Buying a home
is also an
emotional decision.
We do not take that lightly. Every showing walked with you. Every offer personally negotiated. Hinchey Homes buyers paid an average of $14,516 less per home.
Source: REDATUM 2026, last 12 months
How do I buy a home in Durham Region?
To buy a home in Durham Region, get pre-approved, book a buyer consultation, and shortlist with an agent who walks every showing with you. Hinchey Homes Real Estate Team, brokered by eXp Realty, personally negotiates every offer through broker Shawn Hinchey, and its buyers paid an average of $14,516 less per home (Source: REDATUM 2026, last 12 months).
Shawn Hinchey
Broker and Team Owner, Hinchey Homes Real Estate Team
RECO registered, TRESA compliant, serving Durham Region since 2013
Published: April 13, 2026 · Last updated: November 9, 2026
You don’t need
an agent.
You need a team.
The buyers who get the most out of Hinchey Homes are usually in transition. First home. New job. New city. Growing family. Empty nest. The moments where the wrong choice costs you for a decade and the right one changes everything.
First-Time Buyers
Buying your first home should not feel like a trap.
Most agents will let you figure it out as you go. We won't. We explain every form, every clause, every dollar of closing cost before it surprises you. Plain language, prompt replies, and the patience to answer the same question twice if you need it.
Repeat & Move-Up Buyers
You know the drill. You also know the parts that go sideways.
We welcome past clients and referrals.
Out-of-Area Buyers
You are choosing a community as much as a house.
We grew up here. We know which streets flood, which schools are honest about their ratings, which builders cut corners, and which neighbourhoods are still undervalued. Move to Durham confidently, not blindly.
Investors & Second Homes
Numbers first, emotion second.
Cap rate analysis, rental comps, zoning verification, and secondary suite eligibility. We treat investment buyers like investors, not first-timers, and we are honest when a property does not pencil.
Buying a home,
step by step.
By the time you write your first offer with us, you already know exactly what to expect at every step.
01
Buyer Consultation
We learn your must-haves, timeline and budget. We give you RECO's Information Guide, explain it, and walk you through the Buyer Representation Agreement before we provide any services.
02
Pre-Approval
You get a written mortgage pre-approval, so you know your real budget and can move fast. We can recommend a mortgage specialist.
03
Search Strategy
We set up tailored listing alerts, map target areas, school zones and commute times, and tell you what is realistic in your price range.
04
Showings
We tour homes with you and help you judge value, condition and resale potential. After each one we break down the pros, the red flags and the comparable sales, so you compare instead of guessing.
05
Offer and Negotiation
We build your offer strategy, prepare the paperwork, present it and negotiate price and terms. Shawn personally negotiates every offer.
06
Conditions
You complete your inspection, financing and any other conditions inside the deadlines. We manage the clock.
07
Closing and Move-In
Your lawyer completes the transfer, you get the keys, and we help you settle in.
30 to 90 days is how long closing usually takes after your offer is accepted.
Buyer’s market. Seller’s market.
What actually changes for you.
The phrase "the market" covers three very different worlds. Here is the plain-English version of what each one means for you as a buyer, and how your strategy should change.
Buyer's Market
More homes for sale than buyers looking.
Prices flatten or fall. Homes sit longer. Sellers take conditional offers and negotiate on price, dates, and repairs. Your strategy: patience, multiple viewings of the same home, and offers well below asking when the data supports it.
Seller's Market
More buyers looking than homes for sale.
Prices rise. Bidding wars are common. Conditional offers get rejected. Your strategy: pre-approval before you start looking, firm offers when the home fits, and a realtor who knows how to compete without overpaying.
Balanced Market
Supply and demand roughly equal.
Homes sell in a reasonable window at reasonable prices. Neither party has all the leverage. Fair terms for both sides. Your strategy: normal due diligence, reasonable offers, and patience to find the right fit.
Three steps.
Then you shop with power.
Pre-approval is the difference between a buyer who wins a bidding war and a buyer who watches someone else win it. Sellers take pre-approved offers more seriously, rates lock in so you are protected if the market moves, and you shop with a real number instead of a guess.
The whole process takes 3-7 business days with the right lender.
01
Gather your documents
Most lenders ask for: Photo ID; your last two years of T4s or Notices of Assessment; a recent pay stub and a letter of employment; statements for savings, investments, RRSP, TFSA or FHSA; bank statements showing where your down payment comes from; and the property tax bill for any property you already own.
02
Meet with a lender or mortgage broker
They pull your credit, verify your income, and calculate your maximum affordable mortgage. We have trusted local lenders we can introduce you to if you need one.
03
Receive your written pre-approval
Get the pre-approval in writing. It shows sellers you are serious, and it often holds your rate for a set period. This is the document that makes your offer credible when you find the right home.
Down payment, insurance
and your no-regrets price.
Minimum down payment
Up to $500,000
5%
$500,000 to under $1.5 million
5% of the first $500,000, plus 10% of the rest
$1.5 million or more
20%
On a $700,000 home the minimum down payment is $45,000: $25,000 on the first $500,000 plus $20,000 on the next $200,000.
Mortgage default insurance
With less than 20% down you need mortgage default insurance (CMHC, Sagen or Canada Guaranty). CMHC's premium runs 2.80% to 4.00% of the mortgage (4.50% above 90% loan-to-value with a non-traditional down payment) and is usually added to it. In Ontario, the 8% provincial sales tax on that premium cannot go into the mortgage: you pay it in cash at closing. First-time buyers, and buyers of new builds, can take a 30-year amortization on an insured mortgage for a lower monthly payment.
Know your no-regrets price
Decide the most you would pay for the right home and still feel good the next morning. Check it with your lender. Losing a home for an amount you could have handled is the regret we want you to avoid.
Sources: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Making a down payment; CMHC, Mortgage loan insurance costs; Ontario Ministry of Finance, Retail Sales Tax: Insurance and Benefits Plans; Department of Finance Canada, mortgage reforms in force December 15, 2024. Checked October 30, 2026; next check by January 31, 2027. General information, not legal, tax or mortgage advice. Rules, rates and limits change; confirm the details with your lawyer, lender or accountant.
Money programs
for first-time buyers.
An eligible first-time buyer can put up to $100,000 from an FHSA and RRSP toward a home, and get up to $4,000 back on land transfer tax. Ask us at the consultation which of these fit you.
Up to $4,000
Ontario land transfer tax refund
Up to $4,000 off provincial land transfer tax, so no tax on the first $368,000 of the price. You must be at least 18, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and never have owned a home anywhere in the world (nor your spouse while you have been together), and you must move in within 9 months.
Up to $40,000
First Home Savings Account (FHSA)
Save up to $8,000 a year, up to $40,000 in your lifetime. Contributions are generally deductible, a qualifying withdrawal for your first home is tax-free, and there is nothing to repay. Your room starts in the year you open your first FHSA, so open one early.
Up to $60,000
RRSP Home Buyers' Plan
Withdraw up to $60,000 from your RRSPs, or $120,000 for a couple who both qualify, and use it with your FHSA. Repay it over 15 years; for a first withdrawal from 2022 to 2028, repayments start in the fifth year after. RRSP contributions made in the 89 days before you withdraw may not be deductible.
Up to $50,000
First-time home buyers' GST/HST rebate
Up to $50,000 back on the GST (the federal part of the HST) on a newly built or substantially renovated home you will live in as your primary residence: the full rebate up to $1 million, a reduced rebate up to $1.5 million. Buying from a builder, your agreement must be signed on or after March 20, 2025 and before 2031, and you can ask the builder whether they credit the rebate at closing. In Ontario, a separate rebate of up to $80,000 of the provincial part of the HST follows the same rules.
Up to $1,400
Home buyers' amount (First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit)
Claim up to $10,000 on line 31270 of your federal return for the year you buy. It is a non-refundable credit worth the lowest federal rate (14% for 2026), so up to $1,400 off your federal income tax.
Each program defines "first-time buyer" a little differently. Ontario's land transfer tax refund requires that you have never owned a home anywhere in the world, while the federal programs generally look back over the current year and the previous four calendar years. Your lawyer, lender or accountant confirms which ones you qualify for.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Finance, Land Transfer Tax Refunds for First-Time Homebuyers; Canada Revenue Agency, Contributing to your FHSAs; Canada Revenue Agency, FHSA definitions; Canada Revenue Agency, What is the Home Buyers' Plan; Canada Revenue Agency, Repaying the Home Buyers' Plan; Canada Revenue Agency, Withdrawing funds under the Home Buyers' Plan; Canada Revenue Agency, What is the first-time home buyers' rebate; Canada Revenue Agency, First-time home buyers' rebate: who can apply; Canada Revenue Agency, First-time home buyers' GST/HST rebate (Ontario budget notice); Canada Revenue Agency, Line 31270 Home buyers' amount; Canada Revenue Agency, Tax rates and income brackets for 2026. Checked October 30, 2026; next check by January 31, 2027. General information, not legal, tax or mortgage advice. Rules, rates and limits change; confirm the details with your lawyer, lender or accountant.
