Perhaps you're thinking of buying your first home or a building?
With the help of our interactive online guide, we'll guide you through the purchase of residential or commercial properties, freehold, condominiums or vacant lots.
Get a practical, concise guide to the various steps you need to take to make your purchase in the best possible conditions, and you'll be able to print out your personalized guide.
In addition to the various video capsules at your disposal, you can access our frequently asked questions.
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You can learn more about the steps to follow through to the signing of the deed of sale.
You can learn more about the steps to follow through to the signing of the deed of sale.
You can learn more about the steps to follow through to the signing of the deed of sale.
Various situations can make the purchase of a land by a non-registrant qualify as an exempt supply, in which case no GST and QST are payable. For this purpose, consult with your notary.
Note: Certain conditions apply.
You must be registered for the GST and QST, otherwise you will have to pay the taxes for the purchase of the property upon the signing of the deed sale.
Government of Quebec in a single operation:
Government of Canada:
Canada Post offers a service to forward all your mail to your new address.
Different suppliers and subscriptions:
Note: Certain conditions apply.
Note: If you are not a registrant, you cannot claim an input tax credit and you will have to pay the GST/QST to the seller.
Your down payment must be more than 20% of the purchase price, since the mortgage loan insurance does not apply to a residential building governed by an undivided co-ownership agreement (indivision agreement).
you must notify your real estate broker that your financing is approved and that you are able to purchase the property.
You must notify the seller that your financing is approved and that you are able to purchase the property.
You must notify the real estate broker that the verification of leases and expenditure are to your satisfaction.
You must notify the seller that the verification of the leases and expenditure are to your satisfaction.
You must notify the real estate broker that no environmental problems were observed.
You must notify the seller that no environmental problems were observed.
You must notify the seller that the property is in good condition and does not suffer from any major irregularities.
You must notify the real estate broker that the property is in good condition and does not suffer from any major irregularities.
You must notify the real estate broker that you are satisfied with the legal and financial situation of the co-ownership.
You must notify the seller that you are satisfied with the legal and financial situation of the co-ownership.
Here are the documents and information generally required to process your mortgage application:
Here are the documents and information that are generally required to process your mortgage application:
Here are the documents and information that are generally required to process your mortgage application:
Here are the documents and information that are generally required to process your mortgage application:
Here are the documents and information that are generally required to process your mortgage application:
Here are the documents and information that are generally required to process your mortgage application:
Failing to review yourself the leases and expenses, it is advisable to appoint a third party who has no interest in the transaction to make such a review.
As a buyer, you must also check:
To negotiate an agreement with the seller and sign an amendment to the purchase offer in which the latter undertakes to decontaminate the soil.
When the co-ownership is not yet officially established by the filing of the cadastral plan and the declaration of co-ownership in the Land Register, it is impossible to proceed with the signing of the deeds of sale for the condominium units.
However, some developers allow buyers to take possession of their condos before the signing of the deed of sale. To do so, the parties sign a pre-occupancy agreement in which the buyer undertakes to pay certain fees, to comply with certain conditions and to sign the deed of sale upon publication of the cadastral plans and the declaration of co-ownership.
The buyer is entitled to require that the purchase offer be conditional to the performance of a due diligence of the leases and expenses related to the building.
It is customary that the builder or developer requires that the sale transaction be signed before a notary appointed by the latter, despite the provisions of the Notarial Act stating that the cash paying buyer is entitled to choose the notary.
Note: Usually, it is the buyer who pays for the legal fees.
Before hiring an expert, ask him:
Notes: Usually, the process begins with Phase I, which allows to determine whether further investigation is needed.
Pursuant to the Code of ethics of notaries, any notary is bound to act impartially and to ensure the protection of the interests of both the seller and buyer.
According to the Notarial Act:
Note: Some mortgage lenders require that the transaction be signed before a notary of their choice.
Although the Notarial Act states that the cash paying buyer is entitled to choose the notary for the sale transaction, the general practice is, however, that it is the builder or developer who often requires the transaction to be signed before a notary of his choice.
Note: Usually, it is the buyer who pays the legal fees for the sale.
You may ask him:
To avoid any conflict of interest or "appearance" of conflict of interest, choose the building inspector yourself and not the one that could be recommended by your real estate broker.
