Buying Your Third-Age Home in Toronto
House and Condo Purchases for Downsizers in the GTA or Southern Ontario
Your new adventure is about to begin! One of the most exciting parts of downsizing is buying a home for your third age.
That means selling your current home in Toronto or the GTA and buying a new home in whatever location you desire. At Transitions, our experienced and licensed Realtors® will help you rightsize to the perfect home and lifestyle as you transition into the third stage of your life.
When you go through the Transitions Downsizing Done Right program, in our exclusive 3-step process we’ll help you identify exactly what you want and need when buying a home for your third age, as well as how much you can afford. It’s our job to make sure we find you the right home, in your desired community, with all the amenities to fit your active, healthy new lifestyle.
We’ll also walk you through the process of buying a home so that, once we start shopping for properties, you’ll find it enjoyable and stress-free.
Buying a Home? Let the House-Hunting Begin!
Whether you’ll buy a house, a condo unit, an accessible home designed to accommodate living in place, or another type of residential property, the house-shopping stage is where the fun begins.
First, we’ll determine how you’ll finance your purchase. This will be different for every client, but may include a combination of paying cash using your current home’s equity, getting a mortgage, and—if you are buying a home before selling your existing home—applying for a bridge loan.
Next, we’ll start sending you listings of properties for sale that we feel align with your needs. If you’re like many of our clients, you’ll be mentally moving in your furniture even before we go for a viewing!
As we start visiting properties, we ask three things of you:
- Keep an open mind.
- Don’t be fooled by first impressions.
- Ask lots of questions. We’re here to help!
We find that some clients feel overwhelmed when they’re looking at properties—and that’s okay. We’ll provide you with a worksheet that makes it easy to capture and rank each property’s features. At the end of each day’s showings, we’ll review the worksheets together.a
Making an Offer
So, you’ve found the perfect property and want to make an offer! First, our team will do a comparative market analysis to identify the property’s value—which may or may not match the asking price. Together, we’ll decide on the best offer price, terms, and conditions.
Next, we’ll prepare the offer and present it on your behalf to the seller and the seller’s agent for their consideration. There are three possible outcomes: the seller can accept your offer as is, reply with a counteroffer, or reject your offer altogether—which we know can be disappointing. Whatever happens, we’ll be there for you. At each step during the negotiations, we’ll guide you to make an informed decision, and we’ll lead all the paperwork to keep the process moving.
Meeting the Conditions Attached to the Offer
If the seller accepts your offer with conditions, they must be satisfied before the deadlines specified in the written agreement. For example, one condition might be that you succeed in securing financing. Another might be the completion of a home inspection report.
At Transitions, we’ll work closely with you and with the professionals you’re working with—for example, your loan provider, a home inspector, or your real estate lawyer—so together we ensure the conditions get met on time. If you need us to refer you to professional service providers*, we’d be happy to do so.
Closing and Getting the Keys
Congratulations! The conditions have been met, the offer is now firm, and you’re almost at the finish line.
To help you get there, we’ll share all relevant documentation with the professionals on your team. Your lawyer will sit down with you to review your closing costs, explain the legal documents involved, register the property in your name, and transfer funds to the seller’s lawyer.
Finally, we’ll celebrate with you as you receive the keys to your new home!
Moving In
Besides booking your movers, packing, and planning your move-in, you’ll need to transfer your utilities and services, as well as shop for any furniture and accessories you need for your new home. We’re here to support you through the moving process. If you need any referrals, we’re happy to introduce you to one of our trusted partners*.
Buying a home for your third age—get ready, get set, let’s start house-hunting!
If you’re thinking of using your home’s equity to fund your active, healthy third age, let’s book a time for a friendly conversation
NO OBLIGATION. This is a complimentary chat to get to know each other and see whether we might be a good fit for you.
* Fees may apply for services provided by third-party providers such as financial planners, retirement coaches, movers, cleaners, professional organizers, new home builders, home inspectors, designers, lawyers, stagers, and more.