London Ontario Real Estate. No Fluff. No Sales Pitch. Just the Truth.

 Written by Ty Lacroix — Real Estate Strategist & Broker, London Ontario 

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Is This London Home Priced to Sell — Or Priced to Test You?

Ty Lacroix, Broker with The Envelope Real Estate Group and 24 years in the London, Ontario market, breaks down the four pricing strategies sellers use on MLS — and what each one means for a buyer sitting across the negotiating table. With London homes currently averaging 26 days on market and selling at 97.4% of list price, the gap between an asking price and a fair price is often bigger than buyers assume.

Every listing price on MLS is a decision, not a fact. Before you write an offer, it helps to know which of these four decisions the seller made.

Overpriced

Some sellers start high. A relative told them the house is worth more, or the last renovation cost more than it added in value, or the mortgage balance leaves no room to come down. None of that changes what the market will actually pay — it just means the first number on the listing isn't the real number.

Somewhat Overpriced

Right now, close to a third of homes on the London market sit longer than they should, priced a little past where buyers are willing to go. Usually it's one of two things: the seller (or their Realtor) hasn't caught up to where the market has shifted, or there's deliberate room built in to negotiate down.

Priced at Fair Market Value

These are the listings built on a real comparison — recent, similar sales in the same neighbourhood, not a guess. In today's London market, homes priced this way are moving in about 26 days and closing within a few points of asking. If you're touring one of these, you're not likely to get a steep discount, but you're also not overpaying.

Priced Below Market

Some sellers intentionally price under value to create urgency — multiple offers, a fast close, sometimes a sale price that ends up above asking. These are the listings that move fastest and give buyers the least room to think.

The number on the sign only tells you where a seller started. It doesn't tell you where they'll land, or how far the price is from what the home is actually worth in London's current market.

If the next home you tour has been sitting for 40+ days, what does that tell you about the number on the listing — and would a second, independent read on that price change how you'd approach the offer?

Check Out The London Ontario Buyers Guide

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Should You Base Your Real Estate Decisions on Just Cash Flow?

Ty Lacroix, a London, Ontario real estate broker with 50 years of personal investment experience, argues that basing real estate investment decisions solely on monthly cash flow is a costly mistake. Experienced investors evaluate the full picture — equity paydown, tax deductions, appreciation, and leverage — across a minimum 10-year window. In London's 2026 market, where average single-family rents are approximately $2,500/month and home prices average $621,700, the math rewards patience and strategy over short-term cash-flow chasing.

So many beginning real estate investors will decide whether a property is good or bad based on a single question: "Will it produce positive monthly cash flow?"

That is a very limited way to look at an investment. Sometimes there is no simple answer when you are trying to build real wealth.

There are several things real estate investors — beginners and experienced alike — should be weighing before they make that call.

How much money are you putting down?

In Canada today, investment properties require a minimum 20% down payment. That is not a small number, and it is not something to gloss over. What you do with that capital — how you deploy it — matters enormously.

Before you fixate on monthly cash flow, ask yourself:

  • What are your actual financial goals?

  • Are you leveraging your capital for maximum long-term advantage?

  • Are you using every available tax deduction?

  • Are you accounting for the fact that your mortgage is being paid down every single month?

Let's look at this more closely.

Let's use a $500,000 property — a realistic entry point for a solid single-family rental in London, Ontario in 2026.

With a 25% down payment, here is what the numbers look like:

$500,000 — Purchase Price
$125,000 — Required for 25% Down Payment
$1,990/month — Mortgage carrying cost at 4.09% fixed, 30-year amortization
$450/month — Property Taxes
$110/month — Insurance
$2,550/month — Total Carrying Costs

Can you rent a $500,000 property in London, Ontario, for $2,500 or more per month?

According to current market data, the median asking rent for a three-bedroom house in London is $2,450/month, with well-located properties regularly achieving $2,500 and above. 

So, at $2,500/month in rent against $2,550/month in carrying costs, you are running at a negative $50/month. Cash flow negative. By the beginner's logic, this is a bad investment.

