Buyer Toolkit & Reference
工具与知识库：清单、术语、市场参考、综合科普。 Checklists, glossaries, market references, misc knowledge base.
Possession Date vs Closing Date in Ontario: When Do You Actually Get the Keys?
An Ontario guide to possession vs closing: OREA Form 100 uses "Completion Date" (done by 6pm, title transfers and money changes hands), keys usually come that afternoon once registration completes, "vacant possession" is the default seller promise, buying a tenanted home doesn't mean keys (it's RTA/LTB), and pre-construction condos have interim occupancy plus an occupancy fee that isn't credited to the price. Sources: OREA / Tarion / SorbaraLaw (2026).
Modular & Prefab Homes in Ontario: CSA A277 vs Mobile Homes, Financing, and Resale Value
An Ontario guide to modular and prefab homes: modular (CSA A277, built to the Ontario Building Code) vs mobile/manufactured (CSA Z240), how a permanent foundation decides a normal mortgage vs a chattel loan, CMHC Prefab Plus, the three conditions for Tarion warranty, land-lease community risk, and why a true modular home appreciates like a conventional house. Sources: Ontario.ca / CSA / CMHC / Tarion (2026).
Latent vs Patent Defects: What Ontario Sellers Must Disclose and What “Buyer Beware” Really Means
An Ontario guide to defect disclosure: patent (visible) vs latent (hidden) defects, the caveat emptor "buyer beware" default, when a seller must disclose a latent defect (known + dangerous/uninhabitable), the consequences of concealment and fraud, why the SPIS is a double-edged sword, and how an agent's TRESA "material facts" duty differs from the seller's. Sources: RECO / Ontario case law (2026).
Buying a Cottage in Ontario: Financing, Well & Septic, Water Access, and the Capital-Gains Trap
A GTA buyer's guide to Ontario cottages: Type A (four-season) 5% down vs Type B (seasonal) 10% down, why CMHC usually won't insure a seasonal cottage, well & septic due diligence under Building Code Part 8, the 66-foot Shore Road Allowance you may not own, restricted flood insurance, and the one-property-per-year capital-gains trap. Sources: CRA, CMHC, Ontario.ca (2026).
Buying an Older Toronto House with a Mutual (Shared) Driveway: Ownership, Maintenance, and Disputes, Sorted
What a mutual driveway really is in older Toronto neighbourhoods, how it differs from a registered easement or right-of-way, how to confirm it on title (S/T and T/W), maintenance and dispute rules, and the real risk when there's no registered easement. Buyer due-diligence checklist. Source: Protect Your Boundaries / Ontario real estate lawyers.
New Build vs. Resale in the GTA: Price, Warranty, Risk and Carrying Costs Compared
New build (builder / pre-construction) vs. resale home in the GTA: a full comparison of deposit structure, HST and the New Housing Rebate (plus the federal first-time buyer GST rebate under Bill C-4), Tarion 1/2/7-year warranty, closing costs and delivery risk — with a buyer-by-buyer decision framework. Source: Tarion / CRA / Ontario.
When an Ontario Deal Fails to Close: Buyer and Seller Default, and the Remedies
What happens when a firm Ontario deal fails to close: buyer default (financing, appraisal gap, cold feet) and seller default (won't close, no clear title), plus remedies. Deposit forfeiture isn't automatic — it needs a mutual release or court order; sellers can sue for the shortfall (Azzarello v. Shawqi, 2019 ONCA 820). Education, not legal advice.
The Requisition Period: The Invisible Step That Actually Protects You When Buying in Ontario
Ontario's requisition (title search) period explained: what the OREA Agreement's Requisition Date means, what the buyer's lawyer searches, how a requisition letter clears title defects, and how title insurance protects you before closing.
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