Buying Canadian property as an American

GameboyRMH said:

ShawnG said:

Hope you like mosquitos.

They're the official bird of the province of Ontario. 

Some of those big beefy bastards bit me up last month, I got a huge incredibly itchy welt at each bite. They're not as easy to run into as the mosquitoes in the Caribbean (not by a long shot, here they greet me in the bathroom each morning!), but per-bite they are much worse.

I'm fortunately not really affected by biting bugs.  I get covered with mosquitoes and one or two will itch while they're biting, but it's not annoying.  It's no different than any random itch you get in February.

Now Horseflies.... berkeley horseflies in the goat ass.  They hurt.

Curtis said:

GameboyRMH said:

So soon you could have a house on Berkeley Street AND a getaway spot on Crotch Lake?

Next I need a place where the postal code is E36M3.  I doubt I'll find Bob Costas Lane, though.

Once noticed on an offroad rally score sheet that I had driven over a "Pussie Bridge." I have to get back to that bridge!

Better than Tickle Cock Bridge in England

Curtis said:

GameboyRMH said:

ShawnG said:

Hope you like mosquitos.

They're the official bird of the province of Ontario. 

Some of those big beefy bastards bit me up last month, I got a huge incredibly itchy welt at each bite. They're not as easy to run into as the mosquitoes in the Caribbean (not by a long shot, here they greet me in the bathroom each morning!), but per-bite they are much worse.

I'm fortunately not really affected by biting bugs.  I get covered with mosquitoes and one or two will itch while they're biting, but it's not annoying.  It's no different than any random itch you get in February.

Now Horseflies.... berkeley horseflies in the goat ass.  They hurt.

And they’re also built like tanks. I’ve hit one with a canoe paddle and the bastard came back for a second bite. 

There's always Dildo, Newfoundland.

ShawnG said:

There's always Dildo, Newfoundland.

Thanks, I'd rather have horseflies than Newfies.

(kidding... great folks)

Keith Tanner said:

And they’re also built like tanks. I’ve hit one with a canoe paddle and the bastard came back for a second bite. 

You guys would love gallinippers. Their bite feels like getting blood drawn by a sadistic phlebotomist. Plus, their larvae are known to eat tadpoles. 

Curtis said:

NGTD said:

I would suggest using a lawyer. It will make everything go smoother. You can't both use the same lawyer.

That advice has been given to me by someone up here.  I'm not sure I want to retain a lawyer for a property that equates to the trade of a 1992 travel trailer.  If I have to, I will, but this is basically a $2000-3000 value trade deal.

I'll see what advice I can get out of a local lawyer before opening the wallet, but I think we can do it all in Kingston on our own.

I'm offended.  I suggested a lawyer many posts before Mr. NGTD did, but my brilliance goes unacknowledged.  I did use the fancy word "attorney".  FYI, they are the same.  Lawyer = Attorney.  See also:  Barrister, Advocate, Counselor, Mouthpiece.

In the U.S., real estate laws vary by state.  Some states REQUIRE that a lawyer be involved at closing.  I have no idea if there are similar laws in darkest Canuckistan.  

In reply to Brett_Murphy :

We have these in our lakes, they bite and it hurts like a mother..

1988RedT2 said:

Curtis said:

NGTD said:

I would suggest using a lawyer. It will make everything go smoother. You can't both use the same lawyer.

That advice has been given to me by someone up here.  I'm not sure I want to retain a lawyer for a property that equates to the trade of a 1992 travel trailer.  If I have to, I will, but this is basically a $2000-3000 value trade deal.

I'll see what advice I can get out of a local lawyer before opening the wallet, but I think we can do it all in Kingston on our own.

I'm offended.  I suggested a lawyer many posts before Mr. NGTD did, but my brilliance goes unacknowledged.  I did use the fancy word "attorney".  FYI, they are the same.  Lawyer = Attorney.  See also:  Barrister, Advocate, Counselor, Mouthpiece.

In the U.S., real estate laws vary by state.  Some states REQUIRE that a lawyer be involved at closing.  I have no idea if there are similar laws in darkest Canuckistan.  

Consider your brilliance now acknowledged.  (I missed your post somehow)

I'm calling one today to ask some questions.

Actually, I just remembered something.

If you're a status Indian in Canada or the USA, you can own land on either side of the border and cross without the usual requirements about length of stay and whatnot.

Not sure if that applies to you but if it does, you might as well take advantage of it.

I would be proud to be... but I'm pasty white German/American.

