Buying
Buying your first home means there's a lot to figure out: mortgages, showings, offers and closing, and every step has its details. Here, common questions are organized in the order of the buying process, from the basics to the finer points, so you can look up whatever you need. Our articles are currently in Chinese, with English versions on the way.
Getting Started
Are you buying to live in or to invest? Are your down payment and mortgage in place? Have you found the right agent? Can you make an offer without getting carried away, or being swayed by what you read online? This article walks through all five, with a 10-question readiness quiz, a rent-versus-buy cost example, a breakdown of monthly carrying costs and advice on an emergency fund.
Getting Started
Condos are convenient but compact, detached homes are private and spacious but cost more, semis are a way into a sought-after neighbourhood, and townhouses suit growing families. This guide covers ownership, costs, maintenance responsibilities, pros and cons and who each of the four main types and a dozen sub-types suits, and shows you how to read the home type field on an MLS listing.
Getting Started
Freehold ownership and electronic registration, mortgages that start only when a new build closes, resale homes as the norm, floor area without shared space, agents and lawyers each handling their part, five-year mortgage renewals, keys on closing day... This article explains, item by item, how buying in Canada differs from buying in China, and what each difference means for you as a buyer.
Buying Guides
From mortgage pre-approval, the down payment and the stress test, to the FHSA, HBP and rebates available to first-time buyers, then showings, making an offer, fulfilling conditions, closing with your lawyer and moving in: one guide to the whole process of buying your first home in Toronto.
Buying Guides
Your credit score directly affects whether you are approved for a mortgage and the rate you get. This article explains how credit scores work in Canada, hard versus soft inquiries, how to check your Equifax and TransUnion reports for free, how to correct errors, and how newcomers and international students can build credit from scratch, with a timeline before applying for a mortgage and common questions.
Buying Guides
Some problems can be fixed with renovation; others come with the house or the location, can't be changed and will affect resale. This guide separates red flags into three groups, the house, the transaction and the location, and covers how to spot them, what to ask the seller, which professionals to bring in, and how they affect your offer and conditions, with a quick-reference table at the end.
Buying Guides
Finding listings is only the first step. Before making an offer, you also need to check sold prices, school catchments, transit, flood and conservation areas, property taxes, floor area, nearby development applications and more. This article sorts the official and third-party tools commonly used in Toronto into 8 groups, explains what each can and can't tell you, and shows how to set up listing alerts and judge whether listing information is reliable.
Buying Guides
Market value, a bank appraisal and the MPAC assessment are three different numbers. This article explains the differences, the three methods appraisers commonly use, ten factors that affect home prices, what to do if the appraisal comes in below the purchase price, and how to find comparable sales yourself.
Buying Guides
"What will it take to buy this home?" is the question buyers ask most. The list price is only a reference; the seller's bottom line only shows once you make a formal offer and negotiate back and forth. This article explains what goes into an offer, how to write conditions, how the deposit works, how to handle multiple offers and how to negotiate a counteroffer.
Buying Guides
Across Toronto, low-density residential lots can now have up to 4 units as of right, up to 6 in some areas, and possibly a garden suite or laneway suite in the backyard. This article explains the current rules, what to check when choosing a lot, whether to buy an existing multiplex or convert one yourself, the building process, rental rules and common misconceptions.
Showings
A front door facing a T-intersection, stairs right at the entrance, where the kitchen and bathrooms sit, power lines nearby... many buyers notice these layouts and surroundings at showings. This article looks at how each one actually affects daily living, natural light, noise and future resale, how to assess them quickly at a showing, and what adjustments you can make after moving in without changing the structure.
Showings
A home inspection helps buyers understand a home's true condition and estimate repair costs before the deal, and a pre-listing inspection can help sellers avoid renegotiation later. This guide covers what inspections can and can't do, choosing between a conditional inspection and a pre-offer inspection, finding an inspector, what to do on inspection day, reading the report, negotiating issues, and how condos and new builds differ.
Showings
"South-facing" isn't always best in Canada: in a detached home, the garage is usually at the front, with the living room, kitchen and primary bedroom at the back. This article explains what orientation really means, how sunlight differs by direction in Toronto in winter and summer, how orientation affects heating and cooling, snow on the driveway and the backyard garden, and how to choose for detached homes, townhouses, semis and condos.
Showings
We aren't home inspectors and can't spot every problem at a showing, but we can rule out homes with obvious issues. This checklist starts with preparing for a showing, then goes through the neighbourhood, exterior, each room, the basement, HVAC, electrical and plumbing, windows and doors, smells and sounds, with a condo section, what to focus on at a second showing and a printable checklist to bring along.
Showings
Most open houses are staged, so everything looks great when you walk in, yet you remember nothing afterwards. Prepare before you go, don't be distracted by the staging, check 10 details in order from outside in, and ask the listing agent a few key questions, and you'll get real insight from every showing.
