The Complete Guide to Buying, Owning and Selling a Home in Canada

NON FICTION BOOK REVIEW  

400 words

Title: The Complete Guide to Buying, Owning and 
Selling a Home in Canada; by Margaret Kerr and 
JoAnn Kurtz; John Wiley & Sons; ISBN: 0-471-64191-X; 
Paperback; 305 pages, CAN $21.95.

Reviewer: Ellen Tremblay, "Margaret Kerr and 
JoAnn Kurtz have produced a very informative 
book on a serious subject."

A sure guide to buy or sell a home.

Considering the purchase of a home? Is your current 
abode in need of renovating? Are there preparations 
under way to sell the residence that has been yours 
for the past thirty years? If the answer to any of these 
questions is "Yes," a wise first step might be to invest 
in The Complete Guide to Buying, Owning, and Selling 
a Home in Canada.   

Written by two lawyers with experience in research, 
teaching and practice. Kerr and Kurtz prepare the 
reader for the event to come, in language that is 
humorous, and easily understood. They have 
produced a very informative book on a serious 
subject.

Between the covers there are a number of helpful 
lists to consider. They serve as a reality check for 
the potential buyer, owner or seller. Facts that must 
be taken into consideration before making a move 
are itemized, beginning with "What You Can Afford" 
and ending with "Estimating Your Net Proceeds 
From the Sale."

The authors carefully prepare the reader for the trip 
to the mortgagee. Terms the lender may use are 
defined such as; second mortgage, amortization 
period, and blended payments. The borrower who 
studies this section will be familiar and comfortable 
with the terms when the moment comes to face bank 
or trust company loans officer.

As evidenced by the thorough manner in which they 
go through each area of subject matter step by step, 
the authors know of what they write. Their description 
of the family at the end of a day of moving, and their 
advice as to what to do next, indicates that they have 
"been there."

There are tips for hiring lawyers, real estate agents 
and contractors. The description of the legal relationship 
between customer and real estate agent might come 
as a surprise, and is worth a very close read. This section 
alone could save the purchaser of a house many times 
the cost of this book.

Probably the largest purchase and subsequent sale 
one will ever make is a home. It therefore makes sense 
to research these transactions well in advance to prepare 
for the event to come. This book arms the reader against 
potentially costly pitfalls and mistakes.

The Complete Guide to Buying, Owning, and Selling a Home 
in Canada is a very good place to start. I am passing my 
copy on to my son who is currently going through the initial 
stages of financial planning.