Real Estate Lawyers Thunder Bay, Ontario

Sometimes. Read the letter carefully for clues the content is just a general canvas for homeowners who may be thinking of selling. Is it addressed specifically to you, on both the envelope and letter, or is only your address used? Like any commissioned sales person, realtors prospect for customers when business is slower than they like. In that case, the letter may be one of many stuffed in mailboxes in your condo or on your street. 

Realtors can have genuine homebuyers who want a unit in your building, more specifically on your floor, or the block where you live. Very rarely, your home’s ravine lot or unique design is the appealing factor. 

In that case, contact your own realtor and have them enquire. Without a realtor’s advice, you may miss important details, like how the offer stacks up to comparable home prices in your neighbourhood. 

Axess Law’s virtual Thunder Bay real estate lawyer can review the agreement of purchase and sale for provisions that protect your legal interests. We discharge mortgages, and prepare the legal documents you need to turn an opportunity into a lucrative deal. Call us when you get ready to accept an offer to purchase.

Being proactive by storing expensive or irreplaceable items before an open house or home inspection can prevent a lot of grief. But theft and accidents do happen, and realtors are frequently first on the scene. Your realtor, and the buyer’s or seller’s, is responsible for safeguarding your possessions during showings and open houses. Hopefully, they will notify your realtor if an accident happens or they notice missing possessions. 

Document the damage with photos and a written record of when and how it occurred. You may be offered compensation, or your home insurance may cover the damage. You may decide to write it off in the interests of not losing the sale. 

Going to court is a last resort that should be reserved for major incidents, like a fire that broke out because of a buyer’s negligence. Even then, your home insurer will take the lead. Likewise if possessions are stolen and you have evidence, such as a video from a home security camera, or credible witnesses.

It is a conflict, but not that unusual. Realtors are obligated under the Real Estate Business Brokers Act, 2002 to reveal if they have a personal or financial interest in a property transaction. That includes being related to the seller. The disclosure must be in writing and provided to all parties to the transaction before an offer is accepted. As long as a relative is treating you honestly, with fairness, and integrity, they are meeting their licensing requirements.

The question is, did your condominium corporation know about the renovations? Are the renovations even legal without a municipal permit? Likely not, and that creates potential problems for both you and any new owner. 

Other than painting the interior, condominium corporation bylaws, rules, and regulations frequently require owners to provide full details of any renovation plans before they occur. Alterations to electrical wiring, taking out walls, or installing new flooring require written consent. 

So depending on what renovations you made, the status certificate the condominium corporation prepares detailing your unit’s condition may be inaccurate. That’s the first issue. Secondly, without a municipal building permit, the renovations are essentially illegal. You, and the new owner, could be fined or forced to tear out the renovations at your own expense. 

Axess Law’s virtual Thunder Bay real estate lawyer reviews offers to purchase to advise on what to include when you respond back. Giving the seller a SPIS (seller property information sheet) disclosing situations that can lead to later legal problems, like making unpermitted renovations, is a step in the right direction.