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Will Upcoming Mortgage Renewals Hurt Canada’s Housing Market and Economy? — March Toronto Area Real Estate Market Live Update & Q/A

Each month in this live session, I discuss the latest stats, on the ground realities and answer consumer questions about the Toronto area real estate market right now.

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How Can Toronto Home Prices Stay So High? + Neighbour As Agent? — ‘The Situation’ Consumer Q&A

In our latest monthly consumer Q&A, I respond to the detailed questions that real estate consumers across the GTA are asking now.

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Are Bidding Wars Back? + When Should I Sell? - 'The Situation' Q/A - Feb 2024

In our latest monthly consumer Q&A, I respond to the detailed questions that real estate consumers across the GTA are asking now.

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Pent Up Buyer Demand? + Inflation to Delay Interest Rate Decline? — January Toronto Area Real Estate Market Live Update & Q/A

Each month in this live session, I discuss the latest stats, on the ground realities and answer consumer questions about the Toronto area real estate market right now.

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Should I Airbnb, Rent Out Longer or Sell? + Can I Get a Family Home for 500K?

In our monthly consumer Q&A, ‘‘The Situation’, Urmi asks and John responds to the detailed questions that real estate consumers across the GTA have sent in. 

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Should I Lower the Price on My Condo? + The Family Home Stretch — ‘The Situation’ Consumer Q&A - Oct 2023

In our monthly consumer Q&A, ‘‘The Situation’, Urmi asks and John responds to the detailed questions that real estate consumers across the GTA have sent in. 

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What is a Home Buyer Rebate?

It's something that many agents don't like to discuss - here's why.

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What is Toronto’s Vacant Home Tax and What Does it Mean for Owners, Buyers & Sellers?

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.

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New Provincial Rules Can’t Stop Pricey Surprise Fees for New Homebuyers

Additional and high closing fees should not be billed to buyers of new builds in the final hours before their deals close.

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How to Adjust Your Home Buying Strategy When Prices Are Falling

In the fourth of a special series, lead contributor, John Pasalis of Realosophy Realty, explains how buyers need to be thinking when making offers in a falling Toronto area market.

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Should I Buy While Toronto Homes Prices Are Falling?

It's a question a lot of people are asking me - here's what buyers are really asking and how I respond.

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Why You Need to Take a Course to Buy a Home in Toronto

High prices, intense buyer competition and worries about potential market crashes makes buying a house or condo today a far more complex prospect.

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Ontario Court Supports Pre-Con Home Buyers After Deals Cancelled

A Superior Court justice blocks the resale of pre-construction homes and orders the case to arbitration.

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Can Co-Buying a Condo with This Canadian Start-Up Really Pay Off?

A deeper dig into a new pitch from 'Key'.

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The Real Issues With For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Properties

Why a recent CBC investigation into unethical behaviour by some buyer agents fails to tell the full story.

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How Gambler’s Hope Perpetuates Toronto Bidding Wars

Home buyers routinely go for stressful and inefficient plays in the strange game that is Toronto real estate - here's what to do instead.

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A Closer Look at the GTA's Cooling Market

Signs that the market is still moving quickly, but not as out-of-control as it was months ago.

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Should You Buy a Home in Toronto's Overheated Market Today?

Is it financially safe and worth making so many other sacrifices - like a long commute or living on a busy street - to get into the Toronto area housing market right now?

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Where Can You Buy a House in the Toronto Area for 700K?

In the GTA's overheated market, even first-time buyers with good incomes are finding it nearly impossible to afford a home without long commutes to the city.

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Why Would a Real Estate Brokerage Warn About a Housing Bubble?

Why only reporting upbeat and positive information is the domain of old school real estate brokerages.

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Court Lets Home Sellers Keep $20K Buyer Deposit After Size Dispute

Can a buyer terminate a transaction and get their deposit back if the published listing significantly overstates the size of a house?

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How Do You (Finally) Win a Bid for a Home in a Crazy Market?

With some homes getting up to 30 offers in the Toronto area right now, how can you get ahead as a buyer? 

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Buying and Selling During a Pandemic – What to Do First?

As the gap widens between Toronto's hot market for houses and a cooling market for condos, it's more important than ever to put your moves in the right order.

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Toronto Real Estate Summit

Join us for the Toronto Real Estate Summit being hosted right here on Move Smartly this July 20 to 23. Watch on demand starting July 20. Free to register.

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Why Home Buyers Should be Worried About Falling Prices (And What To Do About It)

While many buyers simply hope for the best, others focus on finding a bargain - but all should instead focus on steering clear of the problem areas that bring an overall market...

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Backing Out of a Home Purchase Can Cost You

This past year’s GTA real estate market may become known as the year of aborted transactions.

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Should I Still Worry About (And How Can I Avoid) Buying a Former Grow Op?

Pot's legal in Canada, but there are still good reasons to stay clear of a home that has been used a marijuana grow operation - here's how to do it. 

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How to Check if a Toronto Home is Heritage Property - And Why It Matters

Why it's important to know whether a home has heritage designation before you buy - and how to check.

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How to Avoid Buying a Home With Illegal Parking

In the City of Toronto, homes are currently being advertised for sale with front pad parking spots that need to be registered to be considered legal.

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How to Avoid Buying a Badly Flipped Home

Toronto's booming real estate market and our love of tv reno shows has made the "flip" - a quickly renovated home - part of our everyday vocabulary, but it poses unique risks for...

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How Building Permit Data Can Help You Avoid Buying a Problem Home

What are building permits - and how can they help  you avoid buying homes with major problems?

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How to Avoid Hidden House Problems

Use the latest in data technology to avoid being surprised by these common but ‘invisible’ house problems.

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Toronto Condo Listed 70 Times on the Market Over Six Years - Without Selling

I've seen many interesting things in Toronto's real estate market over the past twenty years, but recently came across one of the oddest things I've ever seen.

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A Good Co-Housing Agreement is Key for Co-Buyers

High real estate prices are inspiring more creative buying arrangements between even casual acquaintances - but it's important to proceed carefully.

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Why Buying a Home Could Be the First Step Towards a Divorce

Research shows that financial stress is among the top reasons couples get divorced. So why do we keep overspending on our homes?

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I Made My First Real Estate Decision When I Was 23 - And It Wasn’t a Great One

Launched this past fall, TheMindfulBroker.com aims to address a critical gap in our adult education - how to meet our basic need for housing successfully.

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Be Careful When You Review Property Purchase Agreements

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?

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Should You Rent to Save More to Buy a Home?

Is renting until you can save more money the sure-fire solution for an expensive housing market that it seems?

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Don't Buy a Home Without Knowing This

After studying housing markets for two decades, I have learned that making better real estate decisions is not about luck, or timing, or wealth. 

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How Your Real Estate Agent Can Lose You a Deal

We offered less money and there was another offer on the table for more which the seller turned down - why?

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Buy a Home in August, Thank Me Later

By July and August, many homes that would have attracted multiple offers weeks prior are sitting on the market for two to three times as long. Why?

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How to Protect Yourself When Making Unconditional Offers

Even with the general slowdown of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) real estate market from our peak last year many neighbourhoods are still experiencing high levels of demand.

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The Mistake That Cost Sellers Millions When Toronto's Housing Bubble Burst

This time last year, nearly 1,000 Toronto home buyers and sellers suffered major financial losses - could they have done something differently or was it just bad timing?

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The GTA Neighbourhoods Home Buyers Should Avoid

John Pasalis in Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying

I recently stopped by TVO’s The Agenda to discuss the latest market stats with the Toronto Star’s Tess Kalinowski, and host...

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Why This is the Best and Worst Time to Buy a Home in Toronto

John Pasalis in Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying

“Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful”  -  Warren Buffett

Acclaimed investor Warren Buffett...

