Northumberland County's seven municipalities — led by Cobourg and Port Hope, then Trent Hills, Brighton, and the rest — all get the same flat fee on a real estate closing, quoted before your file opens.
“The private sale I was part of had no realtor involved, and having someone walk me through what a realtor usually handles gave me confidence.”
Z.D. · Private home sale · Peterborough
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Cobourg and Port Hope are the two largest municipalities in Northumberland County's group of seven, followed by Trent Hills, Brighton, Hamilton Township, Alnwick/Haldimand, and Cramahe. Each of them runs through the identical closing process and identical pricing: $1,354.87 for a purchase, $1,241.87 for a sale, and $1,241.87 for a refinance, flat and taxes included in every case. Disbursements and land transfer tax are billed on top, at cost, broken out on the statement.
Cobourg · Port Hope · Trent Hills · Brighton · Hamilton Township · Alnwick/Haldimand · Cramahe
The same transparent pricing everywhere in Ontario — no city surcharges, no estimates.
$1,354.87
Flat, taxes included. Disbursements & Land Transfer Tax extra, at cost.
How buying works →$1,241.87
Flat, taxes included. New mortgages, refinances & private lending.
How it works →Purchase price aside, this is what a buyer in Northumberland County 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.
Files across all seven Northumberland County municipalities are handled through the same document-upload, e-signature, and call-based process, so it doesn't matter which town or township the property is in.
No. The flat fee is the same across all seven municipalities in the county, from Cobourg to Cramahe.
Purchase files are $1,354.87 and sale or refinance files are $1,241.87, both flat, taxes included. Disbursements and land transfer tax are separate charges billed at cost.
No — only the provincial land transfer tax applies to Northumberland County properties, unlike Toronto's additional municipal levy.
Development in a regulated area, and interference with a wetland or watercourse, require a permit under section 28.1 of the Conservation Authorities Act, issued by the conservation authority rather than the municipality under O. Reg. 41/24. Watersheds do not follow municipal lines, and Northumberland County is reached by 4 watershed authorities — which one applies depends on where the property drains.
| Authority | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Crowe Valley Conservation Authority | 613-472-3137 | crowevalley.com |
| Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority | 905-885-8173 | grca.on.ca |
| Lower Trent Conservation | 613-394-4829 | ltc.on.ca |
| Otonabee Conservation | 705-745-5791 | otonabeeconservation.com |
Authorities whose administrative area intersects Northumberland County. Source: Conservation Ontario, Conservation Authority Boundaries (2023); confirm the authority for a specific address with Find a Conservation Authority. Retrieved 2026-08-10.
Sourced, dated municipal and provincial data for Northumberland County — not legal advice, just the facts a closing touches.
4 authorities cover this county/region: Crowe Valley Conservation Authority, Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, