Home/Buying
Buying a home in London
More inventory and longer days on market mean you have room to negotiate. Using that room is the whole job. Here is how we do it, plus the numbers you need before you start.
Start your home search
Tell us what you're after and we'll send the listings worth seeing, often before they're online.
What we do, and why
buyers pick us
Anyone can email you listings. This is the part that decides whether you get the house, and what you pay for it.
It starts with you
A conversation about your goals and priorities: the features you want, the things you'd rather avoid, where you want to live and what you want to spend.
A search built around you
We build a full search from your criteria and actively look for homes that fit, instead of just forwarding whatever matches a filter.
A builder's eye
With a strong background in construction and renovations, we catch the defects, maintenance concerns and costly fixes that are easy to miss on a first visit.
Early access
Our clients may get to preview select upcoming listings before they reach the public market, which can sometimes lead to a private sale.
We negotiate firmly
When it's time to offer, our market knowledge, negotiation experience and long-standing reputation across Elgin and Middlesex go to work for you.
Practical, not slogans
We'll give you an honest view of the opportunities and the risks, not a sales line, and stay with you through showings, offers and closing.
Know what a house is hiding before you offer.
With a strong background in construction and renovations, we pay close attention to defects, maintenance concerns and costly improvements that may not be obvious on a first visit, then tell you straight.
- Roof, windows and mechanicals
- Water, grading and foundation
- What renovations really cost
Where are you at?
Buying looks different depending on how far along you are. Pick the one that sounds like you.
Curious, not committed
You are watching listings and wondering whether the numbers work. Nothing needs to happen yet, and nobody should be pressuring you.
- Run the mortgage and land transfer numbers below
- Get a feel for what your budget buys by neighbourhood
- Set up alerts so you learn the market without effort
Serious, within a few months
You want to move this year. Now the order of operations matters, because the wrong sequence costs you the house you actually wanted.
- Get a real pre-approval, not an online estimate
- Narrow to two or three neighbourhoods and learn their pricing
- Start seeing homes so you can recognise value when it appears
Ready to write an offer
You have seen enough to know what you want. From here it is strategy, and small decisions swing thousands of dollars.
- Comparable sales and days on market to set the number
- Which conditions to keep and which quietly cost you the deal
- Closing costs confirmed so nothing surprises you at the lawyer
Work out the numbers first.
Mortgage payments and Ontario land transfer tax, using the real rules. No email needed, nothing gets sent to us.
Mortgage payment
Canadian semi-annual compounding, minimum down payment tiers and the CMHC premium where one applies.
Open the calculatorLand transfer tax
Ontario rates with the first-time buyer rebate. London charges no municipal land transfer tax, unlike Toronto.
Open the calculatorFirst-time buyer help
The rebates and programs you can actually use, and which ones have to be claimed before closing.
See what appliesHomes for sale right now
Every listing on the market across London, Elgin and Middlesex.
Why homeowners choose us
Experience you can measure, across the markets we know best.
Get to know the area
before you buy in it.
Old South
Century homes and a walkable village core. Consistently the tightest inventory in the city.
Byron
Family-first streets near Boler Mountain and the Thames. Big lots and strong schools.
Masonville
Shopping, hospital and university all within reach. Popular with move-up buyers.
Old North
Tree-lined streets beside Western. Heritage character with steady long-term demand.
Hyde Park
Fast growing and mostly post-2000 construction, with easy Highway 402 access.
Riverbend
Newer executive builds and adult lifestyle enclaves along the river bend.
Buyers get both of us.
Mackenzie and Dan Hinschberger, RE/MAX Centre City. More than 40 years of combined experience across London, Elgin and Middlesex, a strong background in construction, and a network of trusted trades for everything that comes up along the way.
Questions buyers ask
It depends on you. We follow market conditions, interest rates, inventory and local activity closely, but we won't tell you the best time to buy was yesterday, or to date the rate and marry the house. The right decision depends on your finances, your goals and the specific home. Our job is to lay out the opportunities and the risks so you can make the call that is right for you.
Sometimes. Our clients may get to preview select upcoming listings before they reach the public market, which can occasionally lead to a private sale.
Yes. With a strong background in construction and renovations, we pay close attention to defects, maintenance concerns and costly improvements that may not be obvious, and we tell you about them before you make an offer.
Firmly. We use our market knowledge, negotiation experience and long-standing reputation throughout Elgin and Middlesex to protect your interests and get the best possible terms.
Very likely. We consider ourselves among the best-connected agents in the area for construction, repairs and renovations, and we work with a trusted group of contractors and trades who know the standard we expect. We also own a dump trailer that clients can sometimes use for renovation tear-outs, cleanups or moves, subject to availability and terms.
Ready to buy a home and make a move?
A call or a coffee, no commitment. We'll tell you honestly where you stand.