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‘Detached’ home for sale is actually linked to property next door

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

When is a detached house not detached? That was the question facing the “Smiths” late last month.

The couple came to see me after they signed an...

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How to Avoid Buying a Home with Illegal Parking

With the surge in real estate prices over the past few years, it’s not a wonder that the Toronto real estate market has seen an uptick in the number of homes being flipped, i.e.,...

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How Bidding on a Home in Toronto Just Got Worse

John Pasalis in Toronto Real Estate News , Home Buying

If there is one part of the home buying process that all of Toronto hates – it’s when you have to compete for a home...

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Pick or Pass: How to Use Data to Help You Make a Smarter Condo Investment Decision

Last week we touched on how to assess the impact of investors when evaluating a condo building – this week we’re going to take it one step further by delving into three other...

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Pick or Pass: What Makes a Condo a Good Investment?

The condo market in Toronto seems to be unfazed by the introduction of the Ontario Government’s new Fair Housing Plan. In some instances, the number of units bought by investors...

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Pick or Pass: A House Flip Gone Wrong

This week I wanted to highlight a listing I viewed over the long weekend with clients of mine that were looking for a home in the Bedford Park area. Anyone who knows the area...

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Pick or Pass: Is a Special Assessment the Reason Why This Home is Still on the Market?

Recently, there were two homes on the market with the same offer date and my clients were trying to figure out which one they would offer on – one in Port Credit, Mississauga and...

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Pick or Pass: What You Need to Know About Pre-Construction Condos (That Sales Reps Might Not Tell You)

From a legal perspective, buying a pre-construction condo can be an even more involved process than buying a resale property as there are many additional aspects to consider –...

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Pick or Pass: Are You Throwing Your Money Away on Monthly Condo Fees?

More home buyers are considering condo style living as an alternative to freehold housing due to the widening price gap between the two types. Although a viable housing choice...

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Pick or Pass: Could you Spot a Blacklisted Condo?

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and location. I pick a Toronto listing or trend to focus on...

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Caution to those Buying a Home Based on School District

Back in October I wrote a blog post on the correlation between high performing school districts and how they affect home value. The basic premise of the post was to show that...

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Pick or Pass: How Overpaying for a Home May Hurt You

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and location. I pick a Toronto listing or trend to focus on...

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Home inspections are your best friend

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

What happens if you discover water flowing below the floor in a newly-purchased house and you have to completely gut the basement to remove toxic...

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Pick or Pass: How a "Must Have" List Can Help Your Home Buying

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and location. I pick a Toronto listing or trend to focus...

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Pick or Pass: Affordable Spots for Buyers - Condo Edition

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and location. I pick a Toronto listing or trend to focus...

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Supreme Court Upholds Title-insurance Victory

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

The Supreme Court of Canada has written the final chapter in one of the most important title-insurance cases of this generation.

The story began...

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What if my Prospective Condo Corporation is Involved in Litigation?

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Condo Buying

What should a buyer do when the status certificate for their condominium purchase shows that the corporation is involved in...

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Pick or Pass: Building Permits – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and location. I pick a Toronto listing or trend to focus...

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Make Sure Home Seller’s Promises are Met Before Closing

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Home Selling

A small claims court decision released last year underscores the importance of careful wording of seller promises in agreements of...

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Is This a Good Time to Buy a Home in Toronto?

John Pasalis in Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying

As I started my own home search a few months ago I found myself in an interesting position – for an owner of a real estate...

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Pick or Pass: Affordable Spots for First-Time-Home-Buyers

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and location. I pick a Toronto listing or trend to focus...

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Don't Buy Unregistered New Homes

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

Tarion Warranty Corporation has warned Ontario’s builders and real-estate agents they can be charged and fined if involved in the sale of an...

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Pick or Pass: If It Looks Too Good to Be True, It Just Might Be

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and location. I pick a Toronto listing to focus on each...

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Tarion needs to increase homebuyers deposit protection

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

An interim report on the Tarion warranty corporation should have gone further to protect home buyers’ purchase deposits.

Special adviser J....

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R-Listing: Why East York is Super Hot for Families

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Here's my closer look at a recent Realosophy listing brought to market by our busy sales team - along with key insights and the bigger...

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Pick of the 6ix: Would You Leave the City for This Home?

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and location. We pick the top Toronto listing in each...

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Why is This House Back on the Market?

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Editor's Note: Due to error, this post was recently reposted. It refers to a listing that was previously available. We apologize for the...

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This Week's Pick of the 6ix: A Legal Triplex

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and location. We pick the top Toronto listing in each...

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Pick of the 6ix: Toronto's Listing of the Week

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and décor. We pick the top Toronto listing in each...

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Pick of the 6ix: Toronto's Listing of the Week

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week 

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and décor. We pick the top Toronto listing in each...

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Get a survey even if your agent says no

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...

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Six in the Six: Top Toronto Listings this Week

Nicole Harrington in Listings of the Week

Toronto’s housing market is as diverse as its people: ranging in price, size, and décor. We pick the top Toronto listings in each...

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Regulating Ontario’s home inspectors is taking too long

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Condo Buying

There’s good news and bad news for homebuyers who would like to see a formal licensing protocol instituted for the province’s home...

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Be wary of HST rebate rules when buying a new home

Bob Aaron in Legal in Home Buying, Condo Buying

A decision by the Tax Court of Canada last month has muddied the waters about who is — and is not — entitled to the new-home...

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Can You Afford to Buy a Home in Toronto?

Nicole Harrington in Home Buying 

Feeling Priced Out? What Options do New Home Buyers Have in the Toronto Market?

With houses selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars...

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How to Avoid Buying At the Peak of a Real Estate Bubble

John Pasalis in Home Buying

No home buyer wants to be the sad buyer in our chart below who bought their house at the absolute peak of a real estate bubble, just before prices...

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The Science of Home Buying

John Pasalis in Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying

For decades, real estate agents have been helping home buyers with the art of buying a home. They have advised them on what...

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Title insurance must cover missing load-bearing wall

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

Ontario homeowners who have purchased title insurance policies are the big winners in a Court of Appeal decision released last week.

When Paul...

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Preconstruction home, condo buyers need more protection

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Condo Buying

A review of consumer protections for owners of new homes is set to get underway.

Retired associate chief justice J. Douglas...

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Buyers can cancel property sale over misleading information

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Home Selling

Is a seller required to be truthful in disclosing to a buyer that a house was built on potentially toxic landfill? That was the...

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Not all home purchases have a happy ending

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

The vast majority of real estate agents are honest, competent and caring individuals.

Occasionally, however, one of them falls off the rails.

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A new home’s floor should not be this noisy

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Condo Buying

A squeaky wooden floor was at the centre of a recent decision by the Ontario Licence Appeal Tribunal that overruled the province’s...

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Affordable Condos and Lofts for First-Time Buyers in East Toronto

by

Ashleigh Dorrington in Condo Buying, Home Buying, Leslieville

Broadview Lofts

If you like lattes, antiquing and walking to work then the east end of Toronto might be for you....

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Home buyer’s contract delivered empty promises

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

Tracy Lynn Robinson and her husband bought a house in Milton last year.

The purchase agreement contained a warranty that the appliances and...

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Is there a legal obligation for a seller to disclose pre-closing flood damage to the buyer?

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

Does the seller of a house have a legal obligation to advise the buyers about a flood that occurred after the parties entered into...

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Hidden new contruction buyer fees can cost you thousands

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Condo Buying

Two areas involving builder agreements of purchase and sale that cry out for action by the new homes provincial watchdog are...

