Kitchener Real Estate Tag

SELLING REAL ESTATE PROPERTY: A SIMPLE CHECKLIST TO PREPARE FOR CLOSING

Please note all information shared herein is general information and not legal advice for which a lawyer must be retained. For more information about buying, selling or refinancing real estate in Kitchener-Waterloo or beyond, give us a call. 

Although buying a real estate property, in Kitchener, Waterloo or Cambridge regions or beyond involves multiple steps, selling your real estate also requires you to be involved and organized to ensure that your lawyer has all the requisite information to complete the transaction.

If you decide to retain VRS Law to act on your behalf on the sale of your property, here is an example of what we may seek to obtain from you immediately in order to ensure a smooth closing:

☐ 1. Fax or e-mail

If you or your real estate representative has not already done so, we will need you to fax or email us a copy of the offer or the agreement of purchase and sale.

Please also email us all of your contact information including all cell phone numbers and all email addresses.

☐ 2. Mortgage pay-out statement

As part of the closing process, it is our job to ensure that we obtain an up to date pay-out statement from your bank or mortgage company so that we may pay-out your mortgage from the sale proceeds and discharge the mortgage from the title of your home, which is currently registered as a lien.

Accordingly, to ensure that we have accurate information such as an account number or a mortgage loan number when we write to your bank for a discharge statement, we will need you to fax or email us a copy of your most recent mortgage statement for references purposes. (If you cannot find one, just provide us with a contact name and phone number of your banker).

☐ 3. Property tax bill

We also need to adjust for your property taxes, especially if you have prepaid your taxes for the year or if you have paid taxes for a time period past the closing date.

Accordingly, please fax us or email your most recent property tax bill.

NOTE: If you are currently on a pre-authorized payment plan with the City whereby they automatically debit your bank account for your tax installments, monthly or otherwise, you will need to cancel this at the appropriate time to avoid any additional charges.

☐ 4. Condo fees

If the property you are selling is a condominium unit, we will also be adjusting for your monthly common expense payment with the buyers.

However, as in the case of property taxes, if you have arranged to pay your maintenance fees on a pre-authorized payment basis, you will need to cancel this immediately. (In case you have given post-dated cheques to the Management Office, you will need to get these cheques back).

☐ 5. Contact utilities

You will need to contact the utility companies, such as hydro, water and gas departments to give them your forwarding address so that they may send you the final bill after the meter reading on the closing date.

☐ 6. Appointment to see us

Our office will be setting up an appointment with you – usually a few days before the closing date in order to attend at our office to review and sign all closing documents.

It is important to note that all those who are currently on the title to the home must come in to sign.

Furthermore, if only one of the spouses is the owner and both spouses reside in this property, then the non-owner spouse must also come into our office to sign.

Finally, if one or all of the owners are not present to sign these documents and an individual under a Power of Attorney will be attending our office for signing, please provide us with the original copy of this Power of Attorney along with the contact information of the Attorney. For more information on this issue, please contact us.

☐ 7. Meeting before closing

It is typical for us to meet 1-2 days before the actual closing date.

Please remember to bring one (1) set of keys to the property with you to the meeting to leave with us so that we may, in turn, forward it to the buyer’s lawyer on closing.

Also, you will also need to bring two (2) pieces of identification.

☐ 8. Pick up funds

Once we have received the closing funds from the buyer’s lawyer on the closing day, we will electronically message the deed to the property to the other lawyer. It is only when he or she has registered this deed in the buyer’s name can we then consider this transaction as having closed.

And once the deal has closed, we will notify you immediately so that you may attend at our office to pick up the balance of the closing funds, which will be in the form of a certified cheque or a bank draft.

You may provide us with a VOID cheque from a major financial institution so we can directly deposit the funds to you after closing is complete. This usually takes place the day of closing or the morning of the following business day.

Should you have questions, VRS Law is here to help.

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Tips on Choosing a Real Estate Lawyer

It is no doubt that a real estate lawyer plays a key role in your transaction.

Broadly speaking, in a purchase transaction, your real estate lawyer will conduct the necessary searches of title, order insurance policies, work with your mortgage lender, correspond with the other side and attend to registration of your transaction.

In a sale transaction, the real estate lawyer will work with your existing lender to discharge mortgages and any other liens, draft statement of adjustments for the buyer’s lawyer and distribute the remaining proceeds including realtor’s commissions etc.

In a mortgage refinance transaction, a real estate lawyer will conduct the necessary searches, the new mortgage as well as discharge the previous, and advance any remaining funds as instructed.

Whether you are buying, selling or refinancing your property, deciding which real estate law firm you wish to work with is an important step.

Here are some tips on choosing the law firm you wish to work with:

1. Real Estate Focused: real estate law should be a key focus of their practice. You may not want one that dabbles into the area or has a busy litigation practice that requires them in court. You may find that this could impact the quality of service you receive.

–> Our office is highly focused on real estate – has been so for 7 years. 

2. Lawyer Involvement: Have you had any contact with the person you have hired? Having this contact will not only put you at ease but it will be an indication as to who you have access to for questions and advice from start to finish – especially if certain challenges arise. A high volume real estate firm may have various legal administrators or law clerks which may help but your transaction should be closely reviewed and attended to by one person in particular – the lawyer. After all, that is who you are paying.

–> Call us for any questions and concerns. While our law clerk will offer help when needed on routine or administrative matters, legal matters, questions and concerns are attended to by the lawyer. Not only that, you will be in touch with both the lawyer and the staff. 

3. Experienced: your real estate lawyer should have several hundred or better yet, thousands of transactions and several years of experience under their belt. This means that the lawyer will have pretty much seen it all and can provide the right guidance and advice during the course of your transaction.

–> We have helped thousands of clients with their purchase, sale or refinance transactions. 

