Agent Blogs

First  Prev   1  2   Next  Last
Feb 13
2013

THE CASE OF THE MISSING AIR CONDITIONER

Blog posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (2485)
Clients of mine recently purchased a property, only to discover on closing that the air conditioner had been removed right before closing. They now find themselves in the midst of a small claims court action for damages for the loss of the value of the unit... [ more ]
Nov 14
2012

Buying a House (with your parents)

Blog posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (3833)
Back in “the day” when a young person buying a home needed some help from his/her parents to get their first mortgage, the parents would act as “guarantors” of the mortgage.  This obviously came with risk to the parents, but more often... [ more ]
Jun 13
2012

Seller Property Information Sheet (SPIS) – Just Don’t Go There!

Blog posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (17733)
Here is a copy of a blog posted on Barriston LLP's web site: http://www.barristonlaw.com/blog/ written by David Lucenti, Associate.  Thansk David! A couple of weeks ago, a client came in to see me regarding the sale of her home.  She... [ more ]
Oct 31
2011

Barriston LLP Announcement

Blog posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (13674)
Barriston LLP, Emerges As Simcoe County's Largest Full Service Law Firm Effective, October 1, 2011, Burgar Rowe Professional Corporation and Purser Dooley Cockburn Smith LLP, two of the most respected law firms in the region have merged and rebranded to become... [ more ]
Oct 31
2011

Condominiums & Status Certificates

Blog posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (10967)  ::  (2 comments)
If you are considering purchasing a condominium, you will no doubt have heard about status certificates. These are documents which are provided by the condominium corporation you are buying into, which outline a number of things about the condo and the building.... [ more ]
Aug 23
2011

What is Land Transfer Tax and how much will it be?

Expert Question posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (7183)
The land transfer tax you pay will depend upon the price of your home.   Here is a great link to do the calculation.  Just enter in the purchase price of your home and it will calculate your land transfer tax.  www.landtransfertaxcalculator.ca ... [ more ]
Apr 27
2011

How much do you charge and what would the land transfer fees be on a $320,000 house. I have a client moving in July so I will refer but he wants to know the charge. Will be selling in Barrie and buying in Springwater. Thanks Judy

Expert Question posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (9361)
Hi Judy:  Thanks for your questions and for thinking of me!  Land transfer tax would be $3275.00.  Our fee on a purchase with a mortgage is $900 plus HST and the usual disbursements.  We usually tell clients to budget about $1600 plus the land... [ more ]
Nov 8
2010

What Your Lawyer Does on a Real Estate Purchase

Blog posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (19552)
So what does the lawyer do anyway?  Well, here's a brief list of a few things your lawyer's office is working on behind the scenes, to make your deal close smoothly!  First, we sometimes get contacted by your agent to assist in drafting the Offer, if there... [ more ]
Jul 1
2010

Can I ask a Realtor what the previous home sales were and the amounts they sold for, before I consider an offer?

Expert Question posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (7352)
Hmmm...this is more of a question for a realtor than a lawyer I think...I am fairly sure they can access the last transaction so I believe they can tell you what the Vendors purchased the home for.  I am not sure if they can go back further than that.  If... [ more ]
Jun 21
2010

what would be the separate schools (both elementary level & high school) for this property on 49 Ridgeway Ave ? thanks

Expert Question posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (7236)
Sorry, I do not know the answer to this, however, I believe the school boards have a web site which allows you to do a search by address, to determine what school area you are in.  Try googling the Simcoe County Catholic School Board to find the site! ... [ more ]
May 15
2010

Hi Joanne, Yes I am another McPhail :) Here's my question, hope you can help. I currently own 2 properties as joint title with my wife. (home and cottage) We are currently going through separation and will be listing both properties. We would like to avoid further loss from the capital gains hit on the cottage. If we changed the title to individual on each of the properties and documented that in the separation agreement, then when we sold the properties we would each be showing a principal residence. Could we then avoid the capital gain on the cottage ? Thank you Mark McPhail Barrie

Expert Question posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (7212)
Hi Mark!  Unfortunately, I think this is more of a question for your accountant.  You will want to be very careful about doing anything until you have obtained tax advice, and also have a separation agreement, so that everyone is clear on tax and... [ more ]
May 11
2010

Why is HST added to a condo status certificate when the Act says that the fee includes all applicable taxes?

Expert Question posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (7145)
Actually, you are correct, in that Ont. Reg 48/01 does stipulate in section 18(2) that a status certificate cost shall not exceed $100.00, inclusive of all applicable taxes.  However, in my experience, most condo corps have been charging $100 plus GST. ... [ more ]
Mar 29
2010

HST and Resale Real Estate

Blog posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (13742)  ::  (2 comments)
Many potential home buyers and sellers have been worried about the implications of the HST which kicks in as of July 1, 2010. In fact, no HST will be applicable on the purchase price of a resale home. Some ancillary services, however, will be subject to the new tax.... [ more ]
Mar 27
2010

What are your legal fees and what is included in the fees when one is purchasing a first time home?

Expert Question posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (6627)
Thanks for asking!  Our fee for a purchase with one mortgage  is $900.00 plus GST.  Then there are "disbursements" on top of that - these are out-of-pocket expenses incurred by us in order to complete your purchase (like registration fees,... [ more ]
Feb 16
2010

I have been advised to make my offer conditional upon the approval of my lawyer. Is this necessary? If so, what is the fee for this service and how long would it take for you to approve/disapprove from the time I submit it into your office?

Expert Question posted by Joanne McPhail  ::  Views (6650)
Sorry this has taken me so long - I was away on vacation last week!  You may have already proceeded, but yes, it is typical to make an offer conditional upon solicitor's approval - I can usually review and comment on an offer within 1 business day but it's nice... [ more ]
First  Prev   1  2   Next  Last
DISCLAIMER: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy and integrity of information on our website, the opinions and advice published here are provided by outside individuals, and in no way reflect the opinions or legal position of the company, and are not intended to replace sound professional or legal advice. The company, website owners, developers, sellers or resellers will in no way be held accountable or liable for advice or opinions published here by outside parties (experts or consumers).