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Mom helping son with down payment ends in family feud

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

With the high price of housing these days, more buyers are turning to the Bank of Mom and Dad for help in acquiring a new home. Often, this takes...

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Should I get a home inspection for a condo?

Alan Carson in Guest ExpertHome Buying

New condo buyers ask me all the time “Do I really need a home inspection for a condo?” After all, there’s no roof to climb or crawl space...

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Home buyers lose HST rebate when uncle, other relations on title

Bob Aaron in Home Buying, Legal

Back in June 2011, Angela Maria Henao and her aunt signed an agreement to buy a new house on Quetico Cres in Oakville. With the June 2012,...

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My home has Kitec plumbing in it - Should I be worried?

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Who is Buying Government Bonds at These Microscopic Yield Levels?

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every...

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Ensure you’re covered for municipal work orders, building bylaw violations

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

It is a common understanding among real estate lawyers that residential title insurance will provide protection against municipal work orders and...

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The Top 10 Home Buying Mistakes

John Pasalis in Home Buying , Toronto Real Estate 

As we approach the busy spring real estate market I thought it would be a good opportunity to share my thoughts on the most...

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Will the U.S. Federal Reserve Finally Raise Its Policy Rate, and What Impact Will That Prospect Have on Canadian Mortgage Rates?

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every...

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Questions arise about obligation to disclose whether property has stigma

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Home Selling

Is a real estate agent obligated to disclose to purchaser clients whether the house they are interested in buying is stigmatized...

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How Will the Latest Canadian and U.S. Employment Data Affect Canadian Mortgage Rates?

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every...

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Lower Mortgage Rates on the Horizon? Here’s Why That Could Happen (February 2, 2015)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every...

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My Five Key Mortgage-Rate Questions in Response to the Bank of Canada’s Surprise Overnight Rate Cut - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (January 26, 2015)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every...

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Canadian Mortgage Rates May Be Headed Even Lower – Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (January 19, 2015)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every...

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Ghosts among reasons to scare up legal advice

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Home Selling

If a property in Ontario has been stigmatized as a result of a murder, suicide, death, haunting — or other unpleasant event — must...

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How the Latest U.S. and Canadian Employment Data Might Impact Our Mortgage Rates - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (January 12, 2015)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every...

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Five Factors That Will Drive Canadian Mortgage Rates in 2015 (Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (January 5, 2015)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Mon Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every Mon...

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Happy Holidays – Monday Interest Rate Update (December 22, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

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What Bank of Canada Governor Poloz Really Said about Housing Bubble Risks - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (December 15, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Mon Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every Mon...

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Why the Gap Between Fixed and Variable Mortgage Rates May Widen - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (December 8, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Mon Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every Mon...

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Why Are Bond Yields Falling in the Face of Improving Economic Data? Monday Interest Rate Update (December 1, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome BuyingEditor's Note: Mon Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every Mon...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (November 24, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome BuyingEditor's Note: The Move Smartly Blog Team congratulates Dave Larock on a well-deserved award from...

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Why Hasn’t Ultra-Loose Monetary Policy Caused Higher Inflation? Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (November 17, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome BuyingEditor's Note: Mon Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every Mon...

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Rent or Buy – What You Need to Know

John in Toronto Real Estate NewsHome Buying

Deciding whether or not it’s the right time to buy your first home is one of the most important decisions many people will make in...

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What Another Good Jobs Report Means For Canadian Mortgage Rates – Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (November 10, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome BuyingEditor's Note: Mon Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every Mon...

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New-home buyers need better protection: Tarion, Law Society, Government failing in consumer protection role

Bob Aaron in LegalHome Buying

The 150 purchasers in the failed Centrium condominium project might not have lost their combined deposits of $14.9 million had the Law Society of...

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The U.S. Federal Reserve Stops Its Music But the Beat Goes On - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (November 3, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Mon Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every Mon...

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The Bank of Canada Reads Its Crystal Ball and Governor Poloz Explains Why He Wears An Ill-Fitting Suit – Mon Morning Interest Rate Update (Oct 27, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Mon Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every Mon...

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Why CDN Bond Yields Have Been So Volatile and What This Means for CDN Mortgage Rates - Mon Morning Interest Rate Update (Oct 20, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Mon Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every Mon...

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Why CDN Bond Yields Didn’t React To Our Latest Employment Surge - Mon Morning Interest Rate Update (Oct 13, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: This post appears on Tues this week due to the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday on Mon....

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Agents on the hook for illegal in-law suites

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), the body that licenses and governs real estate agents, is cracking down on...

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What the Latest U.S. Employment Data Mean for Canadian Mortgage Rates - Mon Morning Interest Rate Update (Oct 6, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome Buying

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this blog - check back every...

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A Few Quick Facts About Toronto's Real Estate Market in 2014

John in Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying, Condo BuyingHome Selling

Realosophy released its semi-annual Home Value Survey for the Globe and Mail today and I thought this...

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Will discipline hearing bring end to risky document?

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

A recent decision of a discipline panel of the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) could spell the end of the Seller Property...

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U.S Fed Chair Yellen Buys More Time and Bank of Canada Governor Poloz Makes Me Do a Double Take - Mon Morning Interest Rate Update (Sept 22, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate UpdateMortgages and FinancesHome BuyingToronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this...

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Is a Short-Term Spike in Fixed-Mortgage Rates Coming? Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (September 15, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finances, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this...

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Latest Employment Data and Bank of Canada Comments Bolster Low Rates for Longer View - Mon Morning Interest Rate Update (Sept 8, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finances, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears weekly on this...

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Why Bank of Canada Governor Poloz’s Words Are Music to the Ears of Every CDN Mortgage Borrower - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (September 2, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finances, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Due to the Labour Day holiday, the Monday Morning Interest...

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The U.S. Fed’s Latest Insights and What They Mean for Canadian Mortgage Rates - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (August 25, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finances, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Gone are the days when central bankers act as invisible hands, which...

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Why Central Bankers Want Higher Inflation and What This Means for CDN Mortgage Rates – Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (August 18, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Due to technical delay, Dave's Monday Morning Interest...

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The Continuing Struggles of the Canadian Labour Market – Monday Interest Rate Update (August 11, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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A Look in the Rear-View Mirror – Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (July 28, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Sellers' form still troubling the real estate industry

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

Photo Credit: plus.google.com

The Seller Property Information Statement, a disclosure form created by the real estate industry,...

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Why Is Higher Inflation Pushing Our Bond Yields Down? Monday Interest Rate Update (July 21, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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What the Latest Weak Employment Data Mean for Canadian Mortgage Rates - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (July 14, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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U.S. Employment Data Are a Warning That Canadian Fixed Mortgage Rates May Be Headed Higher – Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (July 7, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Know your cottage's shore road allowance

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

Photo Credit: iStock.com

I just found out that the boathouse and dock in front of my cottage were constructed on a municipal road allowance, and...

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Canadian Inflation Surges Higher Again. Are Mortgage Rates Next? Monday Interest Rate Update (June 23, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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How Last Week’s Major Announcements Are Likely to Affect Canadian Mortgage Rates - Monday Interest Rate Update (June 9, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Is Rising Inflation a Warning That Canadian Mortgage Rates Are On the Way Up? Monday Interest Rate Update (May 26, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Get Your New Room Measurements in Writing

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Condo BuyingPhoto Courtesy: iStock.com

Where can I find the size of the condo unit I’m buying in the builder’s pre-construction contract?

I...

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What the Latest Canadian Employment Data Means for Our Mortgage Rates - Monday Interest Rate Update (May 12, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Get Your Renovation Details in a Contract

Bob Aaron in Legal

Photo Courtesy: istock.com

I’m about to do a major renovation in my home. What kind of paperwork do I need?

Excellent answers to this question were provided...