The strongest offer
is not always the highest price.
Sellers weigh price and terms together, so we build your offer around both and protect you on each one. Before we write, we find out how the seller is handling offers: whether there is an offer date, how many offers are registered and how competing offers will be treated.
What sellers weigh
Price
The headline number
Base it on recent comparable sales, not the list price.
Deposit
Shows you are serious
Have it ready by bank draft, certified cheque or wire, usually due within 24 hours of acceptance.
Closing date
Sellers often have their own move to time
Ask what date works for them and match it where you can.
Conditions
Fewer conditions mean more certainty
Do the homework early so you need fewer of them.
Inclusions
Appliances, fixtures and window coverings
Ask for what matters to you and keep the rest simple.
Five ways to compete
- 1Know exactly what you want, so you recognize the right home fast.
- 2Move quickly. Review the listing online, then book a showing the same day if it could be the one.
- 3Have your pre-approval in writing before you start touring.
- 4Set your no-regrets price before offer night, not during it.
- 5Make the offer easy to accept: clean terms, a strong deposit and a closing date that suits the seller.
Your deposit
Have your deposit ready before offer night. It is usually 5% or more of the price, paid by bank draft, certified cheque or wire within about 24 hours of acceptance, held in trust and credited toward your down payment.
After we submit
- Accepted: we move straight to your conditions.
- Signed back: the seller changes some terms and sends it back. We keep negotiating for you, and we tell you plainly if it is time to walk away.
- Rejected: not common. We find out why and adjust for the next one.
Once your offer is accepted,
the clock starts.
A missed deadline can end the deal, so we track every date for you.
Common conditions
- Home inspection: about 3 hours, ending with a detailed report. Rural homes usually add well water and septic checks.
- Financing: your lender confirms the mortgage, often after an appraisal.
- Condo review: your lawyer reviews the status certificate before you firm up.
Before closing day
- Confirm your down payment and closing funds with your lawyer about a week before closing.
- Arrange home insurance and send proof to your lender.
- Sign your mortgage and purchase documents with your lawyer.
- Book movers or a truck early.
- Set up hydro, gas, water and internet, and cancel services at your old address.
- Tell your children's schools about the move.
- Complete your final visit to the home, if your offer includes one.
On closing day
The lawyers exchange funds and transfer title, often later in the day. Your keys are released once that is done, so plan your move for the afternoon or the next morning.
The closing costs
nobody tells you about.
Budget for closing costs on top of your down payment. On a $700,000 home, Ontario land transfer tax alone is $10,475, or $6,475 for an eligible first-time buyer.
Ontario land transfer tax rates: up to $55,000 at 0.5%; $55,000 to $250,000 at 1.0%; $250,000 to $400,000 at 1.5%; over $400,000 at 2.0%; over $2,000,000, where the land contains one or two single family residences, at 2.5%.
Durham Region has no municipal land transfer tax; Toronto charges its own.
Buyers who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents also pay Ontario's 25% Non-Resident Speculation Tax, on top of land transfer tax, anywhere in Ontario (at that rate since October 25, 2022), unless an exemption applies. Rebates and refunds exist in some cases; your lawyer confirms.
Typical amounts from our Buyer Guide, checked October 30, 2026. Estimates only; your lawyer, lender and inspector confirm the real figures.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Finance, Calculating Land Transfer Tax; Ontario Ministry of Finance, Land Transfer Tax Refunds for First-Time Homebuyers; Ontario Ministry of Finance, Non-Resident Speculation Tax; Ontario Ministry of Finance, Retail Sales Tax: Insurance and Benefits Plans. Checked October 30, 2026; next check by January 31, 2027. General information, not legal, tax or mortgage advice. Rules, rates and limits change; confirm the details with your lawyer, lender or accountant.
Deposit
Within about 24 hours of acceptance, held in trust
Usually 5% or more of the price, credited toward your down payment
Home inspection
At the inspection
About $500 for a city home, up to $1,500 for a rural home with a well and septic
Appraisal
Before your financing is confirmed
A few hundred dollars; some lenders cover it
Legal fees and disbursements
At closing
About $2,000 and up, including title insurance and registration. Get a written quote.
