Resources · Payotte

Resources — all of Payotte beyond the directory

In brief

Beyond our expert listings, Payotte publishes practical guides — verify a licence, choose a broker, estimate your closing costs, understand first-time buyer programs — and studies on the Canadian real-estate market. Everything is free, ad-free, and backed by official sources, to help you decide with confidence. Here is the full library.

Buying and selling

30 articles

Glossary: 45 terms without the jargon Stress test, benchmark price, latent defect, discharge… real-estate vocabulary in plain language, each term linked to the dossier that goes deeper.
Choosing a real-estate broker The criteria that separate a good broker from an average one — beyond the licence and the commission.
Choosing a mortgage broker Broker or bank, posted rate or real rate: how to assess who builds your financing.
Real estate commission: the real numbers Average commission by province (2026 study on verified transactions), who pays, why everything is negotiable — by a commission-free directory.
Sell with an agent or sell yourself? The commission in dollars in your city, what the solo path really demands, and the third way: negotiating — by a directory with no side.
How long does it take to sell? Average days on market and months of inventory in ~42 cities — with the buyer's / balanced / seller's verdict, dated per city.
Land transfer tax, city by city The real dollar amount on each city's reference price — from ~$0 in Alberta to double in Toronto, first-time buyer rebates included.
Quebec notary fees What to budget for the notary when buying: sourced ranges, who pays what, what moves the bill.
Closing costs by province Welcome tax, notary, inspection, mortgage insurance: what a purchase really costs, by province.
First-time buyer programs FHSA, HBP, incentives: the federal and provincial programs for a first purchase, explained.
Welcome tax (Quebec) The exact bracket math, the municipal surcharge up to 3%, and the bill that arrives after closing — with a calculator.
Cancelling an accepted offer: the deadlinesNew Only one province lets you rescind a resale (BC: 3 days, 0.25%); new builds give 7 to 10 days depending on the province; everywhere else the offer is firm — statutes cited.
New home warranty, province by provinceNew Tarion, GCR, 1-2-5-10, 2-5-10: mandatory in only four provinces, with protected deposits quantified — and Quebec's condo-tower trap.
Foreign buyers: the ban and the taxesNew The federal ban until 2027 and its exceptions, then the layer cake: 35% combined in Toronto, 20% in BC, and the annual vacancy taxes — rates verified at source.
Who owns that property?New Land registries are public: $1.50 in Quebec, ≈ $36.50 in Ontario, ≈ $11 in BC, ≈ $10 in Alberta — owner, mortgages and easements for the price of a coffee.
Surveys and the certificat de localisationNew ≈ $1,580 paid by the seller in Quebec, RPR with municipal compliance in Alberta, nearly extinct elsewhere in favour of title insurance — which compensates but shows nothing.
GST/HST on a new homeNew Resales are exempt, new homes are taxed: the rate by province, and Bill C-4's first-time buyer rebate (up to $50,000) — with a calculator on your price.
Title insurance: cost and coverageNew A one-time premium in the $200–$500 range, no legal obligation — who actually requires it, what it covers (fraud, title, encroachments), and where to get your exact price.
Condo status certificate, province by provinceNew Status, estoppel, Form B, syndicate attestation: three provinces cap the price ($100 in Ontario, $200 in Alberta, $35 in BC), the deadlines are set by law — caps verified at source.
Pre-purchase inspection Price, real scope, and the verified licence map — including Quebec's mandatory RBQ certificate in 2027 — with a calculator.
The lawyer at closing Titles, discharges, adjustments: the three checks that prevent disasters — with an adjustments calculator.
Notary or lawyer? Province by provinceNew Notary mandatory in Quebec (civil law), lawyer everywhere else, both in BC — and the word "notary" meaning three different jobs in Canada.
Lawyer and notary fees, by provinceNew Roughly $1,000–$2,500 depending on the province (dated reading), no mandatory tariff in Canada — and the three lines an honest quote separates: fees, disbursements, tax.
Inspection vs appraisal: the differenceNew The inspector works for you (condition); the appraiser, for the lender (value) — even though you pay. The full face-off, sourced costs.
Who pays what: buyer vs sellerNew Every cost assigned to its payer, line by line — and the two traps: the appraisal paid by the buyer for the lender, the commission paid by the seller but funded by the price — with an official-schedule calculator.
Assessment vs market value Why the municipal roll is not a price, the comparative factor that corrects it, and when to hire an appraiser — with a calculator.
Latent defects: your remediesNew The four conditions of a latent defect, the clocks that run, what actually protects you at purchase and the order of operations once one appears — Quebec and common law.
Property tax, city by cityNew Each city's real residential rate, taken from its official source and converted to a common unit — with the bill on an identical assessment.
Selling: your net proceeds Commission and taxes, discharge, survey: everything that comes out of the sale proceeds — with a net calculator.
How much does a home appraisal cost?New Dated ranges by assignment, who pays, the AACI / CRA / chartered-appraiser difference — and the registries where you verify the title yourself.

Financing

See the Financing section → 27 articles

Special situations

See all situations → 8 articles

Market prices and rates

11 articles

Find and verify a professional

4 articles

Payotte data and studies

9 articles