Categories for Real Estate Strategy & Decisions

What Duties Does a REALTOR® Owe You in Ontario?

Understanding the Professional Obligations Behind Real Estate Representation When you hire a real estate professional in Ontario, you are not simply paying someone to find a property, market a home or prepare an Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Registered real estate professionals operate within a regulated framework that establishes important ...

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How to Choose One Business Over Another

Buying a business is rarely as simple as comparing revenue, asking price and location. Two businesses can look similar on the surface and still present very different opportunities once you begin to examine how they actually operate, how dependent they are on the current owner and whether the underlying business ...

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Your REALTOR® is Asking Questions Because…it’s the Law

Federal money laundering and anti-terrorist financing rules require real estate agents and brokers to collect personal identification information from buyers and sellers. It is the federal Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) that requires financial institutions and real estate agents, among other professionals and services covered ...

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Buying or Selling in Another Province

Buying or selling real estate in another province can seem more complicated than completing a transaction close to home, but in most cases the challenge is not the transaction itself. It is the additional coordination required when the property, the client and the professionals involved are located in different jurisdictions. ...

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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? Buyers are sometimes surprised when a property they were planning to offer on is sold before the posted offer ...

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What Sellers Need to Know Before Accepting a Bully Offer in Ontario

In competitive Ontario real estate markets, sellers may occasionally receive what is commonly referred to as a “bully offer” or “pre-emptive offer.” These offers are typically submitted: before the scheduled offer presentation date, and are often designed to pressure the seller into accepting early before competing buyers have an opportunity ...

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7 Mistakes Buyers Make When Purchasing Investment Property in Oshawa

Investment real estate can be a powerful long-term wealth-building tool, but purchasing the wrong property — or purchasing the right property without proper due diligence — can create significant financial and operational challenges. In Oshawa and across Durham Region, investment activity has continued to attract: first-time investors, multi-residential buyers, assignment ...

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Capital Gains Tax Changes in Canada

  Starting June 25, 2024, the capital gains inclusion rate will be increased from one-half to two-thirds for capital gains of over $250,000 per year for Canadians, and on all capital gains for corporations and most types of trusts. Four Key Federal Budget Capital Gains Measures 1) Increase in Capital ...

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What You Need to Know About Canada’s Underused Housing Tax

In effect since January 1st, 2022, the UHT is an annual 1% federal tax on real estate owned by any non-resident, non-Canadian, and considered vacant or underused. In some situations, this also applies to Canadian owners. The Underused Housing Tax Act (UHT) requires individuals impacted by this tax to file ...

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Ontario Real Estate Is More Than Just Sales

Members of the public seem to think that all I do is sell property. While that is part of my work, the amount of time I spend selling represents just 20 per cent of my job activities. The role of the REALTOR®, in my view, is not so much a ...

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