From the founders: new homes are back in the running

New low-rise homes in the GTA have outsold their ten-year average for six months running, according to BILD. New condos had their slowest September on record.

The reason is the HST rebate. A new build has always carried a tax that resale homes don't. For agreements signed with a builder by March 31, 2027, Ontario's rebate removes most or all of it. Most condo projects can't meet its construction deadlines, so buyers went to low-rise instead.

That means a client who ruled out a new build on price is looking at a different comparison now. Show them what a new home costs after the rebate next to the resale homes they're touring. The amount depends on the price and the builder's construction dates. Have their lawyer confirm they qualify before they sign.

Joel Fox

COO

The library: new explainers on the Ownright blog

Three new explainers on the Ownright blog. Forward whichever one matches the question you are getting.

Selling a condo in Ontario: what's different. Selling a condo is mostly like selling a house, except for one document the buyer will want before they firm up. It's the seller's job to get it.

Conditional offers in Ontario: how conditions work. A lot of buyers assume there's a cooling-off period on a resale home. There isn't, so the conditions they negotiate are their protection, and the clock starts at acceptance.

Switching lenders at mortgage renewal in Ontario. The renewal rate a lender offers is rarely the best one available. Moving to a new lender is simpler than it used to be, and the new lender often covers the cost.

Hot off the press: how Ownright started

Our co-founder and CEO Robert Saunders sat down with the Mantle Mondays podcast last month.

Mantle Mondays: Selling Outcomes, Not Software. Robert on the slow, paper-based closing on his first condo that became the idea for Ownright, and on scaling from one closing a day to 50.

Market snapshot: sales step back as fixed rates jump, and Ontario buyers have plenty to choose from

OREA: Ontario sales down 8.3%, inventory well above average

Ontario sales were 13,340 in September, down 8.3% from a year earlier and 0.8% below the five-year average for the month.
The MLS HPI benchmark was $736,300, down 3.9% year over year. Months of inventory sat at 5.4, against a long-run average of 3.4 for this time of year.

CREA: national sales pull back as fixed rates jump

National sales fell 2.3% from August and were 7.7% below last September, ending a four-month run of modest progress.
The national benchmark slipped 0.4% from August after four stable months, with CREA pointing to a fresh step down in Ontario prices.

Our take: Markets now put the odds of a Bank of Canada increase on October 28 near 80%, up from roughly one in four last issue, after hawkish comments from Governor Macklem and September inflation at 3.1%. CREA says that uncertainty will likely keep some buyers on the sidelines until the Bank's path is clearer.

Client spotlight: in their words

I was recommended to use Ownright by my realtor that helped me with my property sale and it did not disappoint. The process was seamless, and I appreciated knowing where we were at in the process of the sale. The dashboard is clear and the convenience of everything being online is unmatched. Reasonable fees as well! Would recommend

Priscilla
Seller · Google review · October 2026

The Ownright advantage

Have a client in need of a real estate lawyer?
We'd love to support them.

Refer a client now