r/RealEstateCanada

Hey everyone, looking for some advice on a frustrating situation I’ve been dealing with. I have been looking at a foreclosure/Power of Sale property but it’s in need of repairs but CMHC will not budge on price.

TLDR at the end!

The details are as follows, there is a vacant house listed for around 150,000$ that I really want to buy, it checks every box I want, nice size land, good location and a new foundation and siding on the house, confirmed the well works. The house needs severe work done though and the listing description is a complete joke! It says it's a "great opportunity needing light cleanup and decorative touches."

After I bickered back and forth for 2 months we settled on 135,000$ as an accepted offer. That gave me the go ahead to get some quotes for the repairs. The listing agent is in a different province and has never even stepped foot in the place and there are no inside pictures on the listing. This place has had several people already back out and has been vacant for 15+ months.

My inspection revealed severe possible sub floor rot from a leak at the patio door, green algae on the basement walls, and serious electrical hazards old Stab-Lok panel with water dripping from the basement ceiling around electrical outlets among other things. After I found this out I amended my purchase price to account for the renovations but they refused my offer and have signed my release and no longer bound to the house.

I want the house, but it’s realistically worth closer to 100k given the massive repair budget it needs. CMHC took 15 months just to drop the price by 9k. I don't have years to sit around waiting for the house to drop and drop again. I’m not afraid of the work and honestly want a fixer upper to make the way I want it.

My realitor as nice of a guy but I fear he’s not conveying how much in disrepair this place is to the listing agent and is not fighting for me. The listing agent feels it doesn’t need more then 10,000$ in work and finds it hard to believe it needs what I say it does.

I am highly tempted to take matters into my own hands and try to force a price drop. I’ve been thinking of 2 options.

Emailing CMHC directly: Bypassing both agents to lay out the exact structural and fire hazards, possibly sending the photos, and pointing out that their listing agent is wildly misrepresenting a dangerous fire trap. My hope is they panic about the liability and slash the price or offer it to me as most people will not want to buy the place after they get an inspection.

The more drastic approach would be Calling City Code Enforcement and reporting the structural and electrical safety hazards anonymously to force the city to slap a violation notice on the house and hope they drop the price to rid themselves of the headache.

I know real estate protocol says buyers shouldn't contact a seller directly. If I send this email, CMHC will probably just forward it right back to the listing agent and then get in touch with my realitor and cause drama and make it difficult if not impossible to buy a place from CMHC in the future.

If I call code enforcement, I'm worried CMHC won't lower the price at all. Instead, they might just remove the listing and fix the code violations, and re list the property then it actually would be worth the current listing price.

Has anyone ever successfully bypassed the agents to deal with a CMHC directly? Does sending an email or calling code enforcement ever actually work to get a discount, or am I just inviting a mountain of drama and locking myself out of the house forever?

Appreciate any insight or advice!

TLDR:
Walked away from a vacant CMHC Power of Sale house after my inspection revealed massive hidden defects (rot, mold, leaking, bad electrical panel), but the listing description still calls it a "light cleanup." CMHC takes forever to drop prices, and the out-of-province listing agent refuses to believe the extent of the damage.

I still want the house for a fair price (100k vs 150k asking). Should I bypass the agents and email CMHC directly possibly with the photos, or report it to city code enforcement to force a price drop or will this just cause a ton of drama and lock me out completely?

5 Things to Look at During Your First Walkthrough of a Home
When you first walk through a house, it’s easy to focus on paint colors, flooring, or furniture. Instead, take a few minutes to look at these five things:

1. The Foundation
Walk around the exterior and look for large cracks, areas where the ground slopes toward the house, or signs of water staining. Water is one of a home’s biggest long-term enemies.
2. The Roof
You don’t need to climb up. From the ground, look for missing or damaged shingles, sagging areas, and check whether the gutters and downspouts appear to direct water away from the home.
3. Signs of Moisture
Look for water stains on ceilings, bubbling paint, musty odors, or mold around windows and in the basement. These can be clues that moisture has been an issue.
4. Windows and Doors
Open and close a few. If they stick, don’t latch properly, or have noticeable gaps, it could be due to normal settling—or it may point to a larger issue that deserves a closer look.
5. Electrical Safety
Take a quick look at the electrical panel if it’s accessible. Also, note whether kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and exterior outlets appear to have GFCI protection. These safety devices help reduce the risk of electrical shock.
A walkthrough won’t replace a professional home inspection, but taking a few extra minutes to look beyond the cosmetic features can help you ask better questions and make a more informed decision.
What are some things you always check when walking through a home?

Hi everyone, I'm a Canadian citizen originally from Pakistan from last two years I'm living in Dubai. I would like to know if anyone is interested to buy property in Dubai as the prices are almost 40% low at the moment then the actual prices which were few months ago. I work in a real estate brokerage as HR professional. If anyone is interested to know more details, please send me a message.

