...

Continue Reading

Do You Really Need a Real Estate Lawyer?

I’m savvy in real estate. I’ve bought and sold three properties over the past six years and know what I’m doing. Do I really need a lawyer? Regardless of how comfortable or how many properties a person has purchased or sold, each transaction is unique and should be approached as ...

Continue Reading

The Multiple Listing Service® And Your REALTOR®

Like other professionals, a REALTOR® is as good as the information at his or her disposal. The Multiple Listing Service® is a co-operative system used by REALTOR® Members of Canada’s real estate boards. It is different than the consumer websites realtor.ca and listings.trebhome.com, which offer a brief description of most ...

Continue Reading

Landlord’s Asking for a New One-Year Lease

After a tenant completes a one-year residential lease, can a landlord legally require them to sign another fixed-term agreement or vacate the property? Short answer (in Ontario): No — the tenant does not have to sign another one-year lease, and the landlord generally cannot require them to move out just ...

Continue Reading

10 Great Reasons for Using a REALTOR®

1-Working with a professional provides peace of mind. REALTORS® adhere to a strict code of ethics, are insured and are committed to ongoing education. They have intimate knowledge of sales and trends in the local marketplace and their knowledge of contract law also ensures the paperwork is handled correctly. 2-Get ...

Continue Reading