https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/Plain language guides for buying and selling a home in Thornhill, Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, North York, Scarborough and Toronto.en-ca https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/buy-first-or-sell-first-ontariohttps://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/buy-first-or-sell-first-ontarioThu, 05 Nov 2026 09:00:00 -0500SellersSelling first gives you certainty about your budget but may leave you needing a place to stay, while buying first secures the home you want but risks carrying two properties. In a balanced market like Markham in fall 2026, many move up families sell first with a longer closing, then buy, and use bridge financing to line up the dates. Talk to your lender about bridge financing before you list or make an offer. https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/first-time-home-buyer-benefits-ontario-2026https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/first-time-home-buyer-benefits-ontario-2026Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:00:00 -0500BuyersA first-time buyer in Ontario can put up to $100,000 toward a down payment through the FHSA ($40,000) and RRSP Home Buyers' Plan ($60,000), double that as a couple. At closing they can claim a $1,500 federal tax credit, up to $4,000 off Ontario land transfer tax and, in Toronto, up to $4,475 more. On a new build, the federal GST rebate (up to $50,000) and Ontario HST rebate (up to $80,000) can remove the full 13% HST, up to $130,000. https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/top-ranked-high-schools-markham-richmond-hill-thornhillhttps://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/top-ranked-high-schools-markham-richmond-hill-thornhillThu, 05 Nov 2026 09:00:00 -0500BuyersIn the Fraser Institute's 2025 Ontario secondary school rankings of 747 schools, three York Region Catholic high schools tied for first with perfect scores, St. Augustine (Markham), St. Theresa of Lisieux (Richmond Hill) and St. Robert (Thornhill), and Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School in Markham placed in the provincial top 10. Before buying for a school, confirm the address with the board's school locator, because boundaries, capacity limits and application based programs decide where a child actually goes. https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/markham-neighbourhood-guidehttps://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/markham-neighbourhood-guideTue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 -0500NeighbourhoodsMarkham is a York Region city of about 338,500 people (2021 Census) just north of Toronto. TRREB splits it into 40 communities, from heritage areas like Unionville and Markham Village to newer family neighbourhoods like Cornell, Berczy and Cathedraltown. It has four GO Stouffville line stations, Viva rapid transit, Highways 404 and 407, and no municipal land transfer tax. https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/north-york-neighbourhood-guidehttps://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/north-york-neighbourhood-guideTue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 -0500NeighbourhoodsNorth York is the northern part of the City of Toronto, between Steeles Avenue and roughly Lawrence Avenue. TRREB covers it mainly in districts C06, C07, C12, C13, C14, C15 and W05, including Willowdale, Bayview Village, York Mills, Don Mills and Newtonbrook. It has Line 1 and Line 4 subway service, the new Line 5 and Line 6, and unlike York Region, buyers pay Toronto's municipal land transfer tax. https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/richmond-hill-neighbourhood-guidehttps://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/richmond-hill-neighbourhood-guideTue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 -0500NeighbourhoodsRichmond Hill is a York Region city of about 202,000 people (2021 Census) north of Thornhill. TRREB splits it into 18 communities, from Bayview Hill and Mill Pond to Rouge Woods and Oak Ridges Lake Wilcox. It has GO Richmond Hill line service, Viva on Yonge, Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, no municipal land transfer tax, and two future subway stations at Bridge and High Tech. https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/thornhill-neighbourhood-guide-l3t-l4jhttps://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/thornhill-neighbourhood-guide-l3t-l4jTue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 -0500NeighbourhoodsThornhill is one community split by Yonge Street. East of Yonge is the City of Markham (postal code L3T) and west of Yonge is the City of Vaughan (postal code L4J). It runs roughly from Steeles Avenue north to Highway 7 and the 407, with Thornhill Woods and Patterson extending farther north on the Vaughan side. The Yonge North Subway Extension will add stations at Steeles, Clark and Royal Orchard. https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/vaughan-neighbourhood-guidehttps://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/vaughan-neighbourhood-guideTue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 -0500NeighbourhoodsVaughan is a York Region city of about 323,100 people (2021 Census) northwest of Toronto. TRREB splits it into 21 communities, including Woodbridge, Maple, Kleinburg, Concord, Vellore Village and the Thornhill area (L4J). It has the only subway stations in York Region, including Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, two GO Barrie line stations, Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, and no municipal land transfer tax. https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/first-time-home-buyer-guide-markham-york-regionhttps://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/first-time-home-buyer-guide-markham-york-regionTue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0500BuyersFirst time buyers in York Region and North York should get preapproved first, open an FHSA, budget 1.5% to 4% for closing costs, and plan their offer strategy before touring homes. https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/ontario-closing-costs-for-buyershttps://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/ontario-closing-costs-for-buyersTue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0500BuyersOntario buyers should budget roughly 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price for closing costs. Land transfer tax is the largest item; first time buyers can receive up to $4,000 back provincially, plus up to $4,475 in Toronto (including North York). https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/prepare-home-for-sale-30-day-planhttps://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/prepare-home-for-sale-30-day-planTue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0500SellersThe homes that sell fastest in York Region are decluttered, repaired, staged and priced from recent comparable sales. A 30 day plan covers repairs in week one, decluttering and paint in week two, staging and cleaning in week three, and photos plus pricing in week four. https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/pricing-your-home-markham-balanced-market-2026https://www.robertlinrealtor.com/blog/pricing-your-home-markham-balanced-market-2026Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 -0500SellersAs of late October 2026, Markham is a balanced market: about 5.5 months of inventory, a 38% sales to new listings ratio, and homes selling at roughly 99% of list price in about 30 days. Sellers should price at market from recent sold comparables rather than overpricing and chasing the market down.