#Home Buying Guide

New side by side half duplex next to a row of townhouses on a tree lined East Vancouver street with mountains behind.

Strata Property Act in Plain English for BC Buyers

BC strata buyers meet the same few Strata Property Act sections before subject removal. Here is what Form B, the bylaws, the rental and age rules, and special levies say.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 15, 2026

Modern Toronto condo lobby with mailboxes and a concierge desk in daylight.

Status Certificate Ontario: What Condo Buyers Get

An Ontario condo corporation has 10 days to deliver a status certificate and can charge at most $100 including taxes. Here is what the package contains, which pages decide the purchase, and why a buyer should never waive the condition.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 13, 2026

Strata manager and council member reviewing a maintenance binder outside a Burnaby condo building with mountains behind.

Strata Management Companies in BC: What They Do and Charge

A strata management company runs your building's money and paperwork, but the council still makes the decisions. Here is how BC licenses them, what they charge and how to judge one.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 12, 2026

Modest older houses with front porches on a small town street in Ontario.

The Cheapest Places to Buy a House in Ontario

The 10 cheapest places to buy a house in Ontario right now, ranked by the median asking price of active listings, from $399,000 in Thunder Bay to $649,999 in Niagara Falls. Active asking prices, not sold prices.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 8, 2026

Buyer reading strata documents outside a low rise condo building in Surrey BC on an overcast evening.

Foreclosed Condo in BC: Strata Arrears and Special Levies

132 condos are listed as BC court-ordered sales. Who pays the former owner's strata fees, which special levy instalments become yours, and what the Form B shows before you bid.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 7, 2026

Old knob and tube wiring on porcelain knobs along basement joists in an older Vancouver house with an electrician inspecting.

Knob and Tube Wiring in Vancouver: Insurance and Removal

More than a third of the detached houses for sale in Vancouver were built before 1951, when knob and tube wiring was standard. Here is how to spot it and deal with it before you buy.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 6, 2026

Aerial view of a GTA suburban subdivision of detached homes with the Toronto skyline in the distance.

Toronto Property Tax vs the GTA: What You Actually Pay

A $1,000,000 assessed home pays $7,228.89 a year in property tax in Markham and $15,753.42 in Oshawa. Here are the 2026 residential rates across the GTA, and why Toronto's low rate still produces a high bill.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 5, 2026

Grey Poly-B water supply pipes under a bathroom sink in an older BC townhouse lit by a flashlight.

Poly-B Plumbing in BC: Spotting It, Insurance and Repiping

About one in four Metro Vancouver listings was built when Poly-B pipe was standard. Here is how to spot it, why BC insurers ask about it, and what to check before you buy.

Hamidreza EtebarianOctober 3, 2026

House keys and a plain envelope on the porch railing of an Ontario brick home in autumn.

Closing Costs in Ontario: $23,701 on a $900,000 Home

A $900,000 Ontario purchase closes with about $23,701 due on top of the price, and about $38,292 inside Toronto. Every line itemised, with the source for each figure and which ones you can avoid.

Hamidreza EtebarianSeptember 28, 2026

View from a furnished Toronto condo living room looking out at nearby condo towers

Toronto Condo Fees: What a Condo Costs Every Month

A Toronto condo's asking price is only half of what it costs. Here is what the maintenance fee pays for, what pushes a building to the top of the fee range, and how property tax and insurance add up to a real monthly number.

Hamidreza EtebarianSeptember 25, 2026

Empty brick detached house with drawn curtains on an Ontario street in late autumn.

Power of Sale in Ontario: How It Works and What Buyers Risk

Ontario power of sale runs on notice periods, not court hearings: 15 days of default, then 35 days after notice. Here is what the Mortgages Act requires, what the lender owes the borrower, and what a buyer takes on.

Hamidreza EtebarianSeptember 23, 2026

Row of brick semi detached houses on a Toronto street in autumn.

Toronto Land Transfer Tax: What Buyers Actually Pay

Buy in the City of Toronto and you pay land transfer tax twice, once to Ontario and once to the city. Here is the bracket math at real Toronto asking prices, plus both first-time buyer rebates.

Hamidreza EtebarianSeptember 18, 2026