My guides
The questions I get asked most, in plain English, sorted by whether you're buying, selling, or renting.
For buyers
- The FHSA – the $40K account most first-time buyers underuseYou deduct what you put in and pay no tax coming out. There's also a clock most people don't know is running.
- The RRSP Home Buyers' Plan after the $60K bumpYou can pull $60,000 per buyer from your RRSP. Whether you should is a different question.
- Ontario and Toronto land transfer tax rebates – how to actually claim themUp to $8,475 back on closing, as long as you qualify and your lawyer files it right.
- The 2026 GST rebate on new builds – who it does (and doesn't) helpUp to $50,000 off a new build for first-time buyers. It's law now, and it has some catches.
- How much you actually need down (and the 5/10/15/20 jumps)Mortgage insurance is priced in cliffs, not a slope. The jump from 19% to 20% down is the big one.
- Offer conditions – which to keep and which to dropFinancing, inspection, status certificate. What each one protects, and what dropping it really costs.
- When to walk away – even after offer nightThe exits worth taking, written down before you fall in love with the place.
- The anatomy of a GTA bidding warList low, hold offers, count how many register. That's offer night from the inside.
For sellers
- Pricing strategy in a buyer's marketIn a slow market your list price decides who even sees the listing. Every day it sits is working against you.
- Listing prep that actually pays offPaint earns its money back, a new kitchen usually doesn't. And the first photo matters more than any renovation.
- Capital gains and the principal-residence exemptionThe exemption is generous, but it isn't automatic. You have to report the sale, and the exceptions can bite.
For renters
- What landlords actually look for – and what they're allowed toIt's more than a credit check. Landlords weigh income and references too, and Ontario law is strict about what they can ask.
- The rental application pack – ready before the showingOne PDF, ready before you view. When applications tie, the fast and complete one wins.
- Lease red flags – what's void, what's binding, what's negotiableNo-pets clauses are void and damage deposits are illegal. But some clauses people skip right past are completely binding.
If there's something you want covered in plain English, tell me. What people ask for is how I decide what to write next.