CLOSING COSTS

 There are additional closing costs that are often unanticipated by buyers. The following are typical costs incurred at the time of closing, and some information related to closing issues that all buyers should be aware of before sign any contract.

DEPOSIT

With or after acceptance of an offer to purchase you have to submit a deposit
cheque, which will be held in trust by the listing broker if the offer is accepted. The
cheque is usually between 1% to 10% of the sale price or more depending on the
circumstances, cities, and closing date. The cheque is usually certified and deposited the day after acceptance.

Survey

Some lenders will ask to have a recent survey showing all property lines, fences and building dimention with cost range from $500 to $1000.

TITLE INSURANCE

An alternative to an up-to-date survey is title insurance. There are a variety of
insurers that provide this product including the Buyer's lawyer. The cost of title
insurance is based on a sliding scale depending on the value of your purchase.
Typically, costs are between $300 and $500. A note of caution: title insurance does
not correct title problems. It merely compensates the Buyer as a result of negative
impact resulting from a title defect.

LAND TRANSFER TAX

Purchasers of real estate in Ontario are required to pay provinvial Land Transfer Tax
on closing. It is paid directly to the Province of Ontario. It is based on the following
formula:

• 0.5% is paid on the first $55,000 of property value;
• 1% is paid on the next $195,000 of property value;
• 1.5% is paid on the next $150,000 of property value; with

• 2% paid on any value in excess of $400,000

Tepically $4,475 in provincial Land Transfer tax is owed on the first $400,00, with 2%
payable on any value in excess of that amount.

First time Buyers may be eligible for rebates up to $2000 under the provincial Land Transfere Tax Legal advice should be sought as to eligibility.

LEGAL FEES & DISBURSEMENTS

You will require the services of an Ontario lawyer to act on your behalf to close your
house purchase.

Your lawyer will charge you for services, including title searching, and for his/her
expenses (disbursements).

Before hiring a lawyer, you should ask him/her for a complete breakdown of fees,
disbursements( photocopies, tax certificates, zoning clearance and work orders, couriers, registering of the deed and mortgages, searching executions, mortgage schedules, status certificates for (condominiums) and other incidentals. and mortgage work. Most legal work for home purchases exceeds $1,000 and can be much higher under certain circumstances.

STATEMENT OF ADJUSTMENT

Balance due on closing - basically the balance due on closing is the difference
between the sale price and the amount of your deposit that was presented with the
offer. However, there are certain other items that will be adjusted at the time of
closing.

Taxes - if the Seller has paid taxes for the full year, the Buyer will be responsible for
his/her portion from time of closing until the end of the year.

Fuel - if the property is heated by oil, then the tank will be filled by the Seller on
closing, and the Buyer will be charged on the adjustment with a full tank of oil
(usually 200 gallons).

Utilities - all utilities and gas that are metered will be read on closing and the seller
will be responsible for them up to the date of closing.

These are normal adjustments. Particular attention should be paid to new
construction transactions, especially condominiums. There are numerous additional
adjustments in these purchases. These adjustments, including the Ontario New Home
Warranty Fee, could amount to $3,000 or more.

PROFESSIONAL HOME INSPECTION

This is usually around $300 and up. The cost will vary with the size of the home
being purchased and the inspection company used.

HOME INSURANCE

This varies. Minimally, costs start at $500/Year, 1st mortgage must
be noted on policy.
(Home insurance has become a serious closing issue. See details below.)

MOVING COSTS

These vary from $75 per hour and up, depending on the company and the number of movers. It will also depend on the size of the vehicle and the time of the month and year you are moving.

FIRST MORTGAGE COSTS

Interest adjustment - This is something most Buyers do not understand.
Basically, if you are arranging a new first mortgage, your lawyer will receive the
mortgage monies from the mortgage company on the morning of the closing date.
However, most mortgage companies use the 1st or the 15th of the month as a
payment date. Therefore, if you are closing a deal on, say August 10th, the mortgage
company will deduct from the mortgage monies interest from date of closing (10th)
to the first of the following month (i.e. September 1st) - interest adjustment date -
and your first payment will then commence the 1st day of the following month (i.e.
October 1st), and continue on a monthly basis thereafter.

Example: on a $100,000 mortgage at 5.5% interest from the 10th to the 1st of the
following month, interest would amount to approximately $316 and instead of
getting $100,000 from the mortgage company on closing, you will receive only
$99,684.

(Interest adjustment costs will not affect every mortgage, as some will have payment
commencing one month after closing.)

Loan processing or bank appraisal fee - Usually about $300. High ratio mortgages
will demand a higher processing fee. A high ratio mortgage is one in which the
Buyer is seeking financing in excess of 80% of the purchase price, or in some cases
the approved value of the property.

SECOND MORTGAGE COSTS

Usually require the payment of additional legal fees, appraisal and brokerage fees.
These vary dramatically, depending on the transaction and the risk as perceived by
the lender.

HST

Re-sales - although most used residential re-sales are exempt from HST, almost all
services involved with the transaction will be subject to HST, e.g.: real estate
commissions, lawyer's fees, appraisals, processing fees, home inspections, insurance,
moving cost, etc.

Substantially renovated houses - are subject to HST if purchased from the
builder/renovator.

Commercial properties - are subject to HST. This is a complex area and individuals should seek advice from a specialist, e.g. accountant, tax lawyer.

New housing - is subject to HST. It is also a complex topic. Often the HST will be
included in the purchase price. There are also H.S.T. rebates available in a number of
instances.

Vacant land - this is a very complex HST area. Vacant land attracts HST in most,
but not all cases. As a cautionary note assume that it does until the nature of the land, its use and its ownership can be clarified by a specialist

CLOSING DATE

Just a note at this point about the procedure on the actual closing date. It will be
necessary for your lawyer to obtain the money from the mortgage company on the
day of closing.

Lawyers often have many deals closing on busy days, and it is often difficult for
them to arrange a closing time until later in the day. It is probably not adviseable to
plan for an early morning move into your new home.
Please discuss this with your lawyer.

Your lawyer should be in touch with you within the week prior to closing to arrange
an appointment to sign and bring in the necessary closing money (appointment
probably day prior to closing).

INSURANCE CONCERNS

A number of insurance concerns have developed in the real estate industry that could
have a financial impact for a Buyer on closing. Although an exhaustive explanation
is not possible here, Buyers should be aware of the following:

1. Knob and Tube wiring
This is an older form of ungrounded wiring that some insurers may not cover or may
only do so at greatly inflated premiums. In some cases buyers may be denied
insurance altogether or until such time as the house has been rewired. These costs
could easily exceed $5,000.

2. Hydro Service
Insurance companies are refusing to insure properties with 60-amp service and
homes with fuse panels instead of breakers. As in the case of knob and tube wiring,
hydro service may have to be increased to at least 100-amp service before insurance
can be obtained.

3. Oil Tanks
Insurance companies are refusing to insure homes with oil tanks that have not been
certified by a Technical Standards and Safety Association (TSSA) technician. This is
particularly true for oil tanks that are older than 25 years. In addition, fuel oil
companies will no longer provide fuel oil to homes with tanks that have not been
certified. Cost of a new fuel oil tank can be in the range of $2,000. Underground fuel
oil tanks are now subject to strict regulation and in most cases must be removed.
Seek advice before buying a property with an underground tank.

4. Other Issues
Generally, insurance companies have been shedding risky (in their opinion) policies.
In some parts of the country the age and type of structure have also become issues. In Ontario, galvanized steel plumbing is becoming an insurance concern as is in sulbrick siding in some cases. Properties owned by absentee owners/landlords may also raise
concerns.