4. Break down of Fees: unless you have been working with a lawyer with whom you have an established history and trust, it may be best to ask the question: what is this going to cost? Most people like to know up-front what their costs will be and would like to aim that such costs are kept as precise as possible. In other words, you want to avoid surprises. For the most part, legal fees (including disbursement costs) in a residential real estate transaction can be advised in advance of a law firm being retained. Try to find out ahead of time what the numbers are going to look like by asking for an estimate or a break-down of fees so you can budget.

–> Just as we like to know what we pay for in advance and within reason, we provide the same treatment to our clients. 

5. Good standing: The lawyer you choose should be in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.

–> We are in good standing. 

Please contact our law office for any questions in relation to real estate in and around the Kitchener-Waterloo region. We look forward to helping you, please contact us if you have any question.

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Condominum Law: Some tips and tricks for your real estate purchase

 

Condominium Law: Buying real estate in Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding regions

It is interesting to see how many people tend to gravitate towards purchasing a condominium as opposed to a semi-detached or detached home. Whether you have just started shopping for real estate or have already signed an Agreement of Purchase and Sale, one thing is for sure: as a potential buyer, it is a good idea to understand what it is that you are buying, especially when it comes to buying into something like the condominium, knowing condominimum law it very important.

It is no surprise that condominiums are a popular choice for those looking to get into the real estate market. This could be due to a variety of factors such as affordability (thanks to the sky-rocketing real estate prices over the last few years), availability or simply being able to ditch your shovel and lawnmower by having a property management company handle the exterior maintenance of the property. In our real estate law practice, we often close transactions involving condominiums and deal with buyers from all walks of life. However, many people buying a condominium for the first time do not know what is generally involved and what the key attributes of this form of ownership are. As a result, we share some tidbits:

Source of Condominium Law:

It is the Condominium Act, 1998 which governs condominium corporations and under which we find details with respect to how to create a condominium, the structure involved, the rules and regulations, the requirements with respect to owners, tenants, management and many other facets. The main documents that govern the condominium are the declaration and description, the by-laws, and the rules.

In a sense, when you are buying a condominium, you are buying a form of legal ownership in your unit along with an undivided interest in the common elements. This means that typically, the portion of your unit entitles you to exclusive use and ownership. This use is limited within the boundaries of this unit. Your condominium also comprises of areas known as common elements which may include lobby areas, garage for parking, facilities shared between the unit owners such as a gym, party room and the like. These areas may be said to be owned in a communal manner for use of all of the unit owners.

Boundaries and Common Expenses

You may wonder exactly what you own within the condominium complex. To find that out, one must reference the declaration and relevant condominium documents to know the boundaries of their units and the areas that make up the common elements. The declaration will also tell you the percentage of maintenance fees or common expenses that each unit owner is responsible for. It is important to note that in many condominiums, a unit owner will pay for his or her pro- rated share of the expenses paid to maintain the common elements. This could include things like paying for maintenance, development, security, insurance, etc. Although it may sound obvious but generally, the more amenities a condominium has, the more likely it is to have higher common expenses. Typically, a high-rise will have many common element areas whereas a townhouse complex is likely to have less. The real estate scene in Kitchener-Waterloo appears to have many condominiums set up as townhouses and less high-rise buildings which are more commonly seen in and around Toronto. However, as we can see with the development projects that have started as well as those that are in the pipeline, the local skyline is set to adjust even more.

Some condominiums may have parking, storage and lockers set up as separate units just like the physical space in which the buyer is going to own. However, in other condominiums, these areas may be designated as exclusive use for the by virtue of the buyer’s ownership of the unit.

There are multiple types of condominiums that one may come across. You may have a common elements condominium, vacant land condominiums, standard condominiums, phased condominiums etc. They all derive their authority from the Condominium Act, 1998.

Who runs this operation?

Typically, a Board of Directors is elected which makes decisions related to operations as well as money management. The Board may hire a management company to see the day-to-day operations. Some smaller condominiums may not employ a property manager due to budgetary constraints and choose to be more hands on.

The Board also plays a role in ensuring compliance of the rules and regulations in a condominium with the underlying idea being that through collective endeavour, all owners contribute to a good overall standard. The rules and regulations should be reviewed to ensure that you are comfortable with them and to identify any lifestyle concerns.

What is a Status Certificate?

Imagine you were buying shares of a company (publicly listed or private), would you want to know its’ financial merits and ensure it is not involved in any legal trouble? If the answer is yes, one may want to consider making an offer conditional to review of a status certificate by a lawyer for 3-5 days from receipt by the buyer. Either party (buyer or seller – usually with the help of the property manager or their respective real estate agent) can order the status certificate.

In a nutshell, it provides a snapshot of the legal and financial health of the Condominium Corporation. It is often a very large document consisting of multiple components some of which have been mentioned above. It will tell us whether the condominium is facing major financial challenges (i.e. have there been any special assessments imposed recently on top of the current common expenses – which means more money out of your pocket as the potential buyer). It will also disclose if there are any lawsuits that have been filed or any other litigation that the condominium is involved in and whether there is adequate insurance in place.

Further, it will also show details with respect to what kind of money is available for major repairs and replacements. If the condominium you’re buying into is dipping into the negative, it may lead to concerns for the possibility of higher common expenses. This is where the reserve fund study comes in which provides an indication from another professional (engineers) on the likelihood of major repairs. It’s a pretty good idea to let a lawyer look at this before you sign off on the dotted line.

Conclusion

All in all, becoming a homeowner (whether owning a condominium or a house) is major step. It is a good idea to know what it is that you’re buying and have an understanding of what is involved. Be sure to consult a professional to guide you every step of the way. For further questions about your real estate transaction, contact a Kitchener-Waterloo real estate lawyer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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