In this article, the author will be discussing what happens if you change your mind after signing an offer or purchase agreement.

Generally, the deposit a buyer puts down in respect of an agreement of purchase and sale is only released by the listing brokerage in very limited circumstances.

This article covers various standard terms in the agreement of purchase and sale of property relating to parties, property, purchase price, deposit, schedules, fixtures and chattels, rental items, dates/searches & requisition date, conditions, agreement in writing, and execution and acknowledgment.

This article discusses some scenarios applicable to compensation for the services of Realtors.

At any time before a buyer can make an offer to purchaser property, they must sign a “Buyer Representation Agreement” with the brokerage. This article discusses the implications of the agreement and obligations.

So what are the legal obligations of Realtors? In a nutshell, they include professional, ethical, fiduciary and contractual obligations, each of which will be briefly discussed in turn.

As an Ontario homeowner wishing to sell your property, you will likely ask your Realtor to list it (among other things). Much of the discussion of listing the property revolves around the appropriate listing price. Here, the Realtor will generally conduct a comparative market analysis. He or she will look up comparable homes in the nearby neighborhood that sold recently. The article discusses some of the listing agreements and processes involved with selling a property.

A Realtor is initially engaged by a buyer to help find the right type of home at the right price. The Realtor will advise on the comparative market value of the home and discuss negotiation strategy, the responsibilities of the buyer, and various standard and non-standard terms and conditions in the agreement.

As a homeowner, the thought of being a victim of real estate fraud is scary. While uncommon, identity fraud exists and should be guarded against. A fraudster, for example, can impersonate the registered owner of real property and transfer the property to him, herself or a third party. Moreover, a fraudster could acquire a mortgage fraudulently through false information or identification and then run away with the money. This could happen repeatedly with the same property before being discovered.

Organized real estate in Ontario is made up of: brokerages, brokers, salespersons, the designated government authority, and federal, provincial and local real estate associations and boards. Each so called “actor” will be examined in turn.

Social media is helping to democratize the law by improving access to lawyers and legal services while giving the public more information about the law which they have been craving.

As a follow up to my previous articles about the Agreement of Purchase and Sale, in this article, I’ll be discussing the execution and acknowledgment section of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.

In this article, I’ll be talking about inspection rights, price adjustments, and the Ontario Family Law Act.

As a follow up to my previous article about Agreements of Purchase and Sale (for residential properties) which dealt with the Information Section, Price, Deposit, Irrevocability Clause, and Completion Clause, I will continue with discussion highlighting certain parts of OREA’s standard form. In this article, I’ll be talking about chattels and fixtures, rental items, and title search.

This is the first of a series of articles about Agreements of Purchase and Sale in Ontario.

Following up on my recent articles about Ontario limited partnerships, what they’re all about, how a limited partner can lose their limited partner status, how a limited partnership is not a separate legal person, and securities laws compliance, this article discusses certain tax considerations for limited partnerships.

Real estate fraud in Ontario generally includes “mortgage fraud” (e.g. fraudsters acquire a mortgage fraudulently through false information or identification and run away with the money, leaving the true home owners with a significant liability) and “title fraud” (e.g. fraudsters use stolen identity or forged documents to transfer a registered owner’s title to him or herself without the owner’s knowledge).

Organized real estate in Ontario is made up of: brokerages, brokers, salespersons, the designated government authority, and federal, provincial and local real estate associations and boards. Each will be examined in turn in part 14 of the Real Estate article series from Dynamic Lawyers Ltd.

The following article relates to two previous articles that discussed limited partnerships in Ontario. This article focuses on addressing the following question: "is a limited partnership a separate legal entity from its partners?"

The following article discusses how limited partners can lose their liability status for Ontario limited partnerships. You should check out your province’s own legislation dealing with limited partnerships and the case law that interprets that legislation. Also, be sure to get a lawyer to update you on any new legislation or cases that impact limited partnerships.

A limited partnership is a partnership governed by statute and any governing documents agreed to between the parties (e.g. limited partnership agreement). We begin our analysis with the Ontario Limited Partnerships Act. Section 3(1) of that Act states that a limited partnership must consist of at least one person who is a GENERAL partner and one person who is a LIMITED partner.

Information relating to partnership agreement templates and general partnership agreements in Ontario, Canada.

Defaulting on your mortgage...dreaded topic if you're going through it...but important to know if you're unaware or considering it...