Real Estate Law
HST New Housing Rebate – What New Home Buyers Should Know
In Ontario, the sale of newly built homes is subject to GST/HST. This means that anyone in Ontario who purchases a new home from a builder is required to pay HST/GST on their purchase. The GST/HST New Housing Rebate (the...
HST New Housing Rebate – What New Home Builders Should Know
Most agreements of purchase and sale for newly built homes in Ontario are premised on buyers qualifying for the HST New Housing Rebate and assigning it to the builder. In exchange, the builder credits the buyer with the amount of...
Drugs, Murder and Nudists – What Must be Disclosed During a Real Estate Sale in Ontario?
When purchasing a home, most buyers want the confidence that the home they are buying is in good shape and that the neighbourhood they are moving into lives up to their expectations. With the help of real estate agents, a...
Criminal Asset Forfeiture: Can you lose your home if you paid for it using illegitimate money?
How does the law in Canada view the real estate of criminals? Once found guilty, can criminals lose their home or other assets if they are purchased using money from a crime? According to the Criminal Code of Canada, the...
Airbnb and Landlords in Ontario
With the growing popularity of Airbnb in Ontario, many landlords have made the decision that they would rather use their units as Airbnb rentals rather than trying to find long term tenants. Since traditional tenant agreements are no longer the...
After the Flood: What to do When Dealing with Flood Damages
As Ottawa grapples with the long-term impacts of climate change and extreme weather events, property owners living on or near a floodplain will need advice on what to do and where to turn to for support. This blog does not...
Super Priorities and Unpaid Taxes in Canada
Super Priorities and Unpaid Taxes in Canada “Tax legislation equips the government with very powerful tools to ensure that taxes are properly paid. One of those tools is the deemed trust… In this action, the Crown seeks to recover money that [TD Bank] received from one of its...
Cancelling a Real Estate Offer in Ontario
You may have seen the phrase "this offer shall be irrevocable by" on your Agreement of Purchase and Sale during a real estate transaction in Ontario. This phrase usually contains a specific date and time and states "after which time,...
Federal Budget 2019: Possible incentives for first time homebuyers
Real estate professionals at Merovitz Potechin LLP are considering the impact of possible incentives for first time homebuyers recently announced by Federal Finance Minister, Bill Morneau, in Federal Budget 2019. The marquee announcement is the creation of a shared equity...
Mortgage Approval Basics in Ontario
Applying for a mortgage in Ontario involves a variety of steps that can often come as a surprise to those that are purchasing their first home. The mortgage approval process can seem lengthy or complicated if new buyers have not...