Except it is not.

Here is where beginners and experienced investors part ways completely.

Beginners look at one month. Experienced investors look at ten years.

That negative $50/month — $600 over the year — is not the story. The story is everything happening underneath it.

Every month, your tenant pays rent; a portion of that rent is applied toward the mortgage. On a $375,000 mortgage, you are building several hundred dollars in equity every single month simply through amortization. That equity belongs to you. It is not showing up in your monthly cash flow calculation, but it is absolutely showing up in your net worth.

What about tax deductions?

Canadian real estate investors routinely leave money on the table at tax time. Insurance premiums, property taxes, legal fees, maintenance, land transfer costs, mortgage interest — these are all deductible against your rental income. In many cases, a property you thought was breaking even is actually working in your favour once a qualified real estate accountant runs the numbers. The wealthy use professionals. You should, too.

For what it typically costs to have a real estate accountant handle your return, you will almost certainly recover double that in deductions you did not know to claim.

What about appreciation?

You cannot guarantee appreciation. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not someone you should be taking advice from.

But over long periods, appreciation is the most powerful accelerator of wealth in real estate. The average single-family home price in London, Ontario, as of April 2026, sits at $621,700. London has consistently rewarded patient, long-term holders.

Here is what a conservative 5% annual appreciation does to a $500,000 property:

After year one: $525,000
After year two: $551,250
After year three: $578,813
After year four: $607,753
After year five: $638,141

That is $138,141 in appreciation — a 110% return on your $125,000 down payment, before you factor in equity paydown or a single dollar of tax savings.

Now let's talk about leverage.

Instead of putting $125,000 into one property at 25% down, what if you used 20% down and bought two properties?

$100,000 down on each. Two assets are appreciating. Two mortgages being paid down by tenants. Two properties are building equity simultaneously.

The modest negative cash flow you might experience on one becomes context, not crisis, when you see what the full ten-year picture produces.

This is how experienced investors think. This is not speculation — it is strategy.

A word of caution.

I am not telling you to jump on any property simply because negative cash flow is tolerable.

That would be wrong.

You still need to do your homework, run the real numbers, and choose a fundamentally sound asset in a location with durable rental demand. I have written separately about the specific scenarios where I would — and would not — move on a negative cash-flow property.

The purpose here is to expand your thinking. To get you asking better questions than "Does it cash flow this month?"

One last thought.

I have had the privilege of working with investors in London, Ontario, who came to me asking the right questions. Three of them went on to build portfolios of 4, 6, and 10 properties respectively — and more than doubled their equity in the process.

None of them made their decisions based on monthly cash flow alone.

If you are a serious investor — or someone who wants to think like one — I am available for a direct conversation. We can look at the real numbers together, and only when we are both comfortable does any course of action make sense.

You are under no obligation when we first speak.

Reach me at 519-435-1600 or here

Please discuss the ideas in this post with your professional advisors, including your accountant and your lawyer. Real estate investment is not guaranteed, and results depend on individual circumstances, market conditions, and investment decisions.

More on Income Property Strategy →

Also find me at tylacroix.com and Totally Preachless

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New property for rent in London North

I have listed a new property for rent at 87 1320 Savannah Drive in London North. See details here

Excellent 3-bedroom townhouse located in the very desirable area of Stoney Creek in North East London.

Nearby are the Stoney Creek YMCA community centre, Stoneycreek Public School, Mother Teresa High School, Louis Arbour French Immersion, shopping, and parks.

There are 1.5 bathrooms, a finished family room on the lower level, a spacious eat-in kitchen, generously sized rooms, and a nice backyard deck.

This is clean, well-cared-for, and ready to move into.

It is available to rent for only $2,450 per month, plus utilities. Five appliances; the water heater is owned; furnace and air conditioning; you pay hydro, Union Gas and Internet.

