Buying a home – whether you’re a first time home buyer or an experienced one – should be an exciting and memorable occasion. Now that you’ve found the perfect house, condo, or vacation property, it’s time to close the deal. With Rabideau Law on your side, you can be assured that the closing process will be stress-free and handled with the highest degree of professional care.

With an office in downtown Kitchener, flexible meeting times, and remote signings for Real Estate deals, we are dedicated to providing professional services when and where it is most convenient for you.

What are the responsibilities of a residential real estate lawyer?

From start to finish, Rabideau Law works closely with you to ensure the process of buying a home is handled professionally, with your best interests in mind. Our services include:

  • Advising the purchaser on matters pertaining to their mortgage, the property, and the legal process.
  • Coordinating the exchange of documents between the real estate agents, mortgage broker and bank.
  • Corresponding with the cooperating lawyer representing the seller.
  • Searching for liens, mortgages, easements and other clouds on title.
  • Verifying the absence of any writs against the home purchaser or seller.
  • Ensuring the removal of any liens or writs registered against the property or seller.
  • Obtaining title insurance to protect you and the mortgage lender.
  • Registering the transfer of title and the mortgage with the provincial government.
  • Informing the municipality of the transfer of title.
  • Remitting the land transfer tax to the provincial government.
  • Providing you with your keys on the day of closing.
  • Protecting your interests in the event of misrepresentation on the part of the seller.

What are the legal costs to buying a home?

Rabideau Law is pleased to offer home buyers, fixed fee legal representation, giving you the peace of mind of knowing up-front the total cost of our services. Our rates are highly competitive, so be sure to visit our residential real estate page or contact our office for more information

*for certain unique circumstances, additional fees may apply. Please refer to our associated costs schedule for more information.

Are there any additional costs to buying a home that I should be aware of?

When financing the purchase of a home with a mortgage, the lender will require Title Insurance, which we purchase on your behalf. The cost of title insurance will depend on the amount of the mortgage. For mortgages ranging from $200,000 to $500,000, the cost of title insurance is included in the fee. For additional title insurance, please contact our office.

Each purchase in Ontario incurs a provincial land transfer tax. The amount of the tax is dependent on the cost of the home, generally ranging between 1% and 2% of the purchase price. First time home buyers are also eligible to receive a rebate of up to $4000 against the cost of this tax.

I’m ready to get started – what’s my next step?

To get started, contact our office today to discuss your needs with one of our residential real estate law specialists.

For residential real estate law services in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and surrounding areas, please call 519-957-1001 or email info@rabideaulaw.ca.