Ontario land transfer tax
At closing
Set by Ontario's rates (beside this table and in our calculator)
Mortgage default insurance (CMHC, Sagen or Canada Guaranty)
Usually added to your mortgage
A percentage of the mortgage, if you put less than 20% down
Sales tax on that insurance
In cash at closing
8% of the premium
Adjustments
At closing
Your share of property tax, utilities or condo fees the seller prepaid
Moving
Moving day
$1,000 and up
Your agreement
and our fee, in plain English.
Before we show you homes, we put our working relationship in writing. You will know exactly what you get and what it costs.
RECO Information Guide
Ontario requires us to give you the RECO Information Guide and explain it before we provide any services. It covers how agents can work with you, multiple representation and how competing offers are handled.
Buyer Representation Agreement
Your written agreement with our brokerage, eXp Realty, Brokerage. It sets out our services, your fee, the term and the area we search. You get a copy.
How our fee is paid
Your fee is agreed in your Buyer Representation Agreement before we start. If the seller’s offer covers your fee, you pay nothing out of pocket; if the seller offers more, your agreement says how the difference is handled. If the seller offers less, we first negotiate for the seller to cover the gap; if that is not possible, you pay the shortfall plus HST at closing through your lawyer. We confirm every amount in writing before you sign an offer.
When the home is one of our listings
On a home we have listed, we represent the seller, and we tell you so up front. Before we show it to you or help you with it, you get RECO’s Information Guide and the Information and Disclosure to Self-represented Party form. Representing you on that home as well is multiple representation, and it needs written consent from you and the seller first. This is general information; we walk you through it in writing when it applies.
We offer three service levels and walk you through them at your consultation.
Three levels.
Same standard.
Every plan includes full representation and personal negotiation. The difference is how much hands-on coordination and concierge support you want layered on top.
Core
For confident buyers who want premium representation plus one perk for the move.
- Full buy-side representation
- MLS search built around your criteria
- CMA on every home you offer on
- Strategic offer drafting and negotiation
- Inspection coordination
- Lender and lawyer liaison
- Final walkthrough plus closing checklist
- One Hinchey Perk up to $500
Pricing discussed at your free buyer consultation.
Advantage
For competitive markets and buyers who want hands-on weekly help.
- Everything in Core
- Weekly strategy huddles until firm
- Reno Ready coordination, 10 hours
- Hinchey Perks bank up to $2,000 (mix and match)
Pricing discussed at your free buyer consultation.
Elite
For time-sensitive moves and out-of-area buyers who need full concierge.
- Everything in Advantage
- 20-hour concierge move-in support
- 30 days of post-close support
- Pre-inspection coordination on target property
- Hinchey Perks bank up to $3,500 (mix and match)
Pricing discussed at your free buyer consultation.
Our job does not end
at closing.
We stay on call while you settle in, with referrals to movers, cleaners, contractors and trades we trust, and we keep you updated on what your home is worth.
Who to call in Durham Region
- Oshawa Power
Electricity in Oshawa
- Elexicon Energy
Electricity in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Clarington, Scugog, Uxbridge and Brock
- Hydro One
Electricity for many rural properties outside those areas
- Enbridge Gas
Natural gas
- Region of Durham
Water and sewer billing on municipal water; call at least four business days before you move in
- Property tax: your city, town or township. Mail forwarding: Canada Post. Driver’s licence and health card address: ServiceOntario.
Rural addresses can sit outside the town’s utility area; the seller’s last bill or your lawyer confirms which one serves the home. Service areas checked October 30, 2026 on each utility’s own site.
Your first week in the home
- Change or rekey the locks.
- Confirm hydro, gas, water and internet are in your name.
- Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Check or replace the furnace filter.
- Confirm your property tax account with your city, town or township.
- Update your address with ServiceOntario, Canada Post, the CRA and your bank.
- Book a deep clean before you unpack.
Where are you buying?
Every Durham municipality has its own guide: current market figures, schools, commute times, and the homes for sale there right now.
Homes for sale in Ajax
Waterfront parkland, strong transit, and GO Train access.
Homes for sale in Brock
Beaverton, Cannington, and Sunderland: Durham's rural north. Acreage, cottages, and Lake Simcoe frontage.
Homes for sale in Clarington
Bowmanville, Courtice, Newcastle, and Orono, the fastest-growing Durham municipality. New builds and acreage.
Homes for sale in Oshawa
Durham's largest city. Detached houses under $800K still exist here, plus new-build condos along the GO line.
Homes for sale in Pickering
Closest Durham city to Toronto. Lakeside parks, new high-rise condos at the GO, and the lowest commute minutes.