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What Every Condo Buyer and Seller in London, Ontario Should Know Before It's Too Late

Condo transactions in London, Ontario, carry risks not found in freehold home sales. A status certificate review, reserve fund analysis, investor-to-owner ratio, and full disclosure of known defects are not optional steps — they're the difference between a clean transaction and a costly legal dispute. Ty Lacroix, Broker at The Envelope Real Estate Group, has 24 years of experience guiding London condo buyers and sellers through a process most realtors don't fully understand

Most realtors treat a condo sale like a house sale with a smaller yard. It isn't.

When something goes wrong in a condo transaction in London, Ontario — and eventually, something always does — it almost never comes out of nowhere. The warning signs were there. Somebody missed them, ignored them, or hoped the other side wouldn't notice.

That's not a strategy. That's a gamble with one of the largest financial decisions of your life.

Here's what actually protects you.

If You're Buying a Condo in London, Ontario

Before you remove a single condition, three things need to happen — and none of them are optional.

The status certificate has to be read, not filed.

Your realtor, your lawyer, and you need to review it. Not skim it — review it. The status certificate tells you whether the corporation is financially stable, whether there are pending special assessments, what the reserve fund holds, and when the last engineering study was completed. If your lawyer hasn't done this dozens of times before, get a different lawyer.

The investor-to-owner ratio matters more than most buyers realize.

A building with a high concentration of tenant-occupied units carries a different risk than one that's predominantly owner-occupied. Insurance, maintenance, and resale values are all affected. Ask the question. If nobody can answer it, that's your answer.

Pay attention to what you can't see at a showing.

Water infiltration, ventilation problems, and structural issues don't always announce themselves. Use your eyes. Use your nose. If something feels off, it probably is — and a condo purchase is not the place to trust your optimism over your instincts.

If You're Selling a Condo in London, Ontario

Get the status certificate ready before the listing goes live.

A buyer's representative and lawyer will request it anyway. Having it ready demonstrates transparency and removes a friction point that can slow or kill a deal. According to the Ontario Condominium Act, sellers are required to provide the status certificate within 10 days of a written request — being proactive is simply a good strategy.

Read your own status certificate before it reaches the buyer.

Are there pending special assessments? Minutes that reference an ongoing dispute? Financials that show a reserve fund below where it should be? These are not surprises you want the other side to find first. If there are red flags, a prepared seller — with a prepared realtor — can address them before they become deal-breakers.

Disclose what you know.

This isn't a suggestion. It's a legal obligation under Ontario real estate law. Any known defect, recurring issue, or material fact that would influence a buyer's decision must be disclosed. The downside of non-disclosure is not a failed sale — it's a lawsuit.

The Part That Applies to Both Sides

Every condo has imperfections. Every building does. The question isn't whether problems exist — it's whether you and your realtor have done the work to understand them before a deal is on the table.

If your realtor doesn't know how to read a status certificate, can't explain what a reserve fund study tells you, or isn't asking about the owner-to-tenant ratio, you have a transactional realtor — not a strategist.

The Ontario Condominium Act exists for a reason. The status certificate exists for a reason. Due diligence checklists exist for a reason. None of that matters if the people handling your transaction treat it as paperwork instead of protection.

Ty Lacroix has been helping London homeowners buy and sell condos for 24 years. If you're navigating a condo transaction and you're not sure what you don't know, that's exactly the conversation to have before you sign anything.

"Don't find fault; find a remedy." — Henry Ford

Also find me at tylacroix.com and Totally Preachless
You have questions about a condo transaction in London. Bring them. There's no pitch here — just 24 years of answers.

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In Every London Ontario Home Sale, Someone Is Wrong. Here's How to Make Sure It Isn't You.

In every London, Ontario home sale, buyers and sellers arrive with opposite beliefs about price, condition, and value — and both feel certain they're right. The data settles most of these disputes: well-priced homes sell in roughly 27 days, while overpriced ones can sit for 95 days, and homes that linger sell for about 5% less than they would have. About 34% of sellers eventually cut their price. No magic referee makes everyone right. There are only the results. Ty Lacroix, Realtor-Broker at The Envelope Real Estate Group, has spent 24 years helping London buyers and sellers distinguish between perception and reality before it costs them.

