Buying in York Region, Uxbridge or Simcoe County? Know what it’s worth before you offer.
Before you offer, you see what comparable homes actually sold for, what the home will cost you to own, what still needs checking, and my recommendation: proceed, adjust or keep looking.
Matthew Gizzie, REALTOR®, Keller Williams Realty Centres, Newmarket. I live in Uxbridge and work with buyers in Newmarket, Aurora and across York Region, and in Simcoe County communities including Bradford and Barrie.
Just browsing? Search MLS® listings or try the affordability calculator.
What I review before you put a number on paper
Every offer I help write starts with a written Buyer Decision Brief. Comparable sales are only the first layer. The brief also covers the land under the home, what’s changing around it, and how the deal itself should be structured.
The home
- Sold comparables, adjusted for size, lot, parking, basement and condition
- Listing history: days on market, price changes, earlier listings
- Cost to own, line by line, with the assumptions written down
- Questions for your inspector
The land
- Zoning: what the lot permits, including second units and additions
- Floodplain, conservation authority, Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt limits
- Municipal water and sewer, or well and septic
- Easements and registered agreements, flagged for your lawyer
What’s changing nearby
- Development applications close by: rezonings, severances, new buildings
- Planned roads, transit and other infrastructure
- Council decisions and local news that affect the street
- Property tax, and what could change it
The deal
- The price range the evidence supports
- Competing listings and demand for this type of home
- Conditions, and what each one costs you in competitiveness
- Closing date, and how easily the home would resell
Not a real property or client. Figures and findings are for illustration only.
A price below asking is not the same as a price below market value. The brief measures a home against what similar homes sold for, and against what’s changing around it, not against its list price.
Where the findings come from
- MLS® sold and expired listings
- The municipality’s zoning by-law and Official Plan
- Municipal and regional development application records
- Conservation authority and provincial plan mapping
- Regional and municipal capital plans
- Council and committee agendas, and local news
- Property tax and assessment records
Every finding in your brief shows its source. Zoning, title and legal questions are confirmed by the municipality and your lawyer before you rely on them.
From first call to keys, in six steps
You’ll know what happens at each stage, and what you walk away with.
Buyer call · 15 minutes
Your budget, timing, areas and the kind of home you want. I explain how representation works and how I’m paid.
You get: a clear next step, with no obligation to continue.
Agreement and financing
I walk you through the buyer representation agreement before you sign it. You get pre-approved through a mortgage broker or your own bank.
You get: an agreement you understand and a realistic price ceiling.
Search and tours
Listing alerts set to your criteria. On tours I point out what affects value, running costs and resale.
You get: straight notes on every home you seriously consider.
Brief and offer
The Buyer Decision Brief, then the offer itself: price, deposit, conditions and closing date.
You get: a recommendation backed by sold evidence.
Conditions
Inspection, financing and, for condos, the status certificate reviewed by your lawyer. If something comes up, we decide together how to respond within the terms of your agreement.
You get: a plan for each issue before any deadline.
Closing
I coordinate with your lawyer and lender and arrange any pre-closing visits your agreement allows.
You get: the keys, and contacts for what comes next.
The cash you need, and when it’s due
Buyers are rarely caught out by the total. They get caught out by the timing. Here’s what’s due, and when.
Paid before closing
- Deposit. Paid into the listing brokerage’s trust account, usually within a day of acceptance; your offer sets the deadline. It isn’t an extra cost: it counts toward your down payment.
- Home inspection. You pay the inspector directly. Reimbursable
- Appraisal. Some lenders charge for one, some don’t. Reimbursable
Paid through your lawyer
- The rest of your down payment.
- Ontario land transfer tax. Eligible first-time buyers get up to $4,000 back.
- Legal fees, disbursements and title insurance. Get a quote.
- Sales tax on mortgage default insurance, if you put down less than 20%. It can’t be added to the mortgage.
- Adjustments. You repay the seller for property tax, condo fees or other costs they’ve prepaid past closing.
The cost of owning
- Mortgage payments and property tax
- Home insurance and utilities
- Condo fees, or a common-element fee on some freehold townhouses
- Maintenance. Set money aside every month.
- Moving costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Minimum down payment (5% of the first $500,000 + 10% of the remaining $350,000) | $60,000 |
| Deposit paid on acceptance (example amount, part of the down payment) | $40,000 |
| Balance of down payment, paid on closing | $20,000 |
| Mortgage before insurance (92.9% of the price) | $790,000 |
| Mortgage default insurance premium at 4.00%, added to the mortgage, not paid in cash | $31,600 |
| Ontario sales tax on that premium (8%), paid in cash on closing | $2,528 |
| Ontario land transfer tax | $13,475 |
| First-time buyer land transfer tax refund, if eligible | −$4,000 |
| Cash needed by closing, before the items below | $72,003 |
Not included; get quotes: legal fees and disbursements, title insurance, inspection, appraisal, adjustments, home insurance and moving. Assumptions: resale home (no HST), outside the City of Toronto (no municipal land transfer tax), buyer qualifies for the provincial refund, insured mortgage at 5% on the first $500,000 and 10% above it. Your lender and lawyer confirm the actual amounts. For the monthly side, use the affordability calculator.
How buyer representation works, and how I’m paid
You should know exactly what you’re agreeing to before you sign anything. Here it is in plain language.