For context, still early window shopping but I am looking to buy a detached property for 775k in GTA, say my mortgage after down payment is 3200, as experienced homeowners out there I want to get a realistic insight as to how much more do you pay per month on top of your mortgage to own and run the house.

Hello,

My wife and I bought a pre-construction townhome in 2024. After several delays, we were able to close it in July 2026. We bought it as first time home buyers in Ottawa. so we got the $4000 CAD LTT rebate and $24,000 CAD is included in the sale price as part of the HST rebate. We took funds from both our FHSA and we put 20% down.

We bought the home with the intent to live there but unfortunately, circumstances changed. We had a baby in January 2026. I used to work remotely for a company in Toronto but the company issued a return-to-office mandate which made us move to Toronto by the end of June 2026 and rent a place (we closed the home on 2nd of July, 2026)

What do i do in this scenario? Is it possible for us to rent the new home out without losing LTT rebate and HST rebate? Will our mortgage rate and terms change since the house is not owner occupied?

Currently, we're using both the houses but I do plan on renting the Ottawa home.

About a year ago, I bought my first home using a close friend as my realtor. It was a hot market, and I made an offer without an inspection. I understand that was ultimately my decision and that a realtor is not a home inspector.

My realtor knew this was my first home purchase and that I was new to all of this.

The property had a retaining wall that was very clearly and visibly leaning. It was not a hidden issue or something that only became apparent later. Because I was new to homeownership, though, it simply did not register with me as a potentially serious problem. My realtor never mentioned it.

After possession, I had professionals assess it and was told repair was not realistic. Replacing it ended up costing about $25,000.

I am not suggesting that my realtor should have diagnosed the problem. I am just wondering whether it would have been reasonable to expect him to at least flag the issue as something worth looking into.

Because he is also a close friend, I am struggling with how to separate the professional disappointment from the friendship and how to address it with him. I've been silently letting it eat away at me for the last year.

Is that something you would normally point out to a buyer, or would you consider it outside the scope of your role?

There might be a better sub for this, but I'm trying here first. I am about to rent commercial space for my small business for the first time ever. It's a big, empty unit that needs everything except the exterior wall drywall, plumbing, and electrical to be completed. This means: Flooring installed, interior walls put up, HVAC run through the unit (furnace/ac comes with the space; the ducts would be my responsibility, as they have to be configured to however I lay out the space).

The property is roughly 900 sq. ft. and has 10 ft. ceilings for some context.

I met with a contractor who seems great. He was recommended by someone I trust dearly, and the quality of his work I've seen is fantastic.

I have never rented commercial space or done anything like this before, so I'm trying to figure out what is normal and what is not.

The contractor asked my budget for the leasehold improvements, which I told him was roughly $50,000. He came, saw the space, and emailed me saying he was ready to get started and needed a deposit since we agreed on the budget. But, to me, we didn't agree on a price. I want to know what the actual costs will be, not just "here's my full $50k, please spend it all."

Is it normal to ask for a quote that's broken down? I want to see the material cost, and the labour cost. I also want to know the impact of certain material choices on the overall cost.

For context, I have priced out some materials so some of those costs are:

- approximately 1000 ft.² of vinyl flooring, which is approximately $5,000. ($3.28/square foot plus tax, over estimating)
- light fixtures are approximately $1700 after taxes. There is no installation cost as electrical work is included by the landlord.
- doors for the offices. Each door is approximately $500 after tax. Again, I am overestimating. there will be four doors required, so $2000

There will be other things that I don't know the price of like:

- framing and drywall for three offices. This will include four walls that are 9 feet long and one long wall connecting all of the offices that is approximately 23 ft.
- permits
- paint
- running ductwork (landlord is providing a furnace and heat pump for air-conditioning)

I am leaving the ceiling unfinished for an industrial look, but we will be painting it black.

I know that there are a lot of variables, and there is probably some information that would make this post more helpful. Overall, I’m just trying to wrap my head around what a reasonable price for this work would be.

If it truly is a $50,000 project, fine. But that is the absolute top of my budget and I am worried that things will come up during the build that will make it more expensive.

​

This post is intended to share my personal experience as a tenant and is provided for informational purposes only.

Prospective renters may wish to thoroughly inspect any unit before signing a lease and ask detailed questions about building maintenance, ventilation, moisture, and repair history.

During my tenancy, I experienced concerns including:

Persistent moisture and condensation issues.

Odours that I perceived as stale air, tobacco/cigarette smoke, and poor ventilation.

Concerns regarding mould and potential fungal growth.

Water leakage originating from another unit, which resulted in damage and what appeared to be fungal or mushroom growth near my bathroom area.

These conditions negatively affected my enjoyment of the unit and raised concerns about the overall living environment.

I encourage prospective tenants to conduct their own due diligence, inspect units carefully, document any concerns, and request information regarding previous repairs, water damage, mould remediation, and building maintenance before renting.