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Fixed Versus Variable Mortgage Rates: Finding the Break-Even Point - Monday Interest Rate Update (May 5, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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A Big Week Ahead For the Canadian Mortgage Market - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (April 14, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News  Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Why Not All 2.99% Five-Year Fixed-Rate Offers Are Created Equal - Monday Interest Rate Update (March 31, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Governor Poloz’s Big Reveal and Fed Chair Yellen’s Test Balloon - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (March 24, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Land transfer tax should be an election issue

 Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

Photo Courtesy: istock.com

As a real estate lawyer, I am a big supporter of the campaign by the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) to phase out...

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All About CMHC’s Mortgage-Insurance Premium Changes - Monday Interest Rate Update (March 3, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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What the Latest Consumer Price Index Means for Mortgage Rates - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (February 24, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Happy Family Day - Tuesday Interest Rate Update (February 18, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Will Mortgage Rates Be Impacted By the Latest Canadian and U.S. Employment Reports? Monday Interest Rate Update (February 10, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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How Canadian Mortgage Rates Are Impacted by Continued U.S. Fed Tapering - Monday Interest Rate Update (February 3, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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The Loonie Rides to the Rescue – Monday Interest Rate Update (January 27, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Electronic Signature Decision Will Look to Judge Sydney Robins

Photo Courtesy: cynthiaknight.com    
Judge Sydney Robins’ many decisions included one in the real estate field...
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The Primary (and Hidden) Risk to U.S. Inflation? Monday Interest Rate Update (January 20, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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What The Latest Employment Report Means for Mortgage Rates – Monday Interest Rate Update (January 13, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Court Finds Agent Must be Paid for Doing the Job

Bob Aaron in LegalToronto Real Estate NewsCondo BuyingHome Buying

Photo Courtesy: istock.com    

A seller must pay commission to their real estate agent if a full-price offer...

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Tapering But Not Tightening - Monday Interest Rate Update (January 6, 2014)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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Land Survey Trumps All Documents in a Purchase

Bob Aaron in LegalHome Buying

True or false? A land survey is unnecessary if the house purchaser buys title insurance.

Answer: false.

A court decision released last month...

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HST Rebate Rules Don't Include All Your Relatives

Bob Aaron in LegalToronto Real Estate NewsCondo BuyingHome Buying

Many buyers of new homes and condominiums may be surprised to receive a demand from Canada Revenue Agency...

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The BoC Jaw Bones the Loonie Down (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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Tarion: Buyers May not be able to sue for claims after new home warranty expires

Bob Aaron in LegalToronto Real Estate NewsCondo BuyingHome Buying

A recent court decision raises the thorny issue of whether it should be legal for builders to restrict...

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Fixed Versus Variable Rate Simulation: The Winner Is … (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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Why Quantitative Easing Should Make Canadian Mortgage Borrowers Nervous - (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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Why October’s Strong Employment Data May Not Matter to the Fed (Monday Morning Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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Establishing a Quasi-Judicial ‘Condo Office’ Should be Done with Care

Bob Aaron in Legal, Toronto Real Estate News, Condo Buying, Home Buying

A sea change is coming for the management and operation of the province’s 600,000 condominium units if...

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Is the U.S. Fed Making the Unthinkable Inevitable? (Monday Morning Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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The Bank of Canada Finally Drops Its Rate-Tightening Bias (Monday Morning Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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Does century-old murder still haunt Massey home?

Bob Aaron in LegalHome SellingHome Buying

Photo Credit: Bob Aaron

In the real estate field, when the value of a house might be affected by a history of murder, suicide,...

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How Gerrymandering and the U.S. Tea Party Have Helped Canadian Mortgage Borrowers (Monday Morning Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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What Permanent QE Would Mean for Canadian Mortgage Rates - (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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As Sovereign Default Fears Rise, Fixed Mortgage Rates Set to Fall (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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Land Survey Outlines What's Really Yours

Bob Aaron in LegalHome SellingHome Buying

I think it’s time that a land survey be made a compulsory part of every real estate transaction. It baffles me why a clause to that...

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The U.S Fed Trades Short-Term Gain for Longer-Term Pain (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

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The Elephant in the Room - Monday Interest Rate Update

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on...

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What the Latest U.S. and Canadian Economic News Means for Canadian Mortgage Rates - Monday Interest Rate Update

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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More Thoughts on the U.S. Fed’s Taper and How it Will Affect Canadian Mortgage Rates - Monday Interest Rate Update

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Court Finds Sale Not Closed if the Building Permit is Open

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

Two recent decisions of the Ontario Superior Court have determined that an open municipal building permit — where the city has not...

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Why CMHC’s Latest Move is Good for Variable-Rate Borrowers (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Why the U.S. Fed's Most Recent Commments Are Good News for Canadian Mortgage Rates - (Tuesday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Floor-by-Floor Sales Venture Would Work Better as a Condo Property

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

My nomination for the the most odball real estate scheme of the year is last week’s proposal by Larry Chilton and his real estate...

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Cellar Flood Among Wave of Lawsuits From Disclosure Form

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

In the wake of widespread flooding in Toronto last week, I’ve had a number of phone calls and emails from people trying to sell...

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Why the Variable-Rate Mortgage is Looking Better All the Time (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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New Home Owners Dig into Their Legal Rights, Obligations About Backyard Burial

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

Just when I thought I had heard every possible real estate problem, a client showed up with a question that is so novel that the...

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What the Heck is Happening to Five-Year Fixed-Mortgage Rates? (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Fixed Rates Move Up and Variable Rates Look Better By Comparison (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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A Look Behind Canada’s Near Record-Breaking Employment Report (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Are Higher Mortgage Rates on the Way? (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Some Title Insurance is Better Than Others

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

In the world of real estate, it’s not very well known that title insurance policies vary significantly from one company to another.

When it...

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Our Latest CPI Data Suggests That it’s Back to the Revising Board for the BoC ... Again (Tuesday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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A Review of Our Latest Employment Report with Implications for Canadian Mortgage Rates (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Beware Sending a Real Estate Deal Off the Rails

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

An interesting decision from Toronto’s small claims court last December provides a useful lesson on the obligations of buyers,...

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Canadian Mortgage Rates Will Inevitably Rise … But When? (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Has the Bank of Canada Discovered Life on Mars? (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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How Japan's New All-in Monetary Policy Will Affect Canadian Mortgage Rates (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Should Murder or Suicide be Disclosed?

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

Shortly after Sidney and his wife bought their Toronto home last fall, a number of their new neighbours told them that there had...

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March Employment Numbers Push CDN Bond Yields Down But U.S. Stagflation Threat Rising (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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How to See Homes for Sale Before They’re on Realtor.ca - Part 2

John Pasalis in Home Buying

In Part 1 of this post, we talked about how Toronto buyers can get a jump on other buyers in competitive spring market. My top tip was to go to see a...

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How to Win a Multiple Offer in Toronto’s Hot Spring Real Estate Market – Part 1

John Pasalis in Home Buying

While Toronto's real estate market is expected to start leveling out, buyers looking for homes in Toronto's hottest neighbourhoods aren't feeling any...

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How The Cyprus Bailout Talks Have Irreparably Harmed the Euro Zone (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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The Euro-zone Crisis Moves Back to the Front Burner (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Bank of Canada More Cautious on Mortgage Rate Rise (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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What Slower GDP Growth Means for Mortgage Rates (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Real Estate Lawyers Do Not ‘Waste’ Client’s Money

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

Last week I received an email from a Star reader who had just bought a $588,000 home in Scarborough and wanted to know if I could refer him to a...

