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Unsolicited Offers

Dear David, We own a rural vacation home on 75 acres. There is a locked gate at the entrance and a half-kilometer lane leading up to the house. A local man looks after the place when we’re not there. Last summer we were stunned to arrive and find a real estate agent giving a tour to

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Renting an in-law suite

Dear David, My friend is renting the basement of a home with an in-law setup. The homeowners are trying to sell. Visitors seem surprised that she is living there and some have asked if she’ll be moving out. When we looked at the listing on Realtor.ca it made no mention of a basement tenant, where

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Is it Buyer’s Remorse?

Dear David, I sold an income property in Waterloo last year. It received multiple offers and sold to a buyer who chose not to get an inspection report (the agreement was unconditional). In the six months since closing, the buyer has had to pay for a new furnace, fix the wood-burning fireplace as required by

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Keeping your financing on track

Dear David, Shortly before Christmas, we sold our family farm for $4 million and bought a house for $1.7 million. We immediately sent the paperwork to the bank we’ve used for 40 years. Our closing dates are two weeks apart and the bank just told us we can’t get bridge financing. What do we do

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Is a basement dehumidifier a red flag?

Dear David, I have a young family member who is trying to buy their first house. They have their eye on a small century home with a stone foundation. The house is well staged and looks great, but there is a dehumidifier running in the basement. Is this a red flag? I’m worried what might

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Coordinating a downsizing move

Dear David, My partner and I are retired and have lived in our home for over 20 years. We’ve been talking about downsizing to a condo but aren’t ready to move just yet. When we’re ready, how do we align the timelines of selling our existing place and buying a new one, so our next

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