The business move behind the property close, the use, the exit horizon, the financing structure, sets the closing approach. DRG Law writes the move before the conditions waive.
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Real estate decisions
Ontario land transfer tax runs in tiered brackets from 0.5% to 2.5% on residential value, with a Toronto municipal add-on that doubles the bill inside the city. The closing-day number is set by the property, the use, and where it sits.
Real estate closings carry twelve to twenty separate decisions between accepted offer and key handover. The condo status review, the title check, the lender's approval, the insurance, the closing-day numbers, the money transfers. The business move behind each decision, owner-occupier or investor, hold or flip, primary residence or commercial use, sets the closing approach. DRG Law writes the move before the conditions waive.
The decision
The decisions below repeat on every Ontario real estate file. The earlier each one is named, the lower the cost of getting it right.
Each path has its own checklist. A buy involves the title check, the lender's instructions, and the closing-day numbers. A sell involves the buyer's questions, the mortgage payoff, and the money transfer out. A refinance threads the new lender's checklist with the old lender's payoff.
A residential close runs on the standard agreement of purchase and sale, with provincial and (in Toronto) municipal land transfer tax on the closing statement. A commercial close adds HST treatment, mortgage commitment terms suited to commercial use, and the lease the property carries.
Five clauses change every Ontario commercial lease: the personal guarantee, the renewal terms, the demolition clause, the relocation clause, and the default trigger. DRG Law reads the lease against the owner's exit horizon before the offer goes back to the landlord.
The first-time home buyer rebate reduces provincial land transfer tax up to a defined cap, and Toronto adds its own municipal rebate inside the city. DRG Law confirms eligibility before the closing-day numbers are issued.
How DRG Law writes it
Every real estate file ends with a one-page closing summary the owner can read and act on. The work that produces it is the same on every file.
Title check, the survey or reference plan, the lender's commitment, the insurance binder, the closing-day numbers, the documents both sides will sign. Assembled and reviewed before the closing date.
Land transfer tax, title insurance, legal fees, mortgage payoff or new mortgage funding, adjustments for taxes and utilities. The total figure on paper before the closing date, not on the closing day.
A short note the owner can read, share with the accountant, and refer back to. Names what was done, what was filed, and the after-closing steps that still matter.
Common questions
When the offer is made, or at the latest before the conditions in the offer expire. Reading the offer before the conditions go away removes the most expensive surprises. Calling after the deal is firm closes most of those doors.
Yes. DRG Law closes residential and commercial purchases across Ontario by video and electronic signature where the rules allow it. The title check, the lender's instructions, and the closing-day numbers move the same way they would in person.
Base rent is one part of the bill. Additional rent, property tax, building insurance, common-area maintenance, utilities, runs alongside it, and on most leases the tenant carries the personal guarantee until the term ends. DRG Law breaks every line of the lease into a clear monthly cost before the offer goes back.
From a signed and firm offer to the closing date, most files run thirty to sixty days. DRG Law opens the file the moment the offer becomes firm and works backward from the closing date.
Next step
The protective work the lawyer can do at the offer stage is wider than the work the lawyer can do after the deal is firm. Send the file as early as you can; Damaris reads every message.