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How Will the U.S. Fix its Debt Problem and What Will it Mean for Canadian Mortgage Rates? (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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The Distant Risk of Higher Mortgage Rates (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Homeownership Not About Crunching Numbers

Sometimes, even the experts get it wrong, or maybe not entirely right. In her new book, Money Rules, financial guru Gail Vaz Oxlade says that...

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Latest Canadian Employment Data Falls Into Line (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Does Data Signal a New Trend or Just a Blip? (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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HomeVerified Will Be Valuable New Tool for Home Buyers

Resale home’s history now available through HomeVerified and it has the potential to become an industry standard in every residential...
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Is There a Prime-Rate Cut in Our Future? (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Why Chinese Growth is Good for Canadian Variable-rate Mortgage Holders (Monday Interest Rate Update)

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Monday Interest Rate Update

Dave Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

This week we’ll focus on some recent currency-related news and look at...

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Monday Interest Rate Update

David Larock in Monday Interest Rate Update, Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Editor's Note: Dave's Monday Morning Interest Rate Update appears on Move...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (December 17, 2012): U.S. Fed Extends Its Low-rate Pledge

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Last week the U.S. Federal Reserve replaced its pledge to keep its policy rate in a range of 0.00 to...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (December 10, 2012) – The Latest Employment Reports May Glister, But That Doesn’t Make Them Gold

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

My ears are still ringing from the peal of celebratory trumpets that blared in response to the latest...

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Title Insurance Really isn’t Optional

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Condo Buying

Despite the fact that residential title insurance has been commonplace in Ontario for the last 15 years, many of my clients still...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (December 3, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future” - Yogi Berra.

Trying to predict the...

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Court Rules Real Estate Agent isn’t Responsible for Home Inspection

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

An Ontario real estate agent has escaped responsibility for failing to review the results of a professional home inspection with his purchaser...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (November 12, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Now that the U.S. election is over, markets will shift their attention back to the European Union...

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When Your House Really Belongs to Your Neighbour

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

Imagine waking up one morning to find out that the house you are living in and have listed for sale belongs to your next-door neighbours, and...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (October 29, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

When the Bank of Canada (BoC) released its latest interest-rate statement last Tuesday it did not...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (October 22, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

When Bank of Canada (BoC) Governor Mark Carney speaks, the experts I read carefully parse his words,...

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Professionals Can Make Real Estate Transactions Easier

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

A decision of the Ontario Divisional Court this summer underscores the importance of having an experienced real estate lawyer review a builder...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (October 15, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Last week was a slow one for new economic data so in today’s Update I’m taking a step back and...

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Tuesday Morning Interest Rate Update (October 9, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Monthly employment reports should be closely monitored by anyone keeping an eye on mortgage rates...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (October 1, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Market bulls hoped that when U.S. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke finally gave investors the quantitative...

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Toronto Real Estate by School District

John Pasalis in Toronto Schools, Home Buying, Realosophy News

When we launched realosophy.com back in 2007, we pioneered market analysis by neighbourhood in Toronto. At the time,...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (September 10, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Here are the three most important developments last week that related to Canadian mortgage rates:

...

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Tuesday Morning Interest Rate Update (September 4, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

When U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke stepped to the podium at Jackson Hole last Friday he...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (August 20, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Bank of Canada (BoC) Governor Mark Carney has made it clear that he wants to raise interest rates but...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (August 13, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

To my surprise, Government of Canada (GoC) bond yields (on which our fixed-mortgage rates are based)...

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Tuesday Morning Interest Rate Update (August 7, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

It was a strange week for Government of Canada (GoC) bond yields (on which our fixed-mortgage rates...

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Test Drive Realosophy's Toronto Home Spotter - the Civilized Way to Search for Homes Online

John Pasalis and Urmi Desai in Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News, Realosophy News

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (July 23, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

The Bank of Canada (BoC) left its overnight policy rate unchanged last week as expected. (Reminder:...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (July 16, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

The devil is always in the detail.

When Spain’s 100 billion euro bailout was finalized and the euro...

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The Mortgage Rules They Are a Changin’ - Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (June 25, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Last week federal finance minister Jim Flaherty surprised real-estate market stakeholders by...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (June 11, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

This week’s Update was going to focus on the latest employment report from Statistics Canada and how...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (June 4, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

The current debate about the strength of the global economic recovery is pretty much over, at least...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (April 30, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

The global economic recovery is on a very tenuous footing. While determined optimists can string...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (April 23, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Last week was an interesting one for anyone keeping an eye on Canadian mortgage rates.

The Bank of...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (April 16, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

When the European Central Bank (ECB) injected more than US$1 trillion in cheap, three-year loans into...

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Tuesday Morning Interest Rate Update (April 10, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Statistics Canada released its latest employment report last Friday, and the data were a welcome...

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Basement Apartments are a Minefield for the Uninformed

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Home Selling

My column on basement apartments earlier this month seems to have touched a nerve among homeowners and real estate agents, many of...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (April 2, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

Last week the euro-zone finance ministers increased the size of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM)...

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Is it a Good Time to Buy a Home in Toronto? Lessons from the Wall

John Pasalis in Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying

Being a home buyer in Toronto's real estate market is hard work.

Every week, you eagerly wait to see the new listings that...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (March 26, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

This week’s update will use an ‘around the horn’ format to highlight several interesting developments...

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Basement Apartments Must Comply with Zoning, Fire, Building and Electric Codes

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Selling, Home Buying

When real estate agents prepare offers for a house with a basement apartment, they typically insert a clause stating that “seller...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (March 19, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Five-year Government of Canada (GoC) bond yields continued to surge higher last week so expect a fresh round of headlines...

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Rate Simulations: The Five-Year Fixed Rate Versus The Ten-Year Fixed Rate

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

It’s time for another rate simulation but this time we’re going to change it up.

The age old fixed-versus-variable question is...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (February 27, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

If you want to look beyond the incendiary headlines about housing bubbles in Canada’s largest real...

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Fixed-rate Mortgage Penalties – Why They Matter Now More Than Ever

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Many people think that the differences in how lenders calculate fixed-rate mortgage penalties are a non-issue now that rates...

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Are You a Home Buyer Wondering About Schools?

Worried about buying in the right school district for your family?

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5 Questions for...a Frustrated Home Buyer Blogger (FML Listings)

Urmi Desai in 5 Questions, Home Buying

The blogosphere has been abuzz about “FML Listings” an anonymous blog launched by a frustrated Toronto home buyer. FML’s MO is as simple as...

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Winter Mortgage Market Update (2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

This quarter’s Mortgage Market Update is a good news/bad news story. I’m an optimist at heart so let’s start with the good news....

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (January 23, 2012)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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The Magic of Five Percent: A New Year’s Resolution Worth Keeping

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

When the calendar flips to a new year, many of us make resolutions to improve our lives. Judging by how busy the gyms get during...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (December 19, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Would You Save More With a Fixed or Variable-Rate Mortgage? (Rate Simulator – 2011 Year End Edition)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

It’s been three months since we last ran scenarios that compare the potential costs of fixed vs. variable-rate five-year...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (December 5, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (November 21, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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The Americanization of Canadian Credit

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

I suppose it was inevitable that some of the more aggressive U.S. lending practices would make their way north of the border...

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Fall Mortgage-Market Update (2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Like stock markets, economies are really only governed by two competing forces: fear and greed.

