Purchases
Once your offer is firm, the legal work starts and runs quietly in the background until closing day. Here is what happens, what it costs, and what we need from you.
What we do
Eight steps, most of which you never have to think about.
Buying a Home
Before You Buy
A smooth closing begins long before closing day. Understanding these three parts of your purchase from the outset will help you make informed decisions, plan with confidence and protect your position.
Your deposit goes to the listing brokerage when the offer is accepted. The rest of your down payment comes to us before closing, and the two are accounted for separately on the statement of adjustments and our Trust Ledger.
Land transfer tax is paid when ownership is transferred and cannot be added to your mortgage. It must be budgeted for separately from your down payment and other closing costs.
If your down payment or closing funds are held in an RRSP, FHSA, TFSA or investment account, arrange to move them well before closing. Selling investments, processing withdrawals and transferring money into your chequing account can take several business days and may be subject to bank holds. Confirm your financial institution’s timelines early so your funds are available when required.
Common questions
As soon as your offer is firm, and ideally before you waive conditions. We would rather flag a title or condo problem while you still have an exit than the week of closing.
The signed Agreement of Purchase and Sale with all schedules, your lender or broker’s contact details, and two pieces of government ID. We ask for documents through a secure link after we screen the file for conflicts.
No office visit is required for most purchases. Signing happens on a video call with your lawyer. In-person can be arranged in advance if you prefer, or if a step requires it.
We quote in writing before you commit, broken into legal fee, disbursements, land transfer tax and title insurance. You can also run an estimate yourself with our closing costs calculator.
