You’ve saved enough money for your down payment and have been preapproved for a mortgage but now what? Before you go ahead and purchase your dream house, you need to be aware of the hidden closing costs in Ontario which could impact your home buying budget. Having enough money to cover all the closing costs and hidden fees you might not have considered will make for a smooth closing with no surprises.

 

Typical Closing Costs in Ontario:

  • Home Inspection – If the home you’re purchasing isn’t brand new, a home inspection fee will cost around $500. The home inspector goes through each room of the house to evaluate the structures and its condition. You’ll get a written report with the findings and what the costs to any repairs would be when the…

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When you’re looking for a new home it might be difficult to determine what a house is actually worth before making an offer. As a realtor, my advice is to always do your research and to really use the skills of your realtor to help you make an informed decision before putting an offer in on a home.

Here are some things that anyone can do to help them get a handle on what a home is really worth.

  1. Rely on your realtor. This one is a bit of a no-brainer and definitely shows my bias, but it’s true. If you’re working with a realtor, this is one of the top benefits of doing so – they have the knowledge, skills and experience to recognize what a home is actually worth. They’ll be able to tell you if the home is overpriced or even if it’s underpriced and…

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One of the things that my Cambridge clients love when they work with me is the amount of different tools and widgets I feature online to streamline the home buying and selling processes. As a real estate agent in Cambridge, I know the importance of setting myself apart from the pack and offering my customers something that they can’t get anywhere else. Plus, with much of the world shifting toward digital, most people start online when they begin looking for a new house. My goal is to tap into this need and make it as easy as possible for people to find the house of their dreams.

Here are some of my online real estate tools to help make your life easier:

  1. Home Worth Widget
    This is the latest addition to the tools and widgets available on my…

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Buying real estate abroad is something that many people are interested in doing, especially when the country’s currency exchange rate is favourable. If you are an international home buyer, you will need to take care to work with a realtor who is very familiar with the local market so that your purchase follows all the applicable laws and goes smoothly.

Why Buy an International Property?

Investment Property

Purchasing an international home can be a great investment opportunity. Since Canada is considered a safe place to purchase property, you will likely be able to turn a good profit. Before purchasing a property though, you will need to take in to account what the expected performance of the property will be, how long it will take you to turn a…

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Are you ready to upgrade to a bigger house? Feel like it’s time to trade up? There can be any number of reasons why you or your family wants to upgrade to a bigger home and I’d like to share some of the most popular ones along with some important things to keep in mind before actually making the move.

Current House is Too Small

Perhaps your family is growing and you need extra bedrooms for extra family members. Perhaps you initially bought a smaller home in order to be in a better saving position for your next home. Whatever the reason and you feel like your family has outgrown the space, it might be time to look for a bigger home.

Poor Location

If you’ve recently changed jobs and find yourself making an exhausting commute to and from work…

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If you read my last blog post about deciding whether you should upgrade your house, you’ll definitely want to read about the financial implications of doing so. Upgrading your home to a larger house is a big decision with many considerations. You need to be confident that you can handle the upgrade to your expenses along with the upgrade to your housing. Think about the following:

  • Do you need to sell your current home before you purchase a new one? For most people who don’t own their home outright, this will be the case. If you do need to sell, consider the following options. 1. Find a new home and make your offer conditional on selling your current home 2. Put your house on the market and sell it conditional on finding a new home. It works both…

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Similar to yesterday's post, today I'm sharing my home buyer's worksheet for budgeting. If you're wondering how much money to set aside for hidden costs, like home inspections, land transfer fees, title insurance and more, you'll want to take a look at this handy worksheet. Just click the link below to view the PDF and print it out so you can get your finances on track before you buy your next home. 

Download free home buyer's budget worksheet here.

What piece of budgeting for purchasing a new home resonated most with you? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

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If you’re working with an expert this is where they may be most valuable! Depending on the home you like there may be many different angels to address when you begin negotiations.

Is the listing new to the market?

If so you may have a difficult time getting the price to come down. Typically speaking the first 3 weeks of a new listing is the busiest. If you like the house get it locked up with a strong offer. Don't waste time thinking too much as it could potentially lead to more buyers placing offers on the same home, and you may find yourself competing with other buyers. This would basically ensure you are’t getting the best deal. In closing “Strike while the iron is hot”! You will have time to assess the home further during your conditional…

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