Don't Get Scammed

“Don’t get scammed.”

I know you might be tempted to file that advice under “OBVIOUS” or “No kidding,” but I’ve been in the real estate business long enough to tell you: the scammers are out there. And they wouldn’t be if they didn’t think they could get away with it.

Not all “scams” are illegal, either. There are plenty of things I’ve seen over the years that I would consider morally questionable, even if they’d never result in criminal charges.

Now, just to be clear, I’m not talking about real estate agents here.

I know the public perception of our profession isn’t always glowing, and yes, there are bad apples — just like in any business. But licensed real estate professionals are often your safest option.

For one thing, licensed professionals are held to higher legal and ethical standards. We’re expected to know more than the average person, and we’re expected to provide proper disclosure and competent advice to our clients.

Professionals also invest significant time and money into their businesses and education on an ongoing basis. Generally, the long-term rewards of maintaining a good reputation far outweigh the temptation to cut corners for short-term profit and risk losing a license.

Can I promise you that having a REALTOR® involved means you absolutely won’t get scammed? No. Even the best of us don’t have crystal balls or magical lie detectors, and sometimes sellers, buyers, or third parties can fool professionals too. But the odds are generally much better.

On the other hand, once you start dealing with private sellers and unlicensed or uncertified service providers — whether it’s a renovating-and-flipping company, a rent-to-own seller, an untrained home inspector, or direct lenders offering private mortgages — there are far fewer safeguards.

Some of these people may be excellent, both ethically and technically. But where there's no standardized qualification or oversight, it can be difficult to know who you’re dealing with.

If you’re considering any real estate opportunity — whether buying, selling, or investing (or “investing” in quotation marks) — and licensed professionals aren’t involved, my advice is simple: do your homework.

The gold standard is always a referral from someone you trust who has actually done business with them.

Failing that, at minimum, do your research online. Search both the individual’s name and the company name. Look for reviews, complaints, warning signs, and independent information. There are still no guarantees, but doing something is better than doing nothing.

And finally: if your gut tells you something isn’t right, consider listening to it. Sometimes your instincts notice the red flags before your brain catches up.

What does "as is" mean in a listing?

If you're looking at properties long enough, there's a chance you're eventually going to come across one that says "property sold as is" or something along those lines.

Basically, this is a way of emphasizing "buyer beware" and the seller saying they are not taking responsibility for the condition of the property or making any promises about it.  

Often it can be an indication that the property will be in rough condition, with deferred maintenance or other issues.  As such, some lenders treat this as a potential 'red flag' when looking at the property for a mortgage.

However, it is also quite common on estates and power-of-sale/foreclosures because the seller is not the person who was actively living in the property (although with an estate the executors might be a bit more familiar with the property than a bank selling a property they've taken from the owner).  When looking with buyer clients, I'm less concerned to see this statement in one of these situations.

And it's important to understand as a seller, that it doesn't really excuse you from disclosing known latent defects.  A latent defect is any problem that may not be visible on inspection.  This can include things like knob & tube hidden in the walls (if you know), occasional problems with flooding in the basement (sometimes hard to see unless it's presently wet), foundation problems hidden behind a finished basement, and so on.  It does emphasize that the buyer should be doing their own due diligence, but does not entirely remove the sellers' legal obligations.

Clauses can be included in an Agreement of Purchase and Sale that help to emphasize that the buyer is making an informed decision and accepts the property "as is". Even this probably would not really excuse the seller from disclosing known latent defects if it came to a court battle, but it can be quite difficult for a buyer to prove a seller knew something. As such, buyers should always use reasonable caution when buying a property that includes this statement.

Terminology Tuesday: Mutual Drive

If you are looking at homes in an older neighbourhood, you may come across the term mutual drive. A mutual drive (sometimes called a shared driveway) is a driveway that is shared by two neighbouring properties and provides access to one or both homes, often with garages in the rear yards.

In many cases, mutual drives are narrow lanes running between houses where both homeowners have legal rights to use part or all of the driveway. These arrangements are especially common in older urban areas where homes were built closer together and parking space was limited. Sometimes the rights to use the driveway are formally registered on title through an easement or right-of-way agreement, while in other cases the arrangement may be based on longstanding use. The former has defined enforceable rights, while the latter may be more nebulous.

If you're buying a home with a mutual drive, it’s important to understand exactly what rights and responsibilities come with it. Questions to consider include: Who is responsible for maintenance? Are there restrictions on parking? Does one owner have a legal right-of-way over the other’s property? A real estate lawyer can review the title, and your REALTOR® can help you understand how the arrangement may affect everyday living and resale value.

Market Media Monday - May 25, 2026

A curated list of recent headlines relevant to real estate in Canada or locally, with short excerpts. Click each headline link to read the full article on the source site.

[ Investment in housing construction is declining across Canada, data shows ]
"Investment in Canada’s housing construction sector is declining, data from Statistics Canada shows. Canada’s real estate sector saw $22.6 billion invested in building construction in March, a drop of $304.6 million, or 1.3 per cent, compared with February. However, the drop was sharper when compared with March 2025, with investment in residential real estate construction dropping 2.2 per cent, while the non-residential sector saw a modest 0.6 per cent increase, Statistics Canada said."

