Question 1

How much do I need for a down payment?

Accepted Answer

In Canada the minimum is tiered: 5% on the first $500,000, 10% on the portion between $500,000 and $1.5M, and 20% on anything above $1.5M. Below 20% you also carry CMHC default insurance, which is added to the mortgage rather than paid upfront. The calculator on this page works all of that out for you.

Question 2

What is the HST rebate on a new home actually worth?

Accepted Answer

Ontario and the federal government expanded it: the full 13% HST comes back, capped at $130,000, on homes valued up to $1.5M, then slides down to a $24,000 floor between $1.5M and $1.85M. Construction has to be substantially complete by December 31, 2031. There is a separate first-time buyer version that runs to 2036 but stops at $1.5M. Every pre-construction card on this site is flagged automatically based on its price and completion date.

Question 3

What will land transfer tax cost me in Toronto?

Accepted Answer

Toronto is the one city in Ontario where you pay it twice, provincial and municipal, so budget for roughly double what you would pay elsewhere in the GTA. First-time buyers get up to $4,000 back provincially and up to $4,475 back from the city, a combined $8,475. To qualify you must be a citizen or permanent resident, have never owned a home anywhere in the world, and move in within nine months of closing.

Question 4

As a buyer, do I pay you directly?

Accepted Answer

In most resale transactions the seller's side covers both agents, so buying with me usually costs you nothing out of pocket. Under Ontario's TRESA rules the amount is written into the buyer representation agreement before we start, so you see it in writing rather than finding out at closing. If a listing offers less than the agreed amount, I tell you before we write an offer.

Question 5

How does buying pre-construction actually work?

Accepted Answer

You put down a deposit in instalments, usually 15% to 20% spread over the first year or two, and there is a ten-day cooling-off period on new condos in Ontario where you can walk away. Then you wait. Interim occupancy comes first, when you can move in and pay a monthly fee to the builder, and final closing comes later when the building registers and your mortgage starts. The gap between the two is the part most people are not warned about.

Question 6

How long does it take to sell?

Accepted Answer

It depends far more on pricing than on marketing. A home priced to the current comparables typically transacts inside a few weeks; one priced to last year's market can sit for months and then sell for less than it would have at the start. I would rather show you honest comparables up front than win the listing with an optimistic number.

Question 7

Which areas do you cover?

Accepted Answer

Toronto and the wider GTA, with recent transactions in Bedford Park, Humber Heights, Vaughan, Milton and Mississauga. If a property sits outside where I can genuinely add value, I will tell you and point you to someone who knows that pocket better.

Question 8

Do you work in Portuguese?

Accepted Answer

Yes, English and Portuguese, and this entire site switches between the two. If you are new to Canada, the parts worth understanding early are how deposits and financing conditions work here and what closing costs land on top of the purchase price.

Kyle Aguilera Pacheco