When you buy or sell a home in London, Ontario, you don't just deal with houses and prices. You deal with perceptions, beliefs, egos, greed, and the occasional know-it-all. And nearly everyone in the transaction is certain they're the one who's right.

As Ray Dalio put it: "When two people believe opposite things, chances are that one of them is wrong."

The trouble is, in real estate, the opposite beliefs come from everywhere at once — buyers, sellers, agents, home inspectors, appraisers, and lawyers. Here's what that looks like in real life.

Three Stories About Price

The seller wants $850,000. Their agent — chosen because they're a friend or a relative — says, "No problem." But the home sits. Weeks pass. No offers. Buyers and their agents have quietly decided the price is too high. So who was right: the seller who set the number, or the market that ignored it?

The "insulting" offer. The same seller gets an offer of $775,000 and feels insulted. Their agent agrees it's offensive. Meanwhile, the buyer and their agent believe it's perfectly fair. They go back and forth a few times; both sides dig in, and the deal collapses. Nobody buys. Nobody sells. Two sets of certainty, zero results.

The agent who says no. Another seller wants $850,000. This agent says the realistic range is $795,000 to $815,000. The seller says, "Then I'll find someone who'll list at my price" — and they will, because there's always an agent willing to say yes. So who was right: the seller, the agent who agreed, or the agent who told the truth?

The data has an opinion here. In today's market, well-priced homes sell in about 27 days, while overpriced homes sit for roughly 95 days — a spread of nearly three months. Homes that linger don't just wait longer; they sell for about 5% less than they would have if priced correctly from the start. And about 34% of sellers eventually cut their price anyway. Overpricing on purpose, hoping to "leave room to negotiate," usually leaves you with no one to negotiate with.

The agent who accepts an inflated price isn't doing the seller a favour. They're just delaying the moment the market says no.

When It's Perception Versus Ego

Price is only the beginning. The same clash of certainties shows up over condition.

The roof. A homeowner figures the roof has 10 years left. The inspector says three. A buyer guesses six. Two roofing companies are called in: one says replace it now for $19,600, the other says it's fine for another eight years with some caulking. The buyer wants $20,000 off. The seller refuses. Back on the merry-go-round. Who do you believe?

The appraisal. The buyer and seller agree on a price, but the lender's appraiser determines the home isn't worth it. Now the lender won't fund the mortgage unless the buyer puts more money down or the seller drops the price. Who's right: the two people who agreed, or the appraiser who didn't?

The status certificate. Two condos sell in the same building a month apart. One lawyer reads the status certificate and says it's fine. The other reads it and tells their client to walk. Same building. Same document. Opposite advice. Who's right?

Is There a Solution? No — and Beware Anyone Who Says Otherwise

Here's the uncomfortable truth most agents won't tell you: there is no formula that makes everyone right. Anyone who promises certainty in a transaction full of competing perceptions is selling you the very illusion that causes the problem.

As Morgan Housel has observed, every money decision a person makes feels completely reasonable to them in the moment — based on the information they have, the math they can do, and their own model of how the world works. The catch is that the information can be incomplete, the math can be wrong, and the model can be off. Two people can both be acting sensibly and still reach opposite conclusions.

So what cuts through it? Not louder opinions. Results. The home that sold, and what it sold for. The offer that closed. The roof that held or didn't. Results don't argue. They happen.

The Gap

This is exactly where the right guide earns their keep — not by pretending to be the referee who makes everyone right, but by reading the situation honestly and telling you what the results are likely to be before you live them. Is the price defensible against real comparables, or is it ego with a number attached? Is the roof a $19,600 problem or a caulking problem? Is the status certificate a green light or a quiet warning?

After 24 years in this market, I can't promise certainty — nobody straight-talking can. But I can tell you what the evidence actually says, separate the perception from the reality, and keep you off the merry-go-round that costs other people time and money.