[ Dream wedding vs. dream home: Poll reveals Canadians increasingly reducing wedding plans to pursue home ownership ]
"A new survey from Canadian real-estate page Royal LePage found that many Canadians are skipping expensive wedding celebrations to increase their chances of purchasing a home. According to the study, 46 per cent of respondents say they would significantly scale back or abandon their wedding celebrations altogether in order to put that investment into a down payment for a home. Meanwhile, 40 per cent said they might do so."

[ Fallen into negative home equity? Here are your options ]
"The Canadian property market has experienced a major contraction since the end of the pandemic, reversing rapid house price gains between 2020 and 2022. According to the MLS House Price Index, the cost of property fell by 20% from its peak in early 2022, as well as by 4.7% year-on-year. "

Terminology Tuesday: Encroachment

An encroachment happens when something on one property crosses over onto a neighboring property without permission. That “something” is physical and visible, like a fence, a shed, a driveway, or even part of a house. Sometimes it’s obvious (like a fence clearly in the wrong spot), but other times it’s subtle—like a retaining wall that’s just a few inches over the lot line.

Encroachments are usually discovered during a survey or when reviewing title documents. And while they might sound like a big deal, not all encroachments are deal-breakers. In fact, many exist for years without causing any issues at all.

That said, they can become a problem—especially when a property changes hands. A buyer might not be thrilled to learn that part of what they thought they were buying actually belongs (legally) to the neighbour. Or vice versa.

So what happens next?

Title insurance often covers minor encroachments, which is one reason it’s so common in Canadian real estate transactions. The parties may agree to a written permission, allowing the encroachment to remain.
In some cases, the issue may be have to be resolved by moving or removing the structure—though that’s obviously the least popular option for at least one party.

The key takeaway? Encroachments are not something you see every day, but they are more common than people realize, and they’re usually manageable with the right guidance. Like many things in real estate, it’s not about avoiding every possible issue—it’s about understanding what you’re dealing with and making informed decisions.

Market Media Monday - May 11, 2026

A curated list of recent headlines relevant to real estate in Canada or locally, with short excerpts. Click each headline link to read the full article on the source site.

[ A Look into Canada’s Housing Market: Spring 2026 ]
"The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) statistics team releases a monthly data about home sales in Canada, as well as quarterly forecast. This month, both reports were produced. Here’s a summary of what you need to know about the state of the housing market activity in Canada right now. "

[ Has Toronto's condo market hit its bottom? ]
"After a year of sluggish sales and cancelled projects, the condo market in Canada’s largest city is showing signs of recovery."

[ More sellers spring into Canada’s housing markets ]
"Local real estate boards’ early results for April continue to show to mixed picture across Canada’s housing markets, but it’s clear more sellers are entering the market."

[ Renewing your mortgage but planning to sell soon? Read this first ]
"For many Canadian homeowners, renewing into a fixed-rate mortgage feels like the “safe” move right now. It eliminates uncertainty with predictable monthly payments. But if you are planning to sell your home within the next year, that decision could quietly cost you thousands of dollars in mortgage penalties. And here’s the surprising part: the biggest financial risk may have nothing to do with the mortgage rate itself."

Market Media Monday - May 4, 2026

A curated list of recent headlines relevant to real estate in Canada or locally, with short excerpts. Click each headline link to read the full article on the source site.

[ The Bank of Canada is holding the interest rate at 2.25%, here’s what that means for the housing market ]
"The maintenance of the interest rate was announced on Wednesday, prompted by economic uncertainty caused by changing trade relationships and the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. The bank says it is watching out for the impacts of the war, including the effects on oil price increase on inflation. If these keep going up, the rate could also be hiked moving forward."

[ Bank of Canada Downgrades Housing, Warns of Small Condo Glut ]
"The Bank of Canada (BoC) left its key overnight rate unchanged at 2.25% at this morning’s rate announcement. The move was expected, but the housing downgrade in the BoC’s April Monetary Policy Report (MPR) is the real story. Housing received the largest negative revision in the 2026 GDP breakdown, and is expected to weigh on real GDP growth. The central bank suggests it’s not just an issue of rates, with weak investor interest and an epic glut of small condos also weighing on activity."

[ Will Canada's real estate market heat up with the Bank of Canada holding its key interest rate? ]
"Realtor Tom Storey talks about how the Bank of Canada holding its key policy interest rate at 2.25 per cent impacts the housing market."

[ Why timing the bottom of Canada's roller-coaster real estate market may be harder than you think ]
"Everyone connected to Canada’s housing market is asking the same question as the spring market, historically the busiest time of year, gets underway: Have we hit the bottom? From realtors to economists to lenders to developers — not to mention would-be home buyers and sellers — all are looking for signs of whether the real estate market will finally see a turnaround from declining prices."