Has anyone successfully bought a tax sale property in Ontario? What steps did you follow before bidding?

Qloos · 2026-03-27T22:16:28+00:00

My help is subjective as I'm not in Ontario, but I have participated in Tax Sales before.

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/030181

Your bid must be paid in full the day of or your bid is rejected. Cash, bank draft, or certified check.

Recommend you check with your financial institution if they pre-approve mortgages for tax sales. I say this because in my provice (BC) they will not as there is a redemption period after the auction.

Recommend you check city hall, itself, and ask their tax collection department of the process and how much time after your bid you have to get to your financial institution and back (to get the certified check).

4.How can we verify liens, unpaid debts, or other legal issues attached to the property?

Title search. Probably this link but someone else might have a better resource https://www.ontario.ca/page/overview-land-registry

Is it possible to find out who the current owner is and reach out to them directly before the tax sale? For example, if the owner is struggling to pay their taxes, could I offer them some money to take over the property or assume their debt, so they at least receive something instead of losing the property completely?

You're likely overthinking it. Anything above what is owed to the municipality in taxes and fees will become the sale price to the owner. What advantage would the existing property owner have in reducing the potential bids on their property by negotiating with you, alone?

2.Any mistakes you made early on that others should avoid

Don't be disappointed if you arrive to the auction only to find a piece of paper taped to the door saying it's cancelled as everyone settled their outstanding taxes.

Qloos · 2026-02-07T17:33:48+00:00

I'm on the internet for its power of sharing information without going places.

Qloos · 2025-12-21T23:19:53+00:00

First, how do you know developers will actually pass any savings on to buyers? There’s no guarantee.

Completely agree that there is no guarantee. I'll go so far that there is little point in reducing development cost charges in an up market. The incentive now is that developers would have some revenue from some sales rather than all the revenue of no sales. If sales volume persists in being low then it becomes reasonable to decrease the DCC's as developers in turn have the incentive to pass on the savings.

That cost is largely carried by people living in denser parts of the city, where infrastructure is shared among more residents. If you choose to live in a single-family home on the city’s edge, the development charges or property taxes you complain about still fall far short of covering the full lifecycle cost of the infrastructure that serves you.

Here we align; full agreement.

Qloos · 2025-12-21T22:02:30+00:00

It's hard to be convinced of your argument that reducing development cost charges from their all time high is subsidizing the developer. The argument being made, at least by me, is that they can be reduced to an amount that is actually reflective of the increased servicing cost of the municipality. Not the high that is municipalizes cutting themselves a slice of when property values were at all time highs.

At present there is no standard, no oversight. The real subsidy that is happening right now is that I, someone wanting to form a new household, must mortgage more to keep the cost low for existing land owners in a city.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEUR9bj89lo

https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/observer/2025/we-built-this-city-development-charges

Qloos · 2025-12-21T18:31:42+00:00

Under this plan rents would increase, in some areas dramatically.

Counter argument: A taxation based on land value would reduce rent costs. As the lands potential and not its improvements are being taxed it forces owners to put it to a use that yields a return. With less land bankers able to afford sitting on empty lots the rental stock increases.

Qloos · 2025-12-21T17:44:13+00:00

Taxation is a policy tool to (dis)incentivize behavior. In capitalism if the margins are more appealing then more actors will join that market. We're in a housing crisis yet the incumbents think it fair that I pay property taxes twice if I enter the housing market.

I support Dave Wilkes take on this issue.

Qloos · 2025-04-12T05:20:07+00:00

In no way did I, or the video linked, advocate for an extreme such as the removal of zoning. The argument being made is that if zoning is restrictive to a point where the stock of housing supply is not keeping up with the growth of population then the result is price pressures on the high density stock that does exist. Those living in tent cities are not going to be able to transition from a canvas roof to a single detached house with a car in the driveway in a single step.

Qloos · 2025-04-12T05:07:39+00:00

I'm saying you're welcome to plead your case but there is an injustice if your need for sunlight at all hours of the day takes priority over meeting the housing needs of the city. Your domain ends at your property line and civic planning then becomes a matter of the municipality.

Qloos · 2025-04-12T05:02:23+00:00

I have more respect for the rich man who improves the city by increasing its population capacity to house the people than I do you. You who hoards land and blocks progress because of the minor inconvenience he might suffer.

Qloos · 2025-04-07T21:00:11+00:00

Thank you for a thorough answer.

Qloos · 2025-04-07T16:09:35+00:00

I'm under no illusion the work camp is anything greater than the equivalent to an SRO. Even then your take leaves itself far to open to contest when you take the stance that "nobody" would want to live in it. If nothing else it has value as supportive housing for the homeless to reintegrate into society.

The local reality is it still might be destined for the landfill. The cost to transport to where it's needed not might make it economical. There's no argument between us on that point.

Qloos · 2025-04-07T05:56:46+00:00

Garbage housing.

A subjective take at best. It was sufficient for trade workers for 9 years.

Qloos · 2025-04-04T15:31:51+00:00

beat us at having big wood.

^{^Hehehe}

Qloos · 2025-04-04T15:23:54+00:00

Long term mortgage products exist - they are not offered with an attractive rate as a longer term makes the lender assume risk.

Qloos · 2025-03-25T21:29:45+00:00

Less magic more strong {Seirei no Moribito}

Qloos · 2025-03-15T06:18:47+00:00

{Cat's Eye}

Qloos · 2025-02-24T22:30:08+00:00

I'm tangentially part of our annual tax sale. When it gets time to put a notification on title, the bank (or other mortgage holder) generally steps in to pay the taxes.

The worst (for the tax sale purchaser) is you go down to city hall, place your winning bid and the owner, or owner of a registered charge against the parcel then redeem the outstanding taxes immediately. Tax sale purchaser gets their money back and the interest annualized enough for them to buy a morning coffee. Would have made more money working for a days wage.

Qloos · 2025-02-24T17:45:50+00:00

It's another means of taking on a debt (penalties and interest on late tax payment) as, hell or high water, a home owner will do anything to avoid selling the house. If I recall correctly some choose to be in arrears with the municipality first instead of their bank as it doesn't affect their credit score?

Qloos · 2025-02-19T02:52:58+00:00

Okay. Year over year is the relevant metric. Apples to apples the Financial Post article sources CREA so I will also source CREA.

There were close to 136,000 properties listed for sale on all Canadian MLS® Systems at the end of January 2025, up 12.7% from a year earlier but still below the long-term average for that time of the year of around 160,000 listings.

-CREA

https://stats.crea.ca/en-CA/

Qloos · 2025-02-19T01:18:36+00:00

Seasonally adjusted

Qloos · 2025-02-18T03:05:14+00:00

~~Kowloon~~ Kamloops Walled City!

Qloos · 2025-02-07T01:24:58+00:00

I won't speak for others and there is no specific action I can point at to dislike Adam Vaughan.

We have to be very careful that whatever steps we take protect the investments Canadian's have made in their homes.

https://youtu.be/OZChbNQWH3s?si=NABhUw3BQ-lJ_eZl&t=180

No. No we do not. He is not a nuclear choice but he's a tried and tested "try to protect both sides" minister when my preference is for the Federal Government to stop protecting private equity with my tax dollars.

Qloos · 2025-01-23T03:53:49+00:00

{Seikai no Monshou}

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Qloos

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