Nicholas Searle's blog

Buying a new house or condo can be exciting but also overwhelming in many ways!

Be nonconventional when you buy

Between 1995 to 2007, Kitec plumbing was widely used in Canada. Chances are that Kitec can be found in houses built or extensively renovated during this time. It was sold for drinkable water pipes, as well as in-floor and hot-water baseboard systems. We stumbled upon Kitec twice when looking to buy both townhouses and condos. That is why we want to make sure our buyers know to avoid Kitec plumbing, or at least are aware of the potential risks and hidden costs. Having proper legal advice is key.

No matter how much you wish the purchase or sale of a property to be smooth sailing, there are many reasons why a transaction may not go forward. The failure to satisfy a condition like financing (mortgage approval), inspection, rezoning approval, or the sale of a buyer’s current home, can play a role.

So what happens if your deal goes awol? 

A “laneway suite” is also known as a “coach house or laneway house” and it is essentially a secondary property at the back of the existing home or dwelling on the land. It is also called an “auxiliary housing unit”. Simply put, a laneway house is a secondary suite in the form of smaller detached building located where the garage would normally go on a single-family lot or even about the garage.

As a buyer or seller, knowing that you have a good realtor, doing your own research, asking lots of questions and understanding your rights are all critical factors in a successful outcome.

Shop around for a good sales representative

We closed a transaction with a linked property in the Markham area and just wanted to share our experience. A link home can look just like a detached house on the surface but shares a common wall in the basement or foundation underneath the ground level. In other words, a link home is a hybrid between a detached and a semi-detached house.

In real estate, a "stigma" is a non-physical, intangible attribute of a property that can have a negative effect on the value or the sale of a property. While the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 (REBBA 2002) does not define "stigma," some examples might include:

Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods. There are 140 neighbourhoods officially recognized by the City of Toronto. Each neighbourhood has distinctive restaurants, stores and other local businesses. Here are some of Toronto’s coolest neighbourhoods!

The Ossington

Downsizing can be overwhelming for those who have lived in one place for many years. However, it can be done with good planning and careful preparation.