Buying:
What is Land Transfer Tax?
Land transfer tax is a tax payable to the Ontario government by a purchaser of property on closing. The amount of land transfer tax imposed is based on the purchase price.
Am I a First Time Home Buyer?
A first time home buyer is an individual who has never owned an eligible home. Land transfer tax applies to all conveyances of land in Ontario. First time home buyers are eligible for a refund of all or part of the tax payable.
For more information regarding land transfer tax and first time home buyer applicability, please refer to the Government of Ontario’s website: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/tax/ltt/faq_newhome.html
Who is Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)?
CMHC is Canada’s national housing agency and premier provider of mortgage loan insurance. Typically, lenders require mortgage loan insurance for loans made to purchasers with less than 20% of the purchase price as a down payment For more information on CMHC please visit: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/index.cfm
What is bridge financing?
A bridge loan or bridge financing is a type of short-term loan or interim financing taken out pending the arrangement of a longer financing term. Bridge financing is most commonly used when purchasing a home prior to the sale of an individuals existing home.
What is Title Insurance?
Title insurance protects your ownership interest of your property from losses incurred as a result of unknown title defects or other covered matters that exist at the time of your purchase, but are unknown to you at that time.
What Does Title Insurance Cover?
- Someone else claiming an interest in your title
- Fraud, forgery and false impersonation affecting the validity of your title
- Existing liens against the title including realty tax arrears and municipal utility charges
- Violations of municipal zoning by-laws
- Many forms of encroachments onto the property or adjoining land
- Existing work orders
- Lack of legal access to the property
- Unmarketability of land due to adverse matters that an up-to-date survey/Real Report (RPR)/Building Location Certificate would have revealed
Is there HST when you buy a home?
The two most common types of instances where HST would be applicable is when one is purchasing:
(1) A brand new home from a builder
(2) A commercial property
There are other rare instances where HST might be applicable when purchasing property. Please refer to the Canada Revenue Agency at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss/tpcs/gst-tps/menu-eng.htm for more details.
Selling
Utilities:
Contact your utility provider and arrange for the meter to be read on the date of closing. Billing from the closing date onwards will be sent to the new home owner(s). Please do not shut off and/or cancel your utility service(s).