If you're buying or selling in London and you're tired of opinions dressed up as facts, that's the conversation worth having.

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." — John Wooden.


Cut through the noise. Reach out for a private conversation, and I'll tell you what the evidence really says about your home or the one you're considering — no spin, no pressure, no pitch.

Also find me at tylacroix.com and Totally Preachless

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Selling or Buying a Home in London, Ontario This Summer? Here's the Real Picture

Summer in London, Ontario is a quieter real estate season — and that quiet creates real opportunity for both sellers and buyers who know how to use it. According to current LSTAR data, the market sits at 5.0 months of inventory with homes selling at 97.4% of asking in a median of 26 days. Serious buyers are still active. Serious sellers are still transacting. The difference between a summer sale that goes well and one that doesn't comes down to preparation, pricing, and whether you have a plan before you start — not after. Ty Lacroix, Broker at The Envelope Real Estate Group, has helped London sellers and buyers navigate every season of this market for 24 years.

For Sellers: The Summer Reality

What's working in your favour.

Serious buyers don't take the summer off. The buyers who are actively searching in July and August are there because they need to be — a job transfer, a closing date on a home they've already sold, a family change that doesn't wait for September. That motivation matters. A focused pool of serious buyers is often more productive than a large pool of casual ones.

Pricing is also holding. According to LSTAR data, London's average sale price is $633,844, with homes selling at 97.4% of asking — a 2.6% negotiating gap that has been consistent. Detached homes in established neighbourhoods continue to hold their value relative to the rest of the province.

What you're working against.

With 5.0 months of inventory currently sitting on the market, buyers have choices. Your home isn't competing against a handful of listings — it's competing against everything available in your price range, right now, on the same screen a buyer is scrolling at 10 PM. That means coasting, testing the market, or hoping someone overlooks a flaw isn't a strategy. It's a way to sit.

Days on market matter more in summer. A home that doesn't get traction in its first two weeks goes stale faster when the buyer pool is smaller. The first week of a listing is still your highest-traffic window, and wasting it on a price that doesn't hold up against the comparables is expensive.

Seller game plan: Price with the market — not ahead of it. Fix visible flaws before the listing goes live. Insist on a launch that creates real demand in week one: professional photography, accurate listing details, direct outreach to buyer agents actively working with qualified clients in your price range. The goal is showings in the first seven days, not hope.

For the complete seller framework: How Selling Your Home Actually Works in London, Ontario →

For Buyers: The Summer Reality

What's working in your favour.

Higher inventory means more choice and less pressure. The frantic bidding-war conditions of a few years ago are not the current reality. With 5.0 months of inventory, you have time to look carefully, compare properly, and negotiate thoughtfully — without the fear that every home you consider will be gone by morning.

Fewer competing buyers in summer means the sellers who are genuinely motivated are more reachable. A well-structured offer on a home that's been sitting for 30-plus days carries real negotiating room. That's the opportunity this market offers a prepared buyer.

What you're working against.

More choice creates decision fatigue. Buyers who arrive without a clear picture of what they actually need — as opposed to what would be nice — end up shopping forever, missing the right home while waiting for a perfect one that doesn't exist. Having your financing confirmed, your priorities ranked, and your threshold price set before you start looking is what prevents this.

Rate movements also matter. Mortgage affordability still depends on the Bank of Canada's policy backdrop, and rate changes ripple through your carrying costs faster than most buyers expect. A rate hold or pre-approval removes that uncertainty before you're sitting across from a seller with a deadline on the offer.

Buyer game plan: Get fully pre-approved — not just pre-qualified — before you look at a single property. Lock in your rate hold where possible. Focus on the fundamentals that actually hold value: location, condition, layout, and light. When the right home appears, act with confidence rather than hesitation. The buyers who do best in this market are prepared to move decisively when it's right — not rushed, but ready.

For the complete buyer framework: How Buying a Home in London Ontario Actually Works

Should You Act This Summer?

