Solution: read the following!

Once the offer has been accepted

Once the Agreement of Purchase and Sale has been signed, you should bring it to your lawyer as soon as possible. It is a mistake to wait until the last minute to hire a lawyer. It is best to get your contract to the lawyer as soon as possible after it has been signed. This allows the lawyer more time to deal with any problems that may arise in the course of the searches - which in turn can save you money. Always be sure that the contract gets to the lawyer before the date marked "requisition" date in the Agreement.

Once the offer has been accepted, your lawyer should explain to you your obligations under the contract. The lawyer should also advise you as to what expenses you are likely to incur with respect to the closing procedures, including Land Transfer Tax, disbursements and legal fees. If you are buying a New Home from a builder, the lawyer should provide you with an estimate as to how much you should budget for "hidden charges" such as Ontario New Home Warranty Enrollment Fee (in Ontario) , Hydro and Water meter installation charges, Fencing charges. Grading Deposit charges, etc.

If all of the conditions in the Agreement have been met and the Offer is firm, the lawyer proceeds to conduct two types of searches, title and off title. Title searches involve investigating the registered title to the property. Initial off title searches includes utility searches, property tax searches, building, zoning and planning searches. Title Insured searches involve different requirements (more on that later - see Title Insurance)

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