https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/ Buying, selling, neighbourhoods and market updates for Markham, Ontario. en-CA Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/closing-day-ontario-markham/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/closing-day-ontario-markham/ Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Buying What happens on closing day in Ontario when you buy your first Markham home: the money, the registration, the keys, the 6:00 p.m. deadline and what to do next. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/mortgage-stress-test-markham/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/mortgage-stress-test-markham/ Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Buying How the mortgage stress test in Canada works for a first home in Markham: the 5.25% floor, the 2% buffer, the GDS and TDS limits and a worked example with numbers. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/how-long-downsizing-takes-markham/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/how-long-downsizing-takes-markham/ Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Downsizing A realistic downsizing timeline for a Markham home, stage by stage, which parts have fixed deadlines, which stretch and what usually makes a move run late. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/sell-first-or-buy-first-downsizing-markham/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/sell-first-or-buy-first-downsizing-markham/ Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Downsizing Whether to sell first or buy first when you downsize in Markham, what bridge financing actually does, how the two closings line up and how to decide the order. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/what-downsizing-clients-taught-us/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/what-downsizing-clients-taught-us/ Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Downsizing Patterns from the downsizing and later life moves Kirby Chan & Co. has published, what they have in common and what they change about how we handle a move. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/who-helps-with-downsizing-markham/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/who-helps-with-downsizing-markham/ Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Downsizing Who helps with downsizing in Markham: what a real estate agent, a senior move manager, an estate clearing company, a lawyer and an accountant each do and how they fit. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/bungalow-condo-or-townhouse-downsizing/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/bungalow-condo-or-townhouse-downsizing/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Downsizing Comparing a bungalow, condo apartment, condo townhouse and freehold townhouse for downsizing in Markham, on maintenance, fees, accessibility and August 2026 prices. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/closing-costs-buying-home-markham/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/closing-costs-buying-home-markham/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Costs and Taxes The closing costs an Ontario home buyer pays on a Markham resale: land transfer tax, legal fees, title insurance, mortgage insurance tax, adjustments and moving. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/condo-status-certificate-markham/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/condo-status-certificate-markham/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Condos What an Ontario condo status certificate must contain, the $100 fee cap, the 10 day deadline and the red flags a lawyer checks before you buy a resale condo in Markham. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/fhsa-and-home-buyers-plan/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/fhsa-and-home-buyers-plan/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Buying How the FHSA and the RRSP Home Buyers' Plan work for a first home in Markham: 2026 limits, who qualifies, repayment rules and how to use both on the same purchase. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/land-transfer-tax-markham/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/land-transfer-tax-markham/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Costs and Taxes How land transfer tax in Markham is calculated in 2026, what it costs at typical Markham prices, the $4,000 first-time buyer refund and how Toronto compares. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/markham-downsizing-costs/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/markham-downsizing-costs/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Downsizing A full breakdown of Markham downsizing costs: land transfer tax with worked examples, legal fees, moving, condo fees, property tax adjustments and bridge financing. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/markham-go-train-commute/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/markham-go-train-commute/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Moving to Markham Taking the Markham GO train to Union Station: the four Stouffville line stations in Markham, scheduled travel times, weekday and weekend service and parking. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/markham-neighbourhoods-for-downsizing/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/markham-neighbourhoods-for-downsizing/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Downsizing A look at downsizing neighbourhoods in Markham, with TRREB condo apartment, condo townhouse and freehold townhouse prices and what smaller housing each area has. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/markham-property-tax/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/markham-property-tax/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Costs and Taxes How Markham property tax is calculated in 2026: MPAC assessed value, the City, York Region and education rates, due dates, payment plans and what happens at closing. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/senior-downsizing-checklist-markham/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/senior-downsizing-checklist-markham/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Downsizing A practical senior downsizing checklist for Markham homeowners, from the first decision through move day, plus the Markham and Ontario programmes that can help. https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/unionville-vs-markham-village/ https://kirbychanmarkham.com/blog/unionville-vs-markham-village/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neighbourhoods Unionville and Markham Village both have a historic main street and a GO station. How they differ on price, lot size, housing stock, schools and daily life.