The agreement comes first
In Ontario, a brokerage representing you as a buyer must put the agreement in writing and give it to you as early as possible. The regulator, RECO, tells buyers not to expect services such as showings without one. You’ll also get RECO’s Information Guide before we start.
What it covers
The services I’ll provide, the area and types of property, how long it lasts, how it can end, and what I’m paid. There’s no standard length; we agree on it together. Take it away and read it before you sign.
How I’m paid
My fee is set out in the agreement. Often the seller offers to pay some or all of the buyer brokerage’s fee, and the agreement explains how that amount is credited against what you owe.
If the seller offers less
Some sellers offer less than the agreed amount, or nothing. Your agreement says what happens then. I check this on every home before you offer, so there are no surprises on closing.
If I also represent the seller of a home you want, I’ll tell you in writing first, and you decide whether to go ahead on that basis.
Added benefits, with the terms in writing
These come on top of the advice above. They don’t replace it. Each one, and its conditions, is written into our agreement before you sign.
Use an inspector I recommend or your own. You pay the inspector; I reimburse you on closing, with the receipt, up to $600.
If your lender charges you for an appraisal, I reimburse it on closing, with the receipt, up to $350.
A one-year warranty from closing, through a partner provider. The provider’s policy sets what’s covered, the limits and any deductible; you get the terms before you rely on it.
A professional clean before you move in, through a partner cleaning company.
How the benefits work
- Each benefit and its conditions are written into your buyer representation agreement.
- Inspection and appraisal are reimbursements: you pay the provider first, and amounts above the caps are yours.
- Warranty and cleaning are provided by partner companies, not paid in cash.
- Ask me for the full terms on our first call.
Where you’re buying, and what you’re buying
Start with the local numbers. My market reports track prices, sales, inventory and days on market from MLS® data.
More reports: East Gwillimbury · Whitchurch-Stouffville · Richmond Hill · Georgina · Bradford West Gwillimbury · Simcoe County · Barrie
What to check, by type of home
I’ll flag what needs checking. Your inspector, lawyer, lender and the municipality give the answers.
Condo apartments and condo townhouses
- Status certificate, reviewed by your lawyer within the conditional period
- Reserve fund and any recent or planned special assessments
- What the monthly fee covers, and rules on pets, renting and renovations
Freehold townhouses and detached homes
- Age of the roof, furnace and windows
- Rented equipment, such as a water heater, that transfers to you
- Permits for finished basements and additions; any common-element fee
Rural and acreage properties
- Well water: flow and quality testing
- Septic system inspection
- Building limits from the conservation authority or the Oak Ridges Moraine plan, confirmed with the municipality
- Internet options and how the home is heated
Buying to rent
- Zoning and the legal status of any second unit
- Fire and building code compliance
- Existing tenancies, which stay in place when you buy
- Realistic rent, checked against local lease data
What buyers say
“…my wife and I were looking to buy our first home and learned a lot about the process from him. He took the time to truly understand what we were looking for…”
“Always showed up with comparable properties, market trends and information. Most of all he was honest with what he thought would be good for us instead of pushing a sale.”
“…He was responsive to my needs, answered all my questions, and negotiated skillfully on my behalf.”
Buyer FAQ
Do I have to sign a buyer agreement before we start?
Yes, before I provide services as your representative, such as showings. Ontario requires the agreement to be in writing and given to you as early as possible. I go through it with you first, and you can take it away to read before you sign.
How are you paid, and could I owe anything?
My fee is in the agreement. Often the seller offers to pay some or all of it. If a seller offers less, the agreement sets out what happens to the difference. I check what each seller is offering before you make an offer, so you know before you commit. How representation works
How much cash do I need to buy?
Your down payment (which includes your deposit), land transfer tax, legal costs, and sales tax on mortgage insurance if you put down less than 20%. On an $850,000 resale home with the minimum down payment, that came to about $72,000 before legal fees and other variable costs. See the worked example
Should I sell my current home first, or buy first?
Selling first tells you your exact budget, but you may need somewhere to live in between. Buying first secures the home you want, but you may carry two properties or need bridge financing. Making your purchase conditional on selling is possible, but it usually weakens your offer. We map out your dates and cash before you list or offer, and talk to your lender about bridge financing early.
Do I need a mortgage pre-approval before viewing homes?
Not to view, but you should have one before you offer. A pre-approval is not a final approval: your lender still has to approve the specific property, which is why most offers include a financing condition.
What if the inspection finds a problem?
It depends on the conditions in your offer. If your offer includes an inspection condition, its wording sets out your options and the deadline. We decide together whether to ask for a repair or price change, accept the issue or, where the condition allows, not proceed. Your lawyer can confirm your rights under the agreement.
How do the inspection and appraisal reimbursements work?
You pay the provider, keep the receipt, and I reimburse you on closing up to the cap shown. The terms are written into your buyer representation agreement. Buyer benefits
What happens on the first call?
Fifteen minutes by phone. We cover your budget and cash, timing, the areas and home types that fit, and how representation works. Nothing to sign on the call.
Talk it through before you write an offer.
A 15-minute call about your budget and cash, the areas that fit, how representation works, and what to do next. No obligation.
Figures and program rules current as of October 12, 2026. Sources: Ontario land transfer tax, first-time buyer refund, FCAC down payment rules, CMHC premiums, RECO. General information only, not legal, tax or mortgage advice.
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