The market for Airbnb houses and condos is likely to take a significant hit in the wake of a ruling earlier this year by the Tax Court of Canada, which held that the sale of a...
Judge finds it foreseeable sellers might rely on proceeds of sale to meet obligations to buy another house. Bob Aaron says it’s best to have backup financing.
Pawel Kosicki and Megan Munro found they didn’t, and a judge ruled an individual can’t acquire ownership by encroaching on public land, says Bob Aaron.
Does it make sense for neighbours to spend tens of thousands of dollars on legal fees over what a judge described as an insignificant piece of disputed land along the shared...
Case shows using joint ownership as an estate planning tool to avoid the payment of probate when one owner dies is risky, writes Bob Aaron.
When the value of a house is affected by a history of murder, suicide, ghosts, or hauntings, it is generally referred to as stigmatized, explains Bob Aaron.
Anyone these days can generate an emoji, but without ample evidence to confirm the source, its use is neither efficient, nor reliable, says Bob Aaron.
Justice of the peace found noise caused by pickleball was unreasonable and disturbed inhabitants and that this breached town bylaws.
This example shows Ontario’s laws must ensure an end to discrimination in housing throughout the province.
It failed to consider these fairly, take his concerns seriously, and provide timely responses and decisions during the process.
“Why would anyone pursue seemingly hopeless litigation over the right of way to a mutual driveway?”
All owners of residential property in the City of Toronto must file an online declaration of the occupancy status of their property before February 2, 2023.
Home buyers and sellers can avoid expensive legal judgments with more straightforward options to resolve a contract dispute.
A clarification on the amount of HST to be applied to assignment sales after a confusing budget announcement.
How a new measure to target property speculation might disrupt the market.
Some buyers are hoping to 'flip' pre-con units before they have to close on - and actually pay for - them.
Bob Aaron: "Home prices would plummet, as they did with the new levy in ’74. I vividly recall that the housing market crashed overnight."
He was a successful advocate of affordable homes in Toronto. And he was part of my family.
Prospective purchasers cannot rely on a published listing when it comes to the interior size of a home.
Always read the fine print when you rent home equipment like furnaces, A/C, HVACs and water softeners.
A fair ruling or is it just downright batty?
One spooky surprise taught these homeowners an important lesson about disclosure.
Buying a house with a "private drive" may not be as straightforward as you'd think in Toronto.
A Superior Court decision in August provides valuable guidance on how buyers and sellers should act when a property suffers substantial damage before closing.
When a title insurer pays a referral fee to a lawyer for arranging a policy on a client’s property purchase, who should get the benefit of the fee — the lawyer or the client?
Until now, Ontarians who own land could have legally been made to maintain public roads - not a job most are equipped for.
If you are buying a selling a home, avoid scheduling your closing date on September 30.
Can a buyer terminate a transaction and get their deposit back if the published listing significantly overstates the size of a house?
Canadians who buy, renovate and sell homes quickly use the principal residence gain tax exemption to enhance their profits - but there may be limits.
Privacy screens and video cameras out while religious decorations allowed in recent Ontario legal rulings on shared condo building/townhouse spaces.
Who is responsible when a home is so defective that it is deemed unsafe to occupy?
Can a home inspector avoid legal responsibility if there is an exclusion of liability clause in the inspection contract?
Homeowners are allowed use the surface of a property easement, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the utilities underneath. If it does, costs add up.
What happens when home sellers leave behind possessions, or even cash? Should buyers keep their findings or return it to the sellers?
A couple in Edmonton find $500,000 while renovating their new home. Finders, in Canada though, are not necessarily keepers.
A new legal judgement suggests that Ontario condo boards must act reasonably towards owners deemed to be non-compliant.
A respected real estate lawyer warns against using untested COVID-19 clauses in property transactions.
This past year’s GTA real estate market may become known as the year of aborted transactions.
Given how pervasive condos are to city living, why are so many unit owners out of touch with how condos are managed?
If the city of Toronto was serious about tackling the housing shortage, why would it charge Toronto homeowners $300,000 to legalize three bachelor apartments in their house?
More Canadian than Toronto neighbours arguing about building an addition on a house? Arguing about a shared maple tree.
Owner stuck with $25,000 in court costs over cottage’s pre-existing issues - in spite of paying for title insurance.
Joint ownership of a home in Ontario has meant that a surviving owner becomes the sole owner - but now?
High real estate prices are inspiring more creative buying arrangements between even casual acquaintances - but it's important to proceed carefully.
What happens when sellers are late moving out?
Is a homeowner obliged to disclose to a potential purchaser that the house was the site of a gang murder?
Why there is no such thing as a simple will.
What happens when there is a significant discrepancy between the way a home is described on an MLS listing vs. the Agreement of Purchase and Sale?
Special issues can arise from shared driveways and other shared property points.
Toronto’s own zoning regulations are standing in the way of its goal to create 40,000 affordable housing units.
What happens when an owner receives an incorrect status certificate issued by a condominium corporation?
The Ontario government’s decision to repeal the Green Energy Act has also changed the rules for homeowners looking to sell their properties.