When greed dominates, money...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (October 24, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Troubling Signs for Toronto’s Condo Market

John Pasalis in Condo Buying, Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

If there’s one thing that concerns me about Toronto’s real estate market it's the uncertainty about the boom we...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (October 17, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Tuesday Morning Interest Rate Update (October 11, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (September 26, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

On Wednesday of last week, Statistics Canada released its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for August 2011. While overall...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (September 19, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

On Friday, the European Central Bank, the U.S. Federal Reserve, and the central banks of Britain, Switzerland and Japan all...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (September 12, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Back to School Edition: Would You Save More with a Fixed or Variable-rate Mortgage? (Rate Simulator)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

It’s been three months since we ran our first Mortgage Rate Simulation where we compared the cost of a current five-year...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (August 29, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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A Surprising New Mortgage That Pays You to Go Green

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Businesses are always looking to cash in on consumer trends, and in today’s world the trend towards greener, more sustainable...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (August 22, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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It's difficult to sell pre-registration condo units

Bob Aaron in LegalHome Buying, Condo Buying

With thousands of new Toronto condominiums being completed each year, investor purchasers are putting many of them on the market,...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (August 15, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Large Mortgage Loans and the Sliding Scales Used to Underwrite Them

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

For a lender, bigger is not always better.

The larger a mortgage gets, the greater the lender’s potential loss if the borrower...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (August 8, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Title insurance? Check. Land survey? Double-check.

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

One of the lesser known benefits of title insurance is that the insurer is obligated to provide and pay for the legal costs of defending the...

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Tuesday Morning Interest Rate Update (August 2, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (July 25, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Rent-to-Own Deals Can Be Risky Business

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...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (July 11, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Home Selling

All eyes were on last Friday’s employment report after our latest Consumer Price Index (for May) came in higher...

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Tarion Registration is Not an Option for Homebuilders

Bob Aaron in Home Buying, Condo Buying, Home Selling, Legal

One of the biggest challenges facing the new home industry today is the problem of illegal construction and sale of...

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Mortgage Secrets from an Independent Mortgage Planner

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Home Selling

If you are buying a house or refinancing your mortgage, the siren song emanating from your local bank branch can...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (July 4, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Home Selling

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Bridge Financing – Helping You Buy a Home Before You Sell

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying, Home SellingIf you want to sell your current home and use the proceeds as a down payment on a different property, what do you...

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Agent's Responsibility Doesn’t End With Advice

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying

An Ontario court has found a real estate agent partially liable in damages for failing to review a home inspector’s report carefully with his...

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Would You Save More with a Fixed or Variable-rate Mortgage? (Rate Simulator)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Mortgage rates have been on a downward march lately – five-year fixed-rate mortgages are now offered in the 3.69% range and...

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Mortgages for Co-op and Co-ownership Properties

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

  Co-op and co-ownership properties offer exceptional value for the right type of buyer. These buildings are usually well-located...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (May 2, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Title insurers come under fire in Quebec

Bob Aaron in Home BuyingLegal

The governing bodies of the notary and legal professions in Quebec have launched a lawsuit against several title insurance companies over the...

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The Power of Prepayment

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Mortgage debt can be intimidating; it is a massive personal liability that typically takes decades to pay off. During the early...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (April 25, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Spring Mortgage Market Update (2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Mortgage rates and inflation go hand in hand.

Variable-mortgage rates are set using the Bank of Canada’s overnight rate, which...

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Shocked by Stories of ‘Neighbours from Hell’

Bob Aaron in Home Buying, Condo Buying, Legal

In my column on April 2, I wrote about a study by Halifax Home Insurance in the U.K. which reported that more than 360,000 Britons,...

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Monday Morning Interest Rate Update (April 11, 2011)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

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Toronto Real Estate Roundup April 8th 2011

John Pasalis in Real Estate Roundup    

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How to Avoid the Hidden Cost in Most Canadian Mortgages

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

If Canadians shopped for cars the same way we shop for mortgages, most of us would be driving around in old beaters that would...

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The Best Mortgage Rate No One is Talking About

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Fixed-rate mortgages offer borrowers predictability and peace-of-mind in exchange for higher initial borrowing costs (over the...

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The Mortgage Qualifying Rate (MQR)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Borrowers are often surprised to hear that qualifying for a five-year variable-rate mortgage is more difficult than qualifying...

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Home Buying 101: How to Get the Lowest Interest Rate

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home BuyingTo the uninitiated, Canada’s lending market must look like a very egalitarian place. All of our major banks post the same...

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Buying 101: Investing in an Up and Coming Neighbourhood

John Pasalis in Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying, Toronto Neighbourhoods

“Where is the next up and coming neighbourhood?” has to be the question I’m most often asked by home...

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Mortgage Advice for Couples Planning a Divorce

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

When couples decide to divorce, financial assets accumulated while together must be equitably divided and in many cases, the...

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Mortgages for New Canadian Immigrants

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

If you are a new immigrant to Canada - welcome! As a former world traveller, I know how daunting it can be to get settled in a...

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Floor plans are most important document in buying a condo

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...

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CMHC Mortgage Insurance Changes: What They Are, Why They Matter and How They’ll Be Good For Us (in a Brussel Sprouts Sort of Way)

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

On January 17, 2011, Jim Flaherty, our federal  Minister of Finance announced changes to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing...

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Home Buying 101: 13 Guideposts for Every First-time Home Buyer

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Buying your first house is a milestone right up there with the biggies. When you become the legal owner of a patch of land, it’s...

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Home Buying 101: How Title Insurance Works and Why You Should Buy It

David Larock in Home Buying, Mortgages and Finance, Legal

Your property’s title provides the legal proof that you are its owner. It describes your rights to the land and any...

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Pre-approvals: Why They Aren’t Worth the Paper They’re Written On and Why You Should Still Get One

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Mortgage pre-approvals are full of conditions and qualifiers, and when you think about it, why wouldn’t they be? When you submit...

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Home Buying 101: Waiving Your Financing Condition

David Larock in Mortgages and Finance, Home Buying

Buyers will often include a financing condition when drafting an offer to purchase with their realtor. This clause gives them...

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Undisclosed Costs Can Really Add Up

Bob Aaron in Legal, Home Buying, Mortgages and Finance

It’s hard to think of any consumer purchase contract where the price on the front page is not the full purchase price,...

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Home Buying 101: Matching Your House to the Life You Have

Urmi Desai in Home Buying, Lifestyle

One way to measure the success of a visit with friends and family is the quantity of ‘in jokes’ that result (the poorer the quality, the...

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Reverse Mortgage Financing - Is it Right for You?

David Larock in Home Buying, Mortgages and Finance

One of the most common observations made about the financial profile of average baby boomers is that too much of their net worth...

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The RRSP Homebuyers Plan: An Excellent Way to Save for the Down Payment on Your First Home

Let's face it, saving money for the down payment on your first home can be an overwhelming task. These days, you are...

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Mortgage Financing for Vacation Properties and Second Homes

David Larock in Home Buying, Mortgages and Finance

Happy belated Canada Day! This past weekend as I wound my way north up to cottage country, I was thinking of ideas for this...

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Closing Costs – The Stomach Punch of the Home Buying Process

David Larock in Home Buying, Mortgages and Finance

Estimating your closing costs after the excitement of buying your home is about as appealing as sorting out travel insurance...

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The Safe Mortgage

David Larock in Home Buying, Mortgages and Finance

We live in interesting times. While economists and pundits normally debate the degree to which an economic trend will wax or...

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Property Brothers on W Network Looking for Home Buyers to Share Their Story

Toronto Real Estate News

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More Transparency Needed in The Real Estate Industry’s Multiple Offer Process

John Pasalis in Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying Tips

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) recently published a brochure with some consumer focused information about...

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Competing in a Multiple Offer in Toronto's Real Estate Market

John Pasalis in Home Buying Tips

My last post on multiple offers sparked reaction from agents and consumers alike. As a follow up, I’ll consider these comments and further clarify...

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Is a Condition on Financing or Inspection a Guaranteed Way to Get Out of Your Purchase Agreement?

John Pasalis in Home Buying Tips

When buyers decide to make an offer to purchase a home their real estate agent typically includes two conditions in the agreement of purchase and...