Costs involved in the purchase of a multiple unit building
which include:
Note: expect a rental vacancy rate
Check whether a test or study is necessary to detect the presence of:
This general contractor may bid on, carry out or have carried out all construction work relating in particular to residential buildings, depending on whether the latter holds a:
This general contractor may bid on, carry out or have carried out all the construction work relating in particular to residential buildings, depending on whether he holds a:
It is best to do some research before moving forward with a developer:
Following the signing of a contract and pending the delivery of your property, read the steps to take towards the signing of the deed of sale.
Do not forget to include in the purchase offer a clause to the effect that the seller undertakes to provide the buyer with a location certificate showing the current state of the property.
Financial institutions offer the possibility to get a type of financing that is customized to your needs.
It is strongly advised to request, prior to the signing of the deed of sale, a certificate of completion signed by an architect.
When buying, from a contractor, a commercial, industrial or multi-unit residential building, it is not recommended to pay instalments or make progress payments to the contractor if you are not the owner of the land.
Following the signing of this contract and pending the delivery of your condo, read the steps to take towards the signing of the deed of sale.
Following the signing of this contract and pending the delivery of your home, read the steps to take towards the signing of the deed of sale.
The purchase offer is an important document that legally binds the parties upon the signing thereof.
Following this acceptance, and pending the signing of the deed of sale, please take note of the following steps.
Your broker will then prepare your purchase offer, using a mandatory form issued by the OACIQ and will present it to the seller.
It is advisable, when buying a real estate property, to require from the seller a location certificate showing the current state of the property.
Note: It is important that the seller complete and submit to you a detailed form (seller property information statement) regarding the building.
Note: It is important that the seller complete and submit to you a detailed form (seller property information statement) regarding the building.
Note: It is important that the seller complete and submit to you a detailed form (seller property information statement) regarding the property.
How about a tool that would allow you to have a greater knowledge of the real estate market and an access in a few clicks to all the real estate offers.
The market is at your fingertips with OPUS 44.An assistance service to help you in the drafting of a purchase offer for a single family residence or condo, for your transaction and for a period to be determined according to the estimated needs (minimum $ 150). - 1 to 2 business days will be necessary to prepare your quote and the required preparation fees will be deducted from the total amount to be paid if the quote is accepted.
When the seller is married or in a civil union and lives in the property with his/her non-owner spouse, it is preferable to have the spouse intervene to the deed of sale to ensure that the latter will no longer hold any right in the property.
Note: It is important that the seller fill and submit to you a detailed form (detailed seller property information statement) regarding the property.
Prior to purchasing a building, it is strongly recommended to have it inspected by experts.
It is highly recommended for the buyer to have his future residential property inspected by an expert prior to the purchase thereof.
Your financial institution, after reviewing your credit report, your income and your credit rating, will inform you about the conditions of such financing for this type of real estate property. It might even give you a letter of intent to grant you a loan without necessarily committing to lend you the money.
In addition to a building purchase price, any buyer should also consider some incidental costs necessary for the transaction, including:
In addition to the purchase price of a building, any buyer should also consider some incidental costs necessary for the transaction, including:
In addition to the purchase price of a vacant land, any buyer should also consider some incidental costs necessary for the transaction, including:
In addition to the purchase price of a Multiple Unit building, any buyer should also consider some incidental costs necessary for the transaction, including:
It is advisable to check with the competent authorities if your future residential property is in compliance with the zoning currently in force with respect to the purpose you intend to give to said property.
It is advisable to check with the relevant authorities if the property complies with the zoning currently in force with respect to the purpose you intend to give to said property, or the use intended therefor.
You should perform:
It is advisable to include in the purchase offer a clause to the effect that the purchase is conditional to obtaining a mortgage financing.
Two options are available to you:
Please take note of the following information which will help you during your negotiations with the seller.
Clauses to be included in your purchase offer:
There is no standard procedure for building inspections in Quebec. The inspector must:
Note: Make sure that the inspector has a liability insurance for malpractice and negligence.
The mortgage loan insurance premium required by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is calculated as a percentage of the loan and it is based on the size of the down paymentt.
The buyer is entitled to require that the offer to purchase be conditional to the performance of a due diligence.
The purchase offer is an important document that legally binds the parties upon signing.
