Separate purchase-day costs from monthly costs
Closing costs can include land transfer taxes, legal fees, title insurance, registration, adjustments and moving expenses. Monthly ownership costs can include the mortgage, property tax, insurance, utilities and any maintenance fee.
Toronto has two land transfer taxes
Purchases in Toronto can be subject to Ontario land transfer tax and Toronto municipal land transfer tax. Rates, thresholds and rebate rules can change, so calculate them with the current provincial and City of Toronto resources.
Take these with you
Questions worth asking
- Have both provincial and Toronto taxes been considered?
- Could a first-time-buyer refund apply?
- Which new-construction adjustments appear in the agreement?
- How much buffer remains after closing?
Check first-time-buyer eligibility carefully
Ontario and Toronto offer qualifying first-time buyers potential refunds. Eligibility depends on the buyer and transaction. Do not deduct a refund from the budget until your lawyer has confirmed that the requirements are met.
New construction adds agreement-specific items
Ask your lawyer to review HST treatment, utility connections, development charges, common-expense adjustments and occupancy or closing provisions. A general calculator cannot interpret the project agreement.
Build a conservative working estimate
Use more than one mortgage-rate and down-payment scenario, keep a buffer for adjustments and confirm the deposit schedule separately from closing funds. The Central can provide current project facts; your lender, lawyer and tax adviser should confirm personal calculations.
Project pricing, inventory, timing, fees and incentives are confirmed separately for the current unit and may change.