7 steps to buying a home in Toronto that fits you and your lifestyle
We work with clients to have an understanding of their lifestyle needs and wants through our Buyer’s Consultation. Whether it is a condo, townhome or house, it will be your future home, so careful attention to all the details is critical to our team and process.
We like to start with an understanding of the clients’ budget for home ownership, and the areas they are most interested in. Our knowledge of current market conditions coupled with our visiting together a few homes on the market, can make our search more efficient.
“I work tirelessly to ensure my clients have the most up-to-date statistics and facts to guide their purchase decisions. Facts – not opinions – will secure the best possible return on investment for them”.
Matthew Gravina
“Matthew is extremely knowledgeable of the ins and outs of the Toronto real estate market and helped us find a great place.” – M.D.
“[Matt] has clean communication and is extremely forthcoming about what needs to be done. He will give you his honest opinion and feedback.” – B. G.
Our Buying Process
7 steps to buying your dream home in Toronto
Step 1: Let’s determine your budget
When looking for a home, the first step is understanding your financial situation and what we have to work with – before we start our search. We can help you determine the best price range to stay in when exploring homes for sale in South Etobicoke, Mississauga and Oakville.
Step 2: Your List of Must-Haves and Have-Nots
Chances are good that you’re not simply hoping to buy a house. You likely have a list of things you want in your dream home (your want list, and maybe some things you’d like to avoid).
We can help you establish a list of must-haves, and deal breakers so we can form clear criteria for buying. We’ll also narrow your search by location, whether you’re wanting to be close to Lake Ontario or close to schools and transit.
Step 3: Let’s go shopping
Armed with our criteria, it’s time to explore what is available. We’ll find and show you beautiful homes based on your checklist, and we’ll discuss what you like and don’t like about each of them. Feel free to take pictures so you can recall what it is that you like!
Step 4: Time to make an offer
Once we’ve found your dream home, we need to have a thorough understanding of the home we are purchasing. Home inspection will help determine our offer and we will develop a strategy that gives you the best chance of getting your offer accepted.
We’ll also help you focus on the numbers, rather than the emotions involved, so we can beat out the competition and get you closer to signing the documents.
Step 5: Final steps
After the offer has been accepted and before we close, we’ll take a walk through the home to make sure everything agreed upon is in place. We can also arrange for the home inspector to come back and confirm that all repairs have been completed. For extra certainty, we’ll even take some time to test all the lights and appliances to be sure they’re in working order.
Step 6: Let’s close the deal
If everything’s as it should be, it’s time to close the deal at your lawyers. Make sure you have everything you might need to help you sign the documents. We can review the steps in advance to help you make sense of anything that might be confusing.
Step 7: The Keys
Once you’ve got your keys in hand, your new home awaits. We’ll meet with you one last time to personally congratulate you on buying your new home..
We hope you and your family enjoy your new home for years to come.
Your dream home could already be on the market. Let us help you find it!
Schedule an Appointment (link)
Financial Overview
Our Buyer’s Consultation
We want to ensure that you have the right information before making what may be one of the largest investments you’ve ever made.
During our Buyer’s Consultation, we start by reviewing where you are (are you a current property owner, a new buyer, relocating, downsizing, etc.), and what it is that you are looking for.
We can provide a rough overview of what is happening in the market and give you points to consider based upon your situation. Naturally, we need to understand what type of budget you have so that we can make recommendations).
For those who have not purchased a home before, or those who need to review the process, learn more.
Learn more at Matt’s Take – What to consider when buying a home (link)
Mortgage Tools
You can access tools to make it easier to determine what you can afford. We can help you figure out the total costs of buying a home and suggest individuals and/or companies that can assist with the closure of a property.
In addition to financial institutions, we recommend RateHub as both a source and tool to help you determine your mortgage costs.
Land Transfer Tax (Ontario & Toronto taxes)
Learn more at RateHub.