This statement reflects my personal experience and observations. My health has significantly declined as a result of being exposed to a toxic living environment that nobody should have to endure. This is a public warning for anyone wanting to rent here.

We are currently looking to upsize our home. Current home is mortgage free but we will likely need to take out a mortgage on the new home. Has anyone been in a similar situation? We have a particular area in mind so not sure if we should be buying or selling first. The downpayment would most likely have to come from sale of our current home. To complicate things we have young kids and are hoping to move before the school year starts in September. Any tips or suggestions?

Is 10-15K over a competitive offer for a 3 bed 1 bath townhouse that needs upgrades a competitive offer? It’s a sellers market and houses are still going fast with bidding wars and inspections waived.

There was another house down the street that had the same layout but needed upgrades and sat on the market for 2 weeks instead of 2 days.

Thanks

I’m looking for suggestions for an area (or even a specific lake) where I can look for a 4-season cottage. It would be my year-round home. I’ve mostly been looking in the Outaouais, Eastern Townships, and around Calabogie. What I’d like, to the extent possible:

• Within 90 minutes of Ottawa or Montreal, must have anglo presence but they need not be the majority
• $800k max budget, looking for 1200-1500 sqft ideally
• Would like to be near (or part of) an actual community (e.g., schools/culture available) and not just an airbnb/rental area
• Even so, prefer a lot with some space for privacy/insulation from the party crowd
• Prefer a lake with a speed limit (or non-motorized) but not a deal breaker

Beyond location, what issues or questions should a cottage buyer keep in mind?

Hey I am in BC lower mainland, looking to sell next year. Trying to achieve the best value in regards to selling fees when selling my place - wonder if anyone has this success with this scenario.

If paying for the marketing/staging upfront ( photos, video, staging, virtual walk through, floor plan etc) how much can I realistically negotiate off the selling agent fee? Basically looking to create a turn key listing for my selling agent, as everything would be payed upfront on the marketing side there’s very little risk on their end if we end up getting nothing but low ball offers. Keep it the market rate obviously for the buyers agent.

So i am reviewing condo prices (ONTARIO, Halton Region) and for diff sizes. I see 1 bedroom or 1+1 condos are very low priced and then the difference between 2 beds and 2 beds and den is quite high. Is that because demand for smaller condos is less? Otherwise just an addition of a den shouldn’t be a difference of 60-70K, or does it seem fair? Esp if it also means an additional parking?

I am seeing 1 bed and 1+1 in 300’s and then 2 beds jump to med 400’s to 500 and then 2+1 jumps to higher 500’s.

What is your recommendation for best website to see true comparison of condos selling in a particilar city. So far i am reviewing condos.ca and houseofsigma.

So just a background.We went into buying a home like complete noobs.We got some money from parents and we out shopping. Honestly I thought we were just getting idea of market but we ended up liking a house,we decided to go ahead and they asked us to look at our rental lease where we live right now and it said we are responsible for rent till end of lease or find another tenant so we started looking for tenants and put in a conditional offer on the house for 2 weeks.We shld have applied for mortgage to see what banks say but like I said we are noobs.Scotiabank is concerned about my hours at work.I work for a big employer AHS, but my hours on employment letter are 100 biweekly but my actual hours are shorter.So for 2 weeks it is 87.5 and for next weeks it goes to 109 ,I calculate my average too it's 48 hours per week for last 3 months and I am also on probation and CIBC has already said they can use my income if I am on probation,so my broker said scotiabank has approved my mortgage with condition I show 117.5 hours in my latest paycheque is won't cuz it's already submitted and it's 109.5.i feel like I am rolling a dice here.We got 6 days extension till July 8th from builder and broker is applying with stride mortage and they can take a week.

I work as Associate Physician pay rate 26.97

On probation and after probation ,35 per hours

Job says 100 hours biweekly

Wife is LPN ,her job does not have fixed hours but she easily works over 50 hours and has a record of 1 year and makes around 5000 a month after taxes and I get armd 4000 after taxes and we have outstanding car loans of 50000 and 5000 on credit card .

We still don't have a tenant and that will put a stop on everything but if it's signed I plan to involve a lawyer and my main question is at what stage shld I remove conditions.My broker said yesterday to remove conditions when I don't even have an approval.The builder sent a mail earlier that remove conditions and along with that pay deposit and submit mortgage pre approval letter but is it a done deal from lender with pre-approval which I don't think it is ,they can have conditions and with tricky hours situation on my paycheque and also my wife not having defined hours and also pending appraisal from lender can cause problems and how can I commit by removing conditions. What would you do in this situation.

I honestly want to let this house go even thou i like it and be more prepared and get mortage approved first thing and then have the conditional hold to get final mortgage approval.

Would my lawyer be able to negotiate conditions of financing and appraisal on agreement of sale and purchase.

Thank you,if you read it till, you are kind soul

Why?