News & Resources
Real Property Report vs Title Insurance in Alberta: Which Do You Actually Need?
By Lev Kramar, Integrity Legal Solutions · Calgary, Alberta A Real Property Report is a survey drawing prepared by an Alberta Land Surveyor showing where every structure sits on the lot. A Certificate of Compliance is the City of Calgary confirming those structures…
How to Hold Title in Alberta: Joint Tenants, Tenants in Common, and Dower Rights
By Lev Kramar, Integrity Legal Solutions · Calgary, Alberta Joint tenancy carries the right of survivorship. When one owner dies, their interest passes automatically to the surviving owners outside the estate and outside probate. Tenancy in common carries no…
GST on a New Home in Alberta and the New Housing Rebate: How It Works at Closing
By Lev Kramar, Integrity Legal Solutions · Calgary, Alberta GST of 5 percent applies to newly built homes in Alberta. Resale homes are exempt. The long-standing GST New Housing Rebate returns 36 percent of the GST to a maximum of $6,300, phasing out between $350,000…
Condo Document Review in Calgary: Estoppel Certificates, Reserve Funds, and What Kills a Deal
By Lev Kramar, Integrity Legal Solutions · Calgary, Alberta When you buy an Alberta condo you buy a share of the corporation along with the unit, including its debts, its deferred maintenance, and its litigation. The document package tells you what you are inheriting….
Closing Costs in Alberta: What Buyers Actually Pay, and Why There Is No Land Transfer Tax
By Lev Kramar, Integrity Legal Solutions · Calgary, Alberta Alberta charges no land transfer tax. Instead, buyers pay Land Titles registration fees calculated at a $50 base plus $5 for every $5,000 of value, applied separately to the title transfer and to the…
Buying a House in Calgary: Every Legal Step from Offer to Possession
By Lev Kramar, Integrity Legal Solutions · Calgary, Alberta A typical Calgary purchase runs 30 to 60 days from accepted offer to possession. The legal work begins once conditions are removed: title search, Personal Property Registry search, tax certificate, review of…
The 99-Year Lease Explained: What Happens When It Ends
By Lev Kramar, Integrity Legal Solutions · Calgary, Alberta A 99-year lease is a long-term land lease commonly used in modern Canadian leasehold communities, where you own the home and hold the right to occupy the land for 99 years, usually pre-paid up front. At the…
Notary Public Services in Calgary: When You Need One and What to Expect
By Lev Kramar, Integrity Legal Solutions · Calgary, Alberta A notary public in Calgary is authorized to witness signatures, administer oaths, certify true copies of documents, and authenticate documents for use in Alberta and internationally. You typically need a…
Brookfield, Homes by Avi, and Crystal Creek at Taza Park: A Buyer’s Lawyer’s Perspective
By Lev Kramar, Integrity Legal Solutions · Calgary, Alberta Brookfield Residential, Homes by Avi, and Crystal Creek Homes are the three first-wave residential builders at Taza Park on Tsuut’ina Nation land. Brookfield is building Rhythm townhomes, Homes by Avi is…
Buying a Home in Taza Park: What You Need to Know Before You Sign
By Lev Kramar, Integrity Legal Solutions · Calgary, Alberta Taza Park is a 470-acre master-planned residential community on Tsuut’ina Nation land bordering southwest Calgary, with the first 6,500 homes being delivered by Brookfield Residential, Crystal Creek Homes,…