The questions people actually ask us.

$75,000. The minimum is 5% on the first $500,000 and 10% on the portion from $500,000 to $1,500,000 — so $25,000 plus $50,000.

Anything under 20% down requires mortgage default insurance, and the premium is added to your mortgage rather than paid up front. At $1,500,000 and above, insured mortgages aren't available, so a full 20% down payment is required. That threshold creates a real cliff: at $1,499,000 you can buy with $124,900 down; at $1,500,000 you need $300,000.

Budget 3% to 4% of the purchase price. The overwhelming majority of that is land transfer tax — on a $1,000,000 purchase, $32,950 in combined provincial and municipal tax. Add roughly $2,000 in legal fees and disbursements, $250 to $500 for title insurance, $500 to $800 for an inspection, and closing adjustments for prepaid property tax and utilities.

Lenders generally want to see closing funds of at least 1.5% of the price on top of your down payment. Full detail in our guide to Toronto land transfer tax.

The seller, out of the sale proceeds, under the listing agreement — and the total is normally shared with the brokerage representing the buyer. Commission isn't set by any board or regulator and is always negotiable, with 13% HST on top. Buyers should still read the compensation clause in their own representation agreement so there are no surprises.

Between roughly 3.5% and 6% of the sale price all-in, once commission, HST on it, legal fees, mortgage discharge and preparation are counted. We break every line down, with a worked example on a $1.5M sale, in what it actually costs to sell a house in Toronto.

The GTA average was 32 days on market in July 2026, with condominium apartments closer to 41. Well-prepared, correctly priced houses in established west-end neighbourhoods routinely beat that; overpriced ones take much longer and usually sell for less in the end.

Plan for two to four weeks of preparation before listing, and a closing period of 30 to 90 days after the sale firms up.

Two windows: late February through May, and the Tuesday after Labour Day through October. Spring brings the most buyers and the most competing listings. Fall brings fewer of both, which often suits a distinctive home that benefits from undivided attention.

The abstract "best month" matters far less than how much competing inventory sits in your specific pocket the week you list. That's a question we can answer precisely for your street.

In a market where buyers have choice, selling first is usually the more comfortable order — you know your number, you're not carrying two properties, and you can buy without a sale condition, which strengthens your offer.

Buying first secures the specific home you want and risks bridge financing and carrying costs if the sale takes longer than expected. If you're hunting for something genuinely rare, buying first may be worth the risk. If you're not, selling first usually isn't the exciting answer but it is the right one.

As of TRREB's July 2026 figures, the GTA average selling price was $1,003,956 — down 4.5% year over year — and the HPI benchmark was $934,600, down 4.6%. But new listings fell 17.8% while sales held roughly flat, which tightens the market considerably.

We update this every month in our West Toronto market report.

Not legally — but yes, particularly for the century and pre-war houses that make up much of West Toronto's stock. In competitive situations buyers often complete a pre-offer inspection so they can bid without a condition.

Expect $500 to $800 for a detached house. What matters more than the price is what the inspector actually checks and how clearly they explain it — our five questions to ask an inspector is the screening list we give clients.

It's the condominium corporation's disclosure package: financial position, reserve fund, budget, insurance, rules, and any special assessments or litigation. In Ontario the seller orders and pays for it, and the fee a corporation may charge is capped under the Condominium Act.

The buyer's lawyer reviews it inside a condition period of a few business days. What they're looking for is covered in our questions to ask before buying a condo.

Sold firm — all conditions satisfied or waived, and the agreement is binding on both parties. Sold conditional — an offer has been accepted but still depends on conditions being met, typically financing, inspection, or status certificate review. If they aren't met within the set number of days, the deal collapses and the property comes back to market.

Compare it to what comparable homes have sold for in the last 60 to 90 days in the same pocket — not to what other properties are currently asking. Asking prices reflect hope; sold prices reflect the market.

Weigh lot size and frontage, finished condition, parking, and school catchment. And be careful comparing across a main road: in West Toronto, values can shift meaningfully within a few blocks.

Both sit near the Humber River off Bloor Street West. The Kingsway is the better-known name — Tudor-revival and period homes on curving streets, a recognisable Bloor West retail strip, strong school catchments, and generally the higher price per foot.

Sunnylea is quieter and more purely residential: well-kept mid-century houses and substantial rebuilds on generous lots, with the same access and a lower profile. Buyers who've decided against the Kingsway premium very often end up here.

West Toronto is unusually well served, which is much of why families stay for decades. The Kingsway, Sunnylea, Humber Valley and Norseman Heights all draw on catchments parents actively move for.

One caution: catchment boundaries change, and a street's designated school is not always the one you'd assume from the map. Confirm the current boundary with the board directly before you make it the deciding factor.

Honestly — it depends on your horizon, and we'd rather say so than sell you a thesis. The condominium apartment segment has been the softest part of the Toronto market for well over a year, with more inventory relative to sales than any other property type and average prices in the 416 down 1.6% year over year as of July 2026.

For a buyer with a long horizon who wants to live there, weaker conditions are the point — that's when you buy. For a short-horizon investor counting on appreciation, the numbers do not currently support it. Our Humber Bay Shores guide covers the buildings and the waterfront in more detail.