Anyone who wishes to buy a condo should analyze these two issues very carefully before taking action: the monthly fees, and the general condition of the building, including the private and the common spaces. Need advice?
Before looking at the monthly fees, let us review the importance of the condo inspection. Many of us believe it is useless to have a condo unit inspected since it is more like an apartment than a single house. Plus, no one has an apartment inspected before renting it. Bad idea!
Specialists in the field know all too well that it is best to have a condo inspected before buying it. Not only the private area but also the common grounds: hallways, staircases, exterior walls, roof, foundations, land, etc. Just like a home purchase, you can demand the right to have the condo inspected in your offer to purchase.[……]
Purchasing real estate is one of the biggest investments one can make in their lifetime, which is why it is so important to fully understand the associated legal implications. Can an offer to purchase be cancelled? What is a latent defect? A defect of consent? Interview with Martin Janson, real estate lawyer at Janson, Larente, Roy in Montréal.
1. Is there a difference between an offer to purchase and a promise to purchase?
The term “offer to purchase” is often used, but the correct term is actually “promise to purchase”. In this document, the buyer proposes an amount to the seller to acquire the property and sets a deadline for a response. Once the promise is signed, there is to a certain extent a contract. One party is obligated to purchase, while the other is obligated to sell. However, the buyer can stipulate conditions to the promise to purchase. The most common are obtaining the necessary financing, the sale of their current property, and a satisfactory inspection report.[……]