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The Toronto Land Transfer Tax - Voice Your Opinion

Rachel Loizos in Legal, Home Buying

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Interim Occupancy Fee aka 'Phantom Rent'

Rachel Loizos in Legal, Condo Buying Tips, Home Buying Tips

In his recent article, Condo Buyers should prepare for ‘phantom’ rent, Terrence Belford of the Globe and Mail...

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2008 Ontario Property Tax Assessment Notices

Rachel Loizos in Legal

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Mandatory Energy Audit Reports for Home Sellers

Rachel Loizos in Legal, Home Buying

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Thinking about Buying a Heritage Property in Toronto?

Rachel Loizos in Legal, Home Buying

You can browse through the list provided on the City of Toronto Website and search our heritage properties by their municipal address. The...

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Ontario Land Transfer Tax Refund for First-Time Home Buyers Now Law

John Pasalis in Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying Tips

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Conditions and The Agreement of Purchase and Sale

Rachel Loizos in Legal, HomeBuying

I attended a great Law Society of Upper Canada seminar recently, The Annotated Agreement of Purchase and Sale, chaired by Bradley N. McLellan...

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Check the Noise Level Before You Purchase a Home

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...

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Pre-piping Your Home for Natural Gas

Rachel Loizos in Home Buying

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New Delayed Closing and Occupancy Warranty: What You Need to Know

Carl Minicucci in Home Buying Tips, Condo Buying Tips, Legal

In the market and planning the purchase of a new freehold home or condominium in the next few months? If so, you will...

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Before Home Buying Check Survey for Boundaries

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...

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The Limits of Title Insurance: Toronto Buyer Soaked with Vendor's Final Water Bill

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...

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Road Access Critical When Buying Cottage in Ontario

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...

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Ontario Home Buyer Pays Price for Jilting Agent

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...

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Is a 40-Year Mortgage Hazardous for your Financial Health?

John Pasalis in Money, Home Buying Tips

Last week, the Toronto Star’s Ellen Roseman wrote an article titled 40-year Mortgage Comes with Hidden Hazards. On Move Smartly, we often...

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Beware if You're Purchasing a New Home or Condo to Flip

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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As Seen on TV: Beware of Guaranteed Real Estate Sales Programs

Carl in Home Buying, Home Selling Tips, Real Estate Trends

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to show you the greatest Real Estate brokerage offer ever made…all your investment and...

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Do It Yourself Renovations

Rachel in  Lifestyle, HomeBuying, Legal

With spring in the air and my tulips breaking the surface in my garden, my thoughts naturally turn to home renovations. I enjoy taking on...

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Another Reason Why People Don’t Trust Real Estate Agents

John in Home Buying, Home Selling Tips

Multiple Representation (also referred to as Dual Agency) can occur when one agent represents both the buyer and the seller in a real estate...

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Review Your Agreement Before You Are Bound

Rachel in Legal, Home Buying

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Basement Rentals: Make Sure You Want To Be A Landlord

Rachel in Legal, HomeBuying

I have heard many people say that they want to rent out their basement or that they want to buy a property that can accommodate a tenant. Whether this...

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Don't Let Closing Costs Catch You Off Guard

Rachel in Home Buying, Money, Legal

Home buyers, especially first time home buyers, are often surprised by their closing costs. Although the standard legal fees and land transfer...

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Key RRSP Strategies and Mortgage Financing

Heather in HomeBuying, Money

RRSP season is here and at this time of year, Canadians grapple with issues about finding money to contribute, deciding what to invest in, and...

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The Role of Warranties in Your Agreement of Purchase and Sale

Rachel in Legal, HomeBuying

In your agreement for purchase and sale you will very often have items, called warranties, that help define and clarify the agreement between the...

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Taking Title as Joint Tenants - Not Carved in Stone

Rachel in Home Buying, Legal

In a previous post, we discussed the most common ways that people can take title to property. In particular, sole ownership, joint tenants, and...

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Is Now a Good Time to Choose a Variable Rate Mortgage?

John in HomeBuying, Money

With all the news about interest rate cuts recently, many home buyers are wondering if now is the right time to go with a variable rate mortgage. The...

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Is Now the Right Time to Buy Real Estate in Toronto (Part 2)

John in Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

In a previous post I addressed the one question that’s on most first time buyers minds; is now the right time to buy my first home?...

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Toronto's Land Transfer Tax - The Official Word

Rachel in HomeBuying, Money, Legal

On October 22, 2007, Toronto City Council approved a Municipal Land Transfer Tax (MLTT), the "Toronto Tax," and we have now received more...

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Too Good to be True? Protecting Yourself Against Real Estate Scams

Rachel in Legal, HomeBuying

A recent article highlights one of the most valuable and often glossed over part of your real estate transaction - relationships.  Reported in the Globe...

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Is now the right time to buy your first home in Toronto?

John in HomeBuying, Toronto Real Estate News

It’s a tough time to be a first-time home buyer in Toronto. Toronto’s eleven year real estate boom has left many first time buyers...

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Buying Resale - Visit the Property Before Closing

Rachel in Legal, HomeBuying

Most HomeBuyers do not bring the agreement of purchase and sale to their lawyer until it has already been signed. If you do not have a lawyer review...

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First-time HomeBuyers Benefit as Ontario Expands Land Transfer Tax Refund

John in HomeBuying, Money, Toronto Real Estate News

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Potential Pitfalls of Winning a Multiple Offer

John in Home Buying, Legal

Multiple offers on homes are a common occurrence in Toronto’s hot real estate market. For those unfamiliar with the dynamics of a multiple offer, go to

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UK Home Information Packs: More Protection for HomeBuyers?

John in Home Buying, Media Roundup

Home Information Packs (HIPs) were introduced in the UK this past summer as a way to improve transparency in the HomeBuying process. HIPs...

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Toronto's Land Transfer Tax (or Beating a Dead Horse)

Rachel in Home Buying, Money, Legal

Mayor Miller’s land transfer tax (Miller’s Toronto Tax) takes effect on February 1, 2008.

I was having a conversation last night about the...

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The DOs and DON'Ts of Condo Living

Jesse in Condo Buying, Legal, Lifestyle

You have found your ideal condominium. It may be a conversion of sorts, a shiny high-rise in a tony neighbourhood or one of the row house...

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Why Home Buyers Need Title Insurance

Rachel in Legal, Home Buying

Title insurance is widely used in Ontario real estate transactions and is often used to replace or augment what is referred to as the ‘solicitor’s...

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GST Reduction and Unethical Builders - Consumers Watch Out

Rachel in Home Buying, Legal, Money

In my very first post on this blog, I wrote about the GST rebate and how HomeBuyers can take advantage of the benefit of the ‘transitional...

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The 5 "Cs" of Credit

Heather in Home Buying, Money

Ed. Note. We are very pleased to welcome a new blogger to the Move Smartly team. Heather Paterson is an experienced mortgage professional who is...

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Trouble Selling Your Home? Unable to Find a Home to Buy? Double-Check the MLS Listing...

John in Home Buying

Real estate agents have a saying; a well-listed property is half-sold. The term ‘well-listed’ refers to the information the listing agent entered into the MLS...

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Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) for New Homes and Condos

Rachel in Legal, Home Buying, Condo Buying

You have finally received the good news that your new home is (almost) ready. Only a few more loose ends to tie up before you can...

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New Toronto Land Transfer Tax - Councillor Thompson and Councillor Minnan-Wong Weigh In

Rachel in Home Buying, Toronto Real Estate News

I am sharing the correspondence I received from Councillor Thompson and Councillor Minnan-Wong. Prior to the vote held on Monday...

