Serving Lakeshore, a town in Essex County, with flat-fee real estate law that runs entirely online. One transparent, tax-included price covers your purchase, sale, or mortgage file, with no office visit required to get to closing day.
“Our closing date got moved up by a week and the team adjusted without missing a beat.”
D.M. · Home purchase · Windsor
Shared with permission. Initials changed to protect client privacy.
Our charges include applicable taxes. Disbursements and, on a purchase, Land Transfer Tax are extra and billed at cost — itemized upfront, in writing, never hidden.
Prices are “our charges” and include applicable taxes. Disbursements and Land Transfer Tax are extra, at cost, estimated in writing before you commit.
Purchase price aside, this is what a buyer in Lakeshore sees on the closing statement: our fee, then the disbursements we estimate on your behalf, then the government taxes — each sourced and dated. We don't total these into one figure; disbursements vary by file and are itemized in your written quote.
| Line item | $600,000 | $900,000 | $1,200,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our fee (flat, any price) — 13% HST included | $1,354.87 | $1,354.87 | $1,354.87 |
| Estimated disbursements — billed at cost, itemised in your written quote; they vary by file | |||
| Teranet search fees & disbursements (registrations, searches, bank fees) — estimate | $583.26 | $583.26 | $583.26 |
| Technology & file management — estimate | $332.05 | $332.05 | $332.05 |
| Title insurance (example premium, varies by insurer and price) | $513.80 | $805.40 | $1,097.00 |
| Government charges | |||
| Ontario land transfer tax | $8,475.00 | $14,475.00 | $20,475.00 |
| First-time buyer refunds, if you qualify | − up to $4,000 | − up to $4,000 | − up to $4,000 |
Disbursements vary by file and are itemized, estimated in writing, before any work begins — these lines are estimates, not quotes. Ontario refunds up to $4,000 of the land transfer tax for first-time buyers, applied by your lawyer at registration.
Sources: Ontario electronic land registration fee, 2026-09-17: ontario.ca (rises to $86.42 per instrument from 2026-11-02); TitlePLUS residential premium schedule, 2026-09-17: titleplus.ca; Ontario land transfer tax, 2026-09-17: ontario.ca.
See the full breakdown on our Ontario real estate lawyer fee guide or flat-fee pricing page.
Every figure is from Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census of Population — real published data, current until the 2026 Census releases (2027).
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population, Census Profile — Lakeshore, Ontario. Reproduced and distributed on an “as is” basis with the permission of Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
| Authority | Essex Region Conservation Authority |
|---|---|
| Head office | 360 Fairview Avenue West, Suite 311, Essex, ON, N8M 1Y6 |
| Phone | 519-776-5209 |
| Website | essexregionconservation.ca |
| Watershed area | 1,674 km² |
Development in a regulated area, and interference with a wetland or watercourse, are prohibited by section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act without a permit under section 28.1, issued by the authority — not the municipality — under O. Reg. 41/24. Watershed boundaries follow drainage rather than municipal lines, so a property at the edge of Lakeshore can fall under a neighbouring authority; confirm for the specific address.
Source: Conservation Ontario, Conservation Authority Boundaries (2023). Retrieved 2026-08-10.
The Lakeshore-specific mechanics we handle on every file — so nothing surprises you at closing.
A Lakeshore closing registers at the Essex Land Registry Office, LRO #12, with the filing itself submitted electronically through ONLAND (Teraview) rather than in person.
You don’t “set up” property tax — we prorate it. The statement of adjustments credits whoever prepaid; after closing, the municipality bills you directly and you can enrol in pre-authorized payments.
ID verification, document review, and signing happen online — no office visit needed. In-person signings remain available across the province if you prefer.
Buying property in Lakeshore means paying Ontario's provincial land transfer tax only — the town doesn't layer on a municipal land transfer tax the way Toronto does. We include your provincial LTT estimate in your closing cost breakdown from the outset and let you know if a rebate applies to your purchase. With around 40,410 residents, Lakeshore sits within Essex County, and the same flat fee and single-tax structure covers every type of home you might be closing on. Your total cost is clear before your file opens.
Financing, inspection, status certificate — your offer’s conditions are legal protections, and waiving them is a legal decision. We review before you sign and flag the risks in plain language.
Buying pre-construction or an assignment carries its own tax and disclosure rules — ask us before you commit so nothing catches you at closing.
When you sell a property in Lakeshore, we discharge your outstanding mortgage from title, handle the buyer's requisitions, and release your net proceeds as soon as the deal closes. Land transfer tax is the buyer's obligation, not yours, so it never factors into your file. We keep you updated throughout so closing day goes as planned.
Sellers don’t pay LTT. Your closing costs are the legal fee, discharge-related disbursements, and any mortgage payout penalties your lender sets.
We obtain your mortgage discharge statement, answer the buyer’s requisitions, and prorate taxes and utilities on the statement of adjustments.
Funds are wired the day of closing where possible. Selling a condo? We coordinate the status certificate the buyer’s lawyer will request.
Lakeshore mortgage files — new purchase, refinance, or private — all move through our Mortgage service at the same flat, tax-included price. That means reviewing the commitment letter your lender sends, registering the charge against title, and checking off every condition before releasing funds on the day they're due.
A new charge on a home you already own. We handle the lender’s requirements and register it — one flat fee.
Switching lenders or borrowing more? We manage the payout and discharge of your old mortgage and register the new one.
Borrowing from or lending to a private party. We paper it properly, register the charge, and protect your interests.
There's no Lakeshore office to visit — signing, document review, and the closing itself are coordinated by phone and email, so the whole file wraps up without you leaving home.
It has none. A municipal land transfer tax is specific to Toronto in this province, so Lakeshore purchases are subject to the provincial rate only.
It covers our legal work with HST built in. Anything outside that — the provincial land transfer tax, title insurance if you choose it — is billed as its own separate charge.
Lakeshore property registers at the Essex Land Registry Office, LRO #12. That filing happens electronically through ONLAND (Teraview), a step already covered in your flat fee.
Most Lakeshore files close on the date already agreed to in the purchase and sale agreement — once retained, we start title review and closing prep right away to help keep that date on track.
Below are official government and land registry resources for Lakeshore homebuyers and sellers who want to dig into the details themselves.
Sourced, dated municipal and provincial data for Lakeshore — not legal advice, just the facts a closing touches.
Essex Region Conservation Authority (519-776-5209, website). Development in a regulated area, or interference with a wetland or watercourse, needs a permit from the conservation authority — separate from municipal approvals — under section 28.1 of the Conservation Authorities Act.
Source: Conservation Ontario, Conservation Authority Boundaries (2023). Retrieved 2026-08-10.
Deals for Lakeshore register at the Essex Land Registry Office (LRO #12), filed electronically through ONLAND.
Source: Ontario, Land registry offices (LRO) directory. Retrieved 2026-09-17.
Civil Superior Court filings for Lakeshore are heard at the Windsor Courthouse, Windsor.
Source: Ontario court locations directory. Retrieved 2026-08-09.
The property-tax adjustment on the statement of adjustments doesn't set up a new tax account — it simply divides the current tax bill between buyer and seller as of closing day, crediting whichever side prepaid past their ownership. After closing, the municipality bills the new owner directly.
Ontario land transfer tax is the largest single line on most closing statements, and it is due in full on closing day. Enter a price to see the bracket-by-bracket calculation, the first-time buyer refund, and — where they apply — the Toronto municipal tax and the Non-Resident Speculation Tax. Full workings and the rate sources are on the land transfer tax calculator.
Open your Lakeshore file in minutes — hear from your lawyer tomorrow.