The case for acting now.

A smaller pool of active buyers means less competition for sellers who show well. For buyers, motivated sellers with homes that have been sitting since spring are the most negotiable they'll be all year. Both conditions are real, and both expire when the fall market picks up in September.

The honest caution.

If you're selling to buy simultaneously — which most move-up and downsizing buyers are — the timing coordination matters more in a slower market. Homes can take longer to firm up, which affects bridge financing timelines and the sequencing of your two closings. Having that plan mapped out before you list or offer protects you from making rushed decisions under deadline pressure.

The Bottom Line

Summer isn't the best time to sell or buy in London — and it isn't the worst. It's a season with specific conditions that reward preparation and punish guesswork. The sellers who do well price correctly, prepare thoroughly, and launch with a real strategy. The buyers who do well arrive informed, financed, and clear on what they're looking for.

Whether you're thinking about selling this summer, buying, or navigating both at once — the conversation worth having is the one that maps out your specific plan before anything is listed or offered.

Ready to turn this summer into a move that actually works for you? Reach out for a private conversation — no pressure, no pitch.

Also find me at tylacroix.com and Totally Preachless

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What the Averages Aren't Telling You About London Ontario Real Estate

London, Ontario's June 2026 market is being reported as "slow" because averages are up only modestly — but averages hide a $200,000 to $500,000 spread within a single neighbourhood. Sellers who understand their specific pocket and price accordingly are moving. Buyers who are waiting for a signal that never comes are already behind. Broker Ty Lacroix breaks down what June actually shows across ten London neighbourhoods — and what it means before you decide anything.

Every week, someone reads a headline that says London home sales are up 2% — and concludes the market is slow. That's not analysis. That's a number without a neighbourhood.

Here's what actually matters: within a single London neighbourhood, there can be a $200,000 to $500,000 spread between one street and the next. A bungalow backing onto green space in Byron is not the same market as a comparable footprint two blocks inland. An executive townhome in Sunningdale is not the same market as a resale detached home in the three subdivisions over. Averaging them together and reporting the result as "the London market" tells you almost nothing useful.

The June 2026 numbers across London's established neighbourhoods tell a more honest story. More homes are on the market — sellers and their realtors know it, and the ones pricing to that reality are selling. Buyers who understand the same thing are acting on it. The ones sitting on the fence waiting for prices to drop further, or for some cleaner signal from the news, are making a decision by not making one — and they'll feel it.

This is what the market looks like right now in the ten neighbourhoods I track every month. Not the average. The actual picture, area by area.

See all ten London neighbourhood updates →

If you're a seller trying to understand what your specific home is worth in this market — not the average, your home — or a buyer trying to read where the real value is before someone else does, that's the conversation I have every day.

Would you like one?

Also find me at tylacroix.com and Totally Preachless

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You Haven't Bought a Home in 15 Years. The Closing Costs Are Not What You Remember.

In London, Ontario, home buyers in 2026 should budget between 2.5% and 4% of the purchase price in closing costs beyond their down payment. For a $850,000 home — typical in established neighbourhoods like Byron, Westmount, or Sunningdale — that's $21,000 to $34,000 in costs that don't appear in a mortgage approval. Move-up buyers and downsizers who last purchased 15 to 20 years ago are routinely underprepared for how much these costs have shifted. Ty Lacroix, Broker at The Envelope Real Estate Group, has guided London buyers and sellers through this gap for 24 years.

The last time you bought a home, things were different.

Interest rates were different. The market was different. And the number that showed up on your lawyer's statement the week before closing — the one that required a bank transfer you hadn't fully planned for — was smaller than it will be this time.

If you're a move-up buyer, a downsizer, or someone who last went through this process somewhere between 2004 and 2010, the closing cost picture in London, Ontario in 2026 looks different than what you remember. Not dramatically different in structure — the same categories apply. But significantly different in dollar amounts.

