Blogs written by lawyers at Highlander Law Group in Tantallon, Nova Scotia for people in Halifax with an interest in Real Estate Purchase and Sale, Corproate, Litigation, Debt Collection, Divorce, Probate, Wills, Power of Attorney, Trusts, Child support, Spousal Support, Custody, Migration, Debt Collection, Builders Liens, Estate Planning, Trademarks, Copyright and other Intellectual Property issues. .
This is something that has come up a few times this summer, so I thought I would write a short post about it.
The house (and property) should be clean and tidy. Honestly, the cleaner the better, but certainly “broom clean” is a must.
If you are buying, it may not hurt to include a professional cleaning condition in your agreement so you can be confident that the home will be clean.
Read MoreOne of the things that incites the most anxiety when buying or selling a home is the money, who is handling it? Luckily for home buyers and sellers your trusted professionals help you in this department. Your lawyer handles the money for you when you sell your home.
Read MoreThe practical distinctions between buying a condominium and buying property can sometimes be confusing. Here are a few points to illustrate what you are buying when you buy a condo. The exact definition of what you own and what you are responsible for, i.e. what is your unit, should be outlined in your Condominium Corporation's Declaration.
Read MoreWhen you buy a condominium one of the things that you (or usually your representatives) look into is whether or not the condo corporation has a healthy reserve fund.
When you buy a condo unit, the vendor has to order what is referred to as an "estoppel certificate". This will outline the status of the fees for your specific unit, but it will also give you details about the reserve fund of the corporation.
Read MoreThere are many different ways you can own property. The most common are owning parcels of land, or buying a unit in a building - the condominium. There is another option, where you would purchase a "bare land condominium". The ownership structure of purchasing a bare land condominium is similar to that of the traditional condominium, but refers to a parcel of land, defined by survey markers.
Read MoreKeeping you home in tip top shape in order to show it can be a task. Particularly when you have pets in your home, but it can make a bad impression if you don't. Here are some things you should think about when your selling with pets:
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When you are buying a home in Nova Scotia there are a lot of moving parts to the process. When you are buying a condominium, often you can count on adding a few more. One of the requirements specific to purchasing a condo unit is getting your hands on the estoppel certificate. It’s important to understand why you need one.
Read MoreIf you are buying a home for the first time you may qualify for First Time Home Buyers' rebate.
A "first time buyer" is an individual who builds or purchases a newly built home and has not owned or occupied a home in Canada in the last five years.
Read MoreThere are many reasons home owners require an appraisal, but the most common appraisal requests are for lending purposes. When a financial institution is considering granting a loan to purchase, improve or refinance a property, they need confirmation of the current market value of the property that will be securing their investment. An appraiser is called upon to provide an unbiased opinion of value based on market research and analysis and a review of the subject property. Appraisals are also commonly sought for real estate transactions, estate planning, separation and divorce settlements and insurance purposes.
Read MoreA new year is a fresh start in many ways. It is a great time to re-set. Organizing your home can be a great way to do this. Read on to learn a few ways to take advantage of the timing and get organized.
Read MoreHygge is a word that has been popping up a lot in discussions of home decorating, particularly for the fall and winter. Consider how embracing Hygge when staging your house for sale in the winter can have a positive impact on offers.
Read MoreIn Nova Scotia real property is given an assessed value each year. The question is how do assessors arrive at that value, why are properties given an assessed value and what is that figure used for?
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While it may seem like a morbid topic of conversation, it is an important one to have. What happens to your home when you die? In Nova Scotia, typically, when the first spouse to passes away, the home simply stays with their surviving spouse. This happens because most spouses hold their homes as "joint tenants". This is only applicable in situations where both spouses are on title to the home, and listed as joint tenants. This designation is listed on the parcel register for your property and you can have a lawyer find this information for you if you are unsure of your current situation.
Read MoreIf you are like many lucky Nova Scotians buying or selling a home, you are working with a great team of professionals who will help you through the process. Your mortgage broker, real estate agent and lawyer will all help make the process as smooth as possible. There are a few things that you will need to do as well.
Read MoreMuch of a home buyer's initial search happens online these days. This means that the pictures and videos of your home online are the things that will capture someone's attention and impress them enough to see the home in person. You want to make the most of this opportunity. Virtual tours have also become a great way to show off your home. Professional home staging and photography are a great way to accomplish this.
Read MoreA yard sale can be a great way to declutter and reduce the amount of stuff you have to move when you move out of your home. It is also a great way to make a little extra cash in the process. Here are some tips for making the most of your yard sale in Nova Scotia.
Read MoreYou’ve been using a piece of land in Nova Scotia that you know is not your own for years and you’re wondering how to get legal title to this land. People commonly refer to this area of law as squatters’ rights, lawyers call it “adverse possession”. In simple terms, in order to have any legal right to someone else’s land you must have used the land in an open, notorious, exclusive, and adverse manner for 20 years.
Read MoreWhen you are selling your current home and buying a new one there are a lot of moving parts in order to get both deals closed. Ideally they could close a day or two prior to the purchase. However, things don't always go that way.
Read MoreGetting pre-approved for a mortgage is a great first step in your home shopping process. It will give you an idea of how much you qualify to borrow, which in turn gives you a budget to work with when you are looking. This is a number to work with before you decide on a certain property. It is important to note that there is a difference between pre-approval and final approval for your mortgage.
Read MoreIt is always exciting to buy a brand new home. New builds are often customized to you in ways that buying a home that is already built would require extensive renovations to achieve. This advantage comes with it own set of potential issues. One of the big common ones is "deficiencies". These are the things that are not completed by the builder as of the closing date. Best case scenario there are none, or they are minor things that needing to be finished.
Read MoreT 902.826.3070
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E info@highlanderlaw.ca
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