Including:
In addition to the purchase price of the property, any buyer should also consider some incidental costs necessary for the transaction, including:
The Civil Code of Québec does not provide an obligation to inspect a property before the purchase thereof. However, it requires the buyer to behave in a prudent and diligent manner.
According to the current case-law, we strongly recommend a buyer to conduct a careful visual examination of the building and be on the lookout for potential latent defects that could affect the building.
Professional standards of practice for residential building inspectionIt is best to do some research before embarking on any construction project with a contractor:
It may be advantageous to purchase a residential condo on plan. Thus, you may sometimes benefit from:
This requirement will:
It is essential to inquire about whether a mandatory guarantee plan applies or not.
Prior to buying a new condo, it is important to check the nature of the building to determine whether or not a guarantee plan applies to your purchase.
The guarantee plan of "Garantie Habitation des Maîtres Bâtisseurs" (GHMB) provides coverage for:
The "Garantie des Immeubles Résidentiels Inc." (GIR) from the "Association des professionnels de la constrution et de l'habitation du Québec" (APCHQ) was created in 1976. It is an optional guarantee that provides coverage for homes that are not currently covered by the mandatory guarantee plan under the Regulation respecting the guarantee plan for new residential buildings.
The GIR from the APCHQ guarantees certain legal and contractual obligations of accredited businesses. In case of default on their part, the GIR will endorse some of the responsabilities of the contractors it has accredited. The plan is intended to protect the investment of buyers, in accordance with the coverages described in the guarantee certificate.
For more information, visit APCHQ websiteThe guarantee plan of ACQ Inc. (PGAI) provides coverage for certain buildings that are not covered by the mandatory guarantee plan:
To be covered by a guarantee plan, The contractor of new residential buildings must hold a class 1.1.2 licence to enable it to carry out construction work relating to:
To be covered by a guarantee plan, The contractor of new residential buildings must hold a class 1.1.1 licence to enable it to carry out construction work relating to:
Before signing, why not have the documentation provided by the contractor and the preliminary contract examined by a notary.
Online consultation service withThe developer must give you a memorandum at the time of signing the preliminary contract.
For this type of building no guarantee plan is mandatory, but it is best that the contractor subscribe to a plan. There are three guarantee plans, namely:
For this type of building, the gurantee plan developed by the Garantie de Constuction Résidentielle (GCR) is mandatory.
The GCR is an independent organization that inspects construction sites, at various stages. Thus, it ensures that the properties for which the GCR offers a guarantee plan are built in compliance with construction quality standards generally accepted in Quebec.
Prior to signing any preliminary sales contract, it is essential to check the accreditation of the contractor and its project with the GCR.
You can check whether or not your contractor is accredited by the GCRIt is best to do some research before embarking on any construction project with a developer:
To avoid unpleasant suprises, it is best to conduct audits with the municipal authorities as regards the recommended payment method for the installation of various infrastructures (street, sidewalk, sewer, water system, etc.)
Before signing, why not have the documentation provided by the contractor and the preliminary contract examined by a notary.
Online consultation service withThe Garantie de Construction Résidentielle (GCR) is an independent organization that inspects construction sites, at various stages. Thus, it ensures that the properties for which the GCR offers a guarantee plan are built in compliance with the building construction quality standards generally accepted in Quebec.
Before signing any preliminary sales contract, it is essential to check the accreditation of the contractor and its project with the GCR.
You can check whether or not your contractor is accredited by the GCRIt is best to do some research before embarking on any construction project with a developer:
The mortgage loan insurance premium required by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is calculated as a percentage of the loan and it is based on the size of the down payment.
A pre-approval will confirm that your financial institution has reviewed your credit report, your income, your credit rating and will also confirm in writing the maximum price you can afford to pay for a property. You can also:
To avoid any possible issues when buying a property jointly with other people, it is useful to sign an indivision agreement between joint purchasers or co-buyers.
It is always suggested to inquire about the various home ownership programs that can be offered by municipalities and/or governments and to which you may be eligible. For example, some municipalities grant, subject to certain conditions, various benefits and even financial assistance to their new residents.
To protect his or her rights, a spouse may, if desired, register a declaration of family residence under the Civil code of Quebec.
We hope that this information will help you plan properly for the protection and transfer of your wealth.
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