Most buyers focus entirely on the purchase price and the down payment. Those are the numbers in every conversation, every mortgage pre-approval, every weekend of open houses. The closing costs sit quietly in the background until about ten days before possession, when your lawyer sends a statement and asks for a wire transfer.

That's a bad time to be surprised.

What's Actually Waiting at Closing

Here's what a move-up or downsizing buyer in the $750,000 to $1.2 million range should expect in London, Ontario in 2026.

Legal Fees
Your real estate lawyer handles the title search, mortgage registration, adjustments, and closing documentation. Budget $3,500 to $4,500, depending on complexity. If you're selling and buying simultaneously — which most move-up and downsizing buyers are — the combined legal work is more involved, and fees reflect that.

Ontario Land Transfer Tax
This is the one that consistently surprises buyers who haven't purchased recently. Land Transfer Tax is paid to the Province of Ontario by the buyer on closing, calculated as a percentage of the purchase price on a sliding scale. On an $850,000 purchase, the Ontario Land Transfer Tax is approximately $12,950. First-time buyers receive a rebate, but move-up and downsizing buyers do not. If you bought your current home in 2006 for $340,000, the Land Transfer Tax you paid then was a fraction of what you'll pay now.

Home Inspection
Budget $500 to $700 for a qualified inspector. In a market where conditions are negotiable again, a home inspection is worth every dollar. No licensing is required in Ontario — ask for the inspector's professional background and sample report before hiring.

Title Insurance
Standard on virtually every transaction today. Protects you and your lender against title defects, survey issues, and certain types of fraud. Typically, $300 to $1,000 on a residential purchase. Your lawyer arranges this at closing.

Property Tax and Utility Adjustments
If the seller has prepaid property taxes — which is common when sellers pay their annual taxes in full by April — you will reimburse them for the prepaid portion at closing. For an $850,000 home in London with annual taxes of approximately $6,000, closing in September means reimbursing roughly $1,500 for the prepaid portion covering October-to-December. This number appears on your closing statement and catches buyers off guard more often than almost anything else.

Interest Adjustment
If your mortgage payment cycle begins on the first of the month and your closing date falls mid-month, your lender charges interest from the closing date to the first payment date. Close on June 18th with a $600,000 mortgage at 4.5%, and the interest adjustment is approximately $1,150. Not large — but unplanned.

Mortgage Appraisal
Lenders frequently require an independent appraisal confirming the property value supports the mortgage amount. Budget $300 to $500. In a market where some neighbourhoods are moving quickly, and others are sitting, appraisals occasionally come in below the purchase price — a situation worth understanding before it happens to you.

Moving Costs
Avoid closing at the end or beginning of the month. That is peak moving season, and movers charge accordingly. A mid-month closing in an established London neighbourhood typically saves $300 to $600 on moving costs alone.

The Number That Matters

Add it up on an $850,000 purchase in London, Ontario, in 2026:

Land Transfer Tax: $12,950
Legal fees: $4,000
Title insurance: $350
Home inspection: $600
Property tax adjustment: $1,500
Interest adjustment: $1,000
Appraisal: $400
Moving: $2,500

Total: approximately $23,300 — before any unexpected items.

That number is not in your mortgage approval letter. It doesn't appear in any of your conversations with your bank. It shows up ten days before you get your keys.

The buyers who are prepared for it move through closing without stress. The ones who aren't spend the last two weeks of the transaction scrambling.

If You're Buying and Selling at the Same Time

Most move-up buyers and downsizers are doing both simultaneously — selling one home and purchasing another — with closing dates that must be coordinated. That adds legal complexity, timing risk, and a second set of closing costs on the sale side.

Understanding both sides of that transaction before you start — what your current home will realistically net after costs, and what your next purchase will actually cost to close — is the difference between a transition that works financially and one that creates unexpected pressure at the worst possible moment.

That conversation is worth having before any offer is written.


How Buying a Home in London, Ontario Actually Works — From First Conversation to Keys in Hand

Also find me at tylacroix.com and Totally Preachless

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