What happens when the rights of smoking and non-smoking tenants and landlords conflict?
Home buyers need to come up with the money for a winning bid - even in a declining market.
Buyers of lakefront cottages should be aware of whether their land touches the water not only in fact but according to the registered title.
When the sellers of a home hire a stager to help market and sell it, who owns the rights to the before and after photographs?
If a lawyer receives an incentive from a title insurance company for arranging a client's policy, who should get the benefit: the lawyer or the client?
Building deficiencies resulting from poorly regulated construction and that affect the sale of a property are now covered under title insurance in the wake of a recent Superior...
This is the sad story of a $109,000 flower box. It all began in a large project of 213 condominium garden homes known as Bethamy Woods, in Ottawa.
The Ontario Court of Appeal has confirmed that a home buyer did not have the right to walk away from the purchase of a property which was found to be a former marijuana...
Can a person be convicted of illegally removing a property-line tree when the City has issued a permit authorizing it?
A recent court case emphasizes the importance of using a survey and getting accurate property measurements before signing an agreement in a home purchase.
How is it that 22 condominium owners in a north Toronto development do not own the units they are living in?
Gillean Gibb and Liliana Maria Pereira are next-door neighbours on Grosvenor St., in London, Ont.
It’s hard to imagine why two neighbours would together spend as much as $50,000 on legal fees in a court fight over a strip of land between their houses that measures only 0.14...
Is a purchaser entitled to back out of a real estate purchase deal if she finds out before closing that the home was the site of a murder?
When a parent registers title to a home in joint names with a child, and the family relationship later breaks down, the results can be unhappy — and expensive — for all concerned.
Dozens of purchasers in a Mississauga condominium project are awaiting news of further developments after the project was destroyed by fire earlier this month.
But the decision...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Condo Buying, Home Buying, Home Selling
Editor's Note: This article was first published in July 2017.
What happens if a real estate purchase and sale...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying
Is a property survey important? Is it necessary if the buyer gets title insurance?
I’ve often said that a survey is the most important document...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying
With cottage-buying season now underway, it’s important to remember that a land survey is the single most important document in the whole...
Who owns a tree which straddles the property line between my house and my neighbours? Can I cut it down without their permission?
That was the issue which brought two...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Real Estate Trends
The seller property disclosure statement remains a hot topic in the real estate community as Manitoba has now made them...
Bob Aaron in Legal
As I see it, the real issue in this provincial election should be whether the Ontario government is able and willing to act decisively and promptly to maintain...
Bob Aaron in Condo Buying, Legal
A Superior Court decision released last month underscores the importance of reviewing condominium floor plans before completing the purchase of a...
Bob Aaron in Home Buying, Legal
Last month I received an email from a firm billing itself as a “very successful real estate investment firm that invests heavily in something...
Bob Aaron in Condo Buying, Home Buying, Legal
The Park Lake Residences condominium project is located on Lake Shore Blvd. W. at Ellis Ave., near the foot of Windermere. Built by...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling
Real estate boards and agents across the country continue to promote the use of the Seller Property Information Statement (SPIS), despite the fact...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Condo Buying
The Ontario Court of Appeal has reversed a lower court decision that ruled that all of the unit owners of a new condominium project did not have...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Condo Buying Tips
In 2005, Stuart signed an agreement to purchase a condominium unit for $326,900 in an upscale 20-storey project not far from the Annex area.
MoveSmartly blogger Bob Aaron was featured on CBC's Marketplace as host Erica Johnson invistigated complaints regarding "Rich Dad" real estate seminars.
Last week's column told the story of the illegal chimney on a north Toronto bungalow owned by Ruta Benjamin and her husband.
When the house next door to the...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling Tips
The Great SPIS Myth
It's time to reveal The Great SPIS Myth – the prevailing fiction about the Seller Property Information Statement (SPIS),...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Condo Buying Tips
Terry is a 23-year-old public servant, having recently graduated with a bachelor of commerce degree.
He is ready to buy his first home, and...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Condo Buying Tips
Last week I had the opportunity to review a condominium builder purchase agreement with a couple of clients. They had been told in the sales...
Norman Ave. is a two-block long street near St. Clair Ave. W., and Lansdowne Ave. Number 16A is a small row house that recently became the subject of an apparent mortgage fraud...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying
Next month marks the official beginning of summer, the season when many city folk retreat to their cottages to de-stress and to absorb some...
Bob Aaron in Home Buying, Legal
Taking the law into your own hands over a property line dispute can be dangerous to your bank account, as one Toronto homeowner discovered...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying
When Donna bought her home near Warden Ave. and Ellesmere Rd. last summer, she had no idea she would get stuck with the final water bill of the...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying
The most important question for anyone buying a cottage property is always, "How do I get there from here?" After all, there's no point...
Bob Aaron in Home Buying Tips, Legal
Earlier this month, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released a decision which highlights the obligations of parties signing a...
Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling Tips, Toronto Real Estate News
Ed. Note. We are pleased to welcome Bob Aaron, a Toronto real estate law expert, to Move Smartly. A leading ...
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