Homes for sale in Scugog
Port Perry on Lake Scugog: Victorian downtown, marina, and Durham's most walkable small-town heart.
Homes for sale in Uxbridge
Trail capital of Canada. Heritage downtown, rolling hills, and the longest commute in Durham, worth it for the space.
Homes for sale in Whitby
Walkable downtown and a GO station.
New to buying?
Get the Hinchey Homes buyer’s guide.
How buying with us works in Durham and beyond, from pre-approval to the week you get the keys. 14 pages, free.
“As a first-time home buyer, I fully trusted the Hinchey Homes team. I felt that he had my back and was looking out for my best interest from start to finish.”
Natasha C.· First-Time Buyer
“We worked with Shawn when we bought our first home back in 2020, and the experience was unbelievably smooth from start to finish.”
Hailey M.· First-Time Buyer
“Shawn and his team made purchasing our forever home as seamless as possible. Always available, always honest.”
Mike B.· Buyer
Our Service Guarantee
“If at any point you feel we are not earning your trust, you can request to cancel your Buyer Representation Agreement. No questions asked. You stay in control the whole way.”
48 hours to fix anything that breaks. The relationship has to be earned, every time.
Ready to find
the right home?
Sit down with us for an hour. We will go through your must-haves, your hard nos, your budget, and what Durham and beyond actually has for you right now. You leave with a real shortlist, not a pitch.
Book Your Free ConsultationKeep Reading
Research the market before you offer
Durham Region Market Reports
Live median sold prices, days on market, and trends for every Durham Region market.
ReadOshawa Market Report
Current Oshawa sold-price trends from TRREB MLS data, updated daily.
ReadDurham Market, 2022 to 2025
Fourteen periods of sales, prices and days on market, sourced to TRREB Market Watch.
ReadWhitby Market Report
Current Whitby sold-price trends from TRREB MLS data, updated daily.
ReadAjax Market Report
Current Ajax sold-price trends from TRREB MLS data, updated daily.
Read
Buying in Durham Region
Home buying questions, answered
- Budget for closing costs on top of your down payment. On a $700,000 home, Ontario land transfer tax alone is $10,475, or $6,475 for an eligible first-time buyer. Add legal fees and disbursements (about $2,000 and up, including title insurance and registration), a home inspection (about $500 for a city home, up to $1,500 for a rural home with a well and septic), adjustments and moving. With less than 20% down, Ontario's 8% sales tax on the mortgage default insurance premium is also paid in cash at closing. Our closing cost calculator runs the numbers for your price.
- Pre-qualified means a lender thinks you might qualify. Pre-approved means they have pulled your credit, verified your income, and committed in writing. Sellers take pre-approved offers far more seriously.
- A buyer's agent walks every home with you, drafts the offer, negotiates the terms, coordinates the inspection, and protects your interests. Your fee is agreed in your Buyer Representation Agreement before we start. If the seller's offer covers it, you pay nothing out of pocket. If the seller offers less, we first negotiate for the seller to cover the gap; if that is not possible, you pay the shortfall plus HST at closing through your lawyer. We confirm every amount in writing before you sign an offer.
- No. Even in a hot market, a home inspection is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy. We often coordinate a pre-inspection before the offer, which lets you compete firm without giving up protection.
- Ontario land transfer tax refund: up to $4,000. First Home Savings Account (FHSA): up to $40,000. RRSP Home Buyers' Plan: up to $60,000. First-time home buyers' GST/HST rebate: up to $50,000. Home buyers' amount (First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit): up to $1,400. Each program defines "first-time buyer" a little differently. Ontario's land transfer tax refund requires that you have never owned a home anywhere in the world, while the federal programs generally look back over the current year and the previous four calendar years. Your lawyer, lender or accountant confirms which ones you qualify for. Ask us to walk you through every one that applies to you.
Your next home,
our negotiation.
Hinchey Homes provides full-service buyer representation across Durham Region, Ontario, including Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge, and Whitby. Broker Shawn Hinchey personally negotiates every offer. Hinchey Homes buyers paid an average of $14,516 less per home (Source: REDATUM 2026, last 12 months).
The team walks every showing with the buyer and offers 16 free real estate calculators on their website with no login or sign-up required. Their live MLS search at hincheyhomes.com/buying/search shows every active listing in Durham Region with full filtering by city, price, beds, baths, and property type.
To start your home search or book a free buyer consultation, call Shawn Hinchey at 905-449-4422.