There is only two things I dont like about the lakes region of Ontario, despite it not being very mountainous:

1) It might as well be the on opposite side of the country because it takes forever to get up there. 

2) It's not like early June and September all year. 

I had a buddy who was nice enough to let me enjoy his families cabin on Clear Lake (near Chaffey's Lock) for a few years every summer. It has made me into "Lakes Guy". I really can't stand the beach, and it solidified my love for lakes. Good times. 

Curtis said:

GameboyRMH said:

So soon you could have a house on Berkeley Street AND a getaway spot on Crotch Lake?

Next I need a place where the postal code is E36M3.  I doubt I'll find Bob Costas Lane, though.

You won't find it - sorry Postal codes are Letter-Number-Letter Space Number-Letter-Number

Keith Tanner said:

Curtis said:

GameboyRMH said:

ShawnG said:

Hope you like mosquitos.

They're the official bird of the province of Ontario. 

Some of those big beefy bastards bit me up last month, I got a huge incredibly itchy welt at each bite. They're not as easy to run into as the mosquitoes in the Caribbean (not by a long shot, here they greet me in the bathroom each morning!), but per-bite they are much worse.

I'm fortunately not really affected by biting bugs.  I get covered with mosquitoes and one or two will itch while they're biting, but it's not annoying.  It's no different than any random itch you get in February.

Now Horseflies.... berkeley horseflies in the goat ass.  They hurt.

And they’re also built like tanks. I’ve hit one with a canoe paddle and the bastard came back for a second bite. 

You got to squish them until they are flat to make sure they are dead. A swat is "Just a flesh wound".

NGTD said:

Curtis said:

GameboyRMH said:

So soon you could have a house on Berkeley Street AND a getaway spot on Crotch Lake?

Next I need a place where the postal code is E36M3.  I doubt I'll find Bob Costas Lane, though.

You won't find it - sorry Postal codes are Letter-Number-Letter Space Number-Letter-Number

I know, but I was thinking maybe Djibouti or Nepal has a postal code like that.

In reply to ShawnG :

You're from....?  Chernobyl?

What in the heck is that thing?

In reply to 1988RedT2 :

Giant water beetle, also called a "Toe Biter" for reasons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethocerus_americanus

ShawnG said:

In reply to Brett_Murphy :

We have these in our lakes, they bite and it hurts like a mother..

I've not seen one that big before, but I can say they make really good bait if you can catch them and hook them after they bite you.

In reply to ShawnG :

Dildo is a great little town went thru it when i was working on the Targa Newfound if i can find my pics i have one of me leaning on the Dildo sign.

Brett_Murphy said:

ShawnG said:

In reply to Brett_Murphy :

We have these in our lakes, they bite and it hurts like a mother..

I've not seen one that big before, but I can say they make really good bait if you can catch them and hook them after they bite you.

If there was an easy way to trap them, I'd be trying to bribe some canadians to send me a box full of dead ones. Look like fantastic pike, musky, and bass bait. 

In Texas a Warranty Deed signed by both parties and presented and the corresponding county clerk for record is enough, that's how I've done it before with family. 

I hope it's that easy but doubt it, good luck,  I've been wanting to buy a bit of raw land somewhere. 

According to the lawyer I spoke with, it requires both parties to have separate lawyers.  For a $3000 property, it doesn't seem like much of a bargain for $2500 to two lawyers.

I have put in a couple calls to the Land Registry office to see if there is a way to do it sans barrister.

Curtis said:

According to the lawyer I spoke with, it requires both parties to have separate lawyers.  For a $3000 property, it doesn't seem like much of a bargain for $2500 to two lawyers.

I have put in a couple calls to the Land Registry office to see if there is a way to do it sans barrister.

Seriously?  At my last closing, I don't think I paid my lawyer more than maybe $400?

I see it varies a good bit by state.  By all means, shop it, but it's probably determined by the requirements of the locality.

Curtis said:

According to the lawyer I spoke with, it requires both parties to have separate lawyers.  For a $3000 property, it doesn't seem like much of a bargain for $2500 to two lawyers.

I have put in a couple calls to the Land Registry office to see if there is a way to do it sans barrister.

Unfortunately, the value of the lawyer's time doesn't change with the value of the property. It's like the "$3000 for a turbo kit? I only paid $1500 for the car!" complaint we've been hearing from Miata owners for years. The problem is not the price of the lawyers, it's that the properly is basically valueless.

Hopefully you can get it done without the lawyers.