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Toronto Land Transfer Tax Approved

Rachel in Urban Issues, Home Buying, Legal, Money

Councillor Thompson dropped a stack of over 1,000 sheets of paper at the start of the meeting and announced they represented ‘no’...

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Real Estate Fines: Just a Cost of Doing Business for Some Realtors

John in Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying

The victims of a phantom (or fake) multiple offer recently came forward to tell their story to Toronto Star reporter Gail Swainson....

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Targeting (Some of) Toronto: Why David Miller’s “Fair Tax Plan” Falls Short

by Editor

John and Urmi in Urban Issues, Toronto Real Estate News, Home Buying

With a major tax vote just around the corner, Mayor David Miller hasn’t exactly convinced Toronto that his ...

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How to Take Title - Part Two for Common Law and Same-Sex Couples

Rachel in Legal, Home Buying 

My previous post on taking title did not address the title-related issues in the fairly common scenario where people live together in a relationship...

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Real Insight: Making Sense of Real Estate Statistics

John in HomeBuying, Money, Toronto Real Estate News, Real Insight

Ed note.  Real Insight is a periodic feature decoding some of the many mysteries surrounding HomeBuying.

Some of...

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Real Insight: How to Take Title - Sole Ownership, Joint Tenancy and Tenancy in Common

Rachel in HomeBuying, Legal, Real Insight

Ed note.  Real Insight is a periodic feature decoding some of the many mysteries surrounding HomeBuying.

Any number of factors can...

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Real Insight: Protecting Yourself Against Real Estate Fraud

Rachel in HomeBuying, Legal, Real Insight

Ed note.  Real Insight is a periodic feature decoding some of the many mysteries surrounding HomeBuying.

When you purchase your home, you...

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Promenade on the Danforth Condo

John in Condos

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A Room of One’s Own: Moving Private Pursuits into Shared Spaces

by Editor

Urmi in HomeBuying, Lifestyle

In order to write great fiction, Virginia Woolf opined back in 1928, a woman must have “money and a room of her own.” In observing the limited...

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Real Life: Is it the Right Time to Upgrade Your Home?

John in HomeBuying, Money, Lifestyle, Real Life

Ed note.  Real Life is a periodic feature detailing stories about the situations HomeBuyers encounter in the real world.

A reader...

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Why Toronto Needs a Consumer-Focused Real Estate Website

John in Realosophy News, HomeBuying

The absence of consumer protection in the real estate industry was one of the main reasons our team started Realosophy. HomeBuyers are the most...

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Is the Real Estate Industry Coming to Terms? The Fake or Phantom Multiple Offer in Toronto

by Editor

Urmi in HomeBuying, Money, Toronto Real Estate News, In the News

No wonder consumers are confused when it comes to HomeBuying – apparently, they are not the only ones. Departing...

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Real Insight: Is the 40-Year Mortgage Bad News for Canadian HomeBuyers?

John in Money, HomeBuying, Real Insight, In the News

Ed note.  Real Insight is a periodic feature decoding some of the many mysteries surrounding HomeBuying.

Last weekend’s...

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Prepare for the Inevitable – Your New Home or Condo Purchase and the Supplemental Property Tax Bill

Rachel in Condos, HomeBuying, Money

When you purchase a new home or condominium, on your statement of adjustments, there will be a section that references realty taxes (also known...

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Rise of the Grow-Op: Home Inspections Protect HomeBuyers Against Newer Dangers

Rachel in Legal, HomeBuying, In the News

There are many reasons to require a home inspection prior to firming up your real estate transaction. For most people, buying a home is...

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Extended Amortizations and Toronto's Real Estate Market: Real Opportunity or Bubble Booster?

John in HomeBuying, Toronto Real Estate News

Talk about real estate in Toronto usually centers on the city’s booming housing market. For the past seven years, we’ve been hearing...

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Avoiding Sticker Shock – The Statement of Adjustments and Your Condo Closing

Rachel in Condos, HomeBuying, Legal, Money

Nothing sends clients reeling like the statement of adjustments on a new condominium closing, except, perhaps the statement of...

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Credit Score 101 for Adventurers and Other Miscreants

by Editor

Urmi in HomeBuying, Money

For the longest time, I put off one of the first steps any potential HomeBuyer is advised to take: get one with your credit score or rating. For most of...

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New Condominium Interim Closing

Rachel in Legal, HomeBuying, Condos

There is a very interesting period during the purchase of a new condominium that resembles something between ownership and renting...known as...

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Real Insight: Do You Need an Agent if You are Buying a Home Privately?

John in Real Insight, HomeBuying

Ed note.  Real Insight is a periodic feature decoding some of the many mysteries surrounding HomeBuying.

A couple I know was recently given the...

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Toronto Island: Paradise Lost?

Jesse in Neighbourhoods, Neighbourhood Explorer

Ed. Note.  Neighbourhood Explorer is a regular feature in which our intrepid adventurer presents an up close-and-personal tour of a...

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Toronto's Boutique Condo Update

John in Condos

Rumor has it that Boutique Condos will be adding an additional 16 floors on top of its Phase 2 condo at the corners of Nelson and Simcoe in Toronto's ...

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Branding Toronto’s Neighbourhoods

by Editor

Urmi in HomeBuying, Neighbourhoods, Lifestyle

“So,” Paul concluded, pausing to swirl his caesar-with-extra-horseradish, “I believe I live in the Upper Upper West Annex.” Seated...

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The Real Property Survey Says...

Rachel in Legal, HomeBuying

My friend recently purchased a house and despite my best efforts, she proceeded with the transaction without obtaining a survey. Exasperating! A survey...

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The Land Transfer Tax: the Toronto We Want?

by Editor

Urmi in HomeBuying, In the News, Toronto Real Estate News

Thanks to council's decision not to decide, heated discussions about David Miller, Millerites (the crew not the brew) and...

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Media Rankings: Best Cities and Toronto Neighbourhoods

by Editor

Urmi in Neighbourhoods, HomeBuying, Lifestyle

Being a bit of a news wire junkie, provocative headlines tend to catch my eye: “Ottawa ranked best place to live in Canada.” Before...

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Real Insight: Condominium Conversions

Rachel in Legal, Condos, HomeBuying, Real Insight

Ed note.  Real Insight is a periodic feature decoding some of the many mysteries surrounding HomeBuying.

A very dear friend of...

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The Dual

Jesse in HomeBuying, Lifestyle

A glossy brochure peeked out at me from underneath the stack of mail that I had tossed on the counter, partially hoping it would read and sort...

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The Multiple Offer: the Real Estate Industry’s Achilles' Heel?

John in HomeBuying, Toronto Real Estate News

An article in the Toronto Star this weekend highlights one HomeBuyer’s experience competing in four bidding wars (multiple offers)....

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GST Rebate

Rachel in Legal

How would you like the purchase of your new home to translate into clawing back some of your hard-earned dollars – and from the government? Very much, I think....

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Deciding What You Want in a Home—as a Couple

John in HomeBuying

Many HomeBuyers have a difficult time deciding on the type of home and neighbourhood they want to live in. Couples often have an even harder time because both...

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The Young, Urban and Carless…HomeOwner?

by Editor

Urmi in HomeBuying, Lifestyle

I have long been committed to low-rent, public transit, downtown living in the belief that having low overhead (no home maintenance, no car, no...

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Real Life: How Long and Short-Term Interest Rates Affect You

John in Real Life, Money, HomeBuying

Ed note.  Real Life is a periodic feature detailing stories about the situations HomeBuyers encounter in the real world.

In my previous post,...

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Realosophy Launch

Welcome to realosophy.com!  We hope that you are as excited as we are about our new Toronto HomeBuyer’s website.

We are a group of young consumers and professionals who once...

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