Condos
Many buyers choose condos based on "leaky building lists" found online, but leaks have many causes and these lists are neither complete nor accurate. This guide covers the common sources of condo leaks, what to check at a showing, what to look for in the status certificate, who is responsible when something goes wrong, what unit insurance to buy, and what to do if you find a leak after you buy.
Condos
The status certificate is the most important document when buying a resale condo. It tells you whether the building is financially healthy, whether there are lawsuits or special assessments, whether fees are likely to rise, and whether the parking spot and locker are yours. This guide explains how to read it section by section, with a list of red flags, a reserve fund example and how to word your offer conditions.
Condos
They may look alike, but in a condo each unit has its own owner and can be bought and sold, while an apartment building is owned by one company and units are only for rent. This article compares ownership, management, costs, repairs and rules, explains what tenants and buyers should each watch for, and how rent increase rules apply in each type of building.
Condos
Condos in different parts of downtown vary widely in lifestyle, noise, commute and building age. This guide covers Yorkville, the university area, around TMU and OCAD, the Financial District, the Entertainment and Fashion Districts, St. Lawrence and the Distillery District, the waterfront and newer developments: location, subway and streetcar, amenities, condo features and what to look for at showings, with steps for choosing an area and common questions.
Condos
PATH is downtown Toronto's network of more than 30 km of pedestrian walkways, connecting over 75 buildings, Union Station and several subway stations. This article explains where PATH reaches, the benefits and trade-offs of living in a PATH-connected condo, and how to confirm before you buy that a building is truly connected.
School Zones
In Ontario, school catchments are drawn by street and address, and school boards adjust boundaries when new schools open or enrolment changes. Before you buy, always check the designated schools with the full address on the school board's website, rather than relying on the listing, ads or what neighbours say. This article covers how to look up each board, boundary changes and full schools, specialty programs, out-of-area applications and a checklist before you sign.
School Zones
Canada has no official school ranking. The Fraser Institute report looks only at provincial test scores in math, reading and writing; it is a useful reference, but not the whole picture. When choosing a school, start with Ontario's four types of school boards and catchment boundaries, then look at how to apply for French Immersion, IB, AP, Gifted and SHSM programs, along with your child's interests and the commute.
Title
Many newcomers ask after buying: "Where is my property certificate?" In Ontario, title is registered electronically and there is no paper certificate. This guide explains Ontario's land registration system, how to look up your own title, the differences between Freehold, Condo, POTL, Leasehold and Co-op, the two ways to hold title jointly, and concepts you'll meet when buying, such as easements, surveys and title insurance.
Title
Criminal groups use forged ID to pose as homeowners and sell or mortgage properties that aren't theirs. Owners who are often out of Canada, whose homes sit empty or who have no mortgage face a higher risk. Buying title insurance, protecting your personal documents, checking your credit report regularly and watching for a few early warning signs can greatly reduce the risk, and if it does happen, you need to know what to do first.
Taxes and Fees
Beyond the down payment, you need to plan for the deposit, land transfer tax, legal fees, title insurance, home inspection, appraisal, insurance and closing adjustments. This article explains each cost in the order you pay it, with a checklist of the cash you need on closing day.
Taxes and Fees
Land transfer tax is a one-time tax the buyer pays on closing. Every part of Ontario pays the provincial tax, and homes within the City of Toronto pay a municipal tax as well. Using an $800,000 home, this article works through three cases, Markham, Toronto and a first-time buyer, and explains the first-time buyer rebates (up to $4,000 provincially and up to $4,475 in Toronto), common misconceptions, when the tax is paid on pre-construction, and how your lawyer handles it on closing.
Taxes and Fees
Ontario property tax = the assessed value (CVA) × the local tax rate. The assessed value is set by MPAC and, in 2026, is still based on market value as of January 1, 2016; tax rates are set by each municipality based on its annual budget. This article works through an example using Toronto's 2026 rates, and explains how to read and pay your tax bill and how to request a review if your assessment seems wrong.
Taxes and Fees
If you own a home in the City of Toronto, whether you live in it, rent it out or leave it empty, you must declare its occupancy status for the previous year every year. The Vacant Home Tax is 3% of the assessed value, and a home that isn't declared on time is deemed vacant. The deadline to declare 2025 status is April 30, 2026. This article explains what counts as occupied, the exemptions, how to declare and what to prepare if you're audited.
Policies
The federal foreign buyer ban is currently set to expire on January 1, 2027. Non-citizens and non-permanent residents generally cannot buy residential properties of up to three units in census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, but there are exceptions, such as eligible work permit holders, international students, refugees, and purchases with a spouse who is a citizen or PR. In Ontario, you also need to consider the province-wide 25% Non-Resident Speculation Tax (NRST). Includes a status self-check, common misconceptions and a comparison with the NRST.