Ask David

Heritage home, First time buyers

Dear David, It’s my understanding that if you own a heritage home, you can’t change the outside but can do anything you want to the interior. Is that correct? – HISTORY BUFF DEAR HISTORY: Well, yes and no. There are different designations under the Ontario Heritage Act and individual homes may have unique considerations. Cities

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Paying commission, Cancelling a listing

Dear David, In a recent column dealing with “no commission” real estate companies, you noted a great number of these sales involve a Realtor negotiating for the buyer, and that the homeowner would still have to pay commission to the buyer’s Realtor. As a seller, how do I justify paying the buyer’s Realtor for the

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Assessed value vs. price, Seller’s old appliances

Dear David, I was at an open house listed at $500,000. In the listing, I noticed that the taxes on the property were based on a value of $335,000. In my opinion, this house is a gut job. How can the agent believe someone will pay that price, then still spend a fortune on renovations?  

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Buying at auction, Firm offer

Dear David, We see quite a few homes going for auction. What are the advantages or disadvantages of going this route versus using a Realtor? – DROPPING THE HAMMER DEAR HAMMER: When it comes to auctioning a property versus selling it on the MLS system, a key difference would be the ability to draw an

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Retirement village purchase, No offers on my listing

Dear David, Our home will be mortgage free in April and we seriously need to downsize. We have our eye on a retirement village where the units sell very quickly, and would like to purchase outright with the sale of our home. When a unit becomes available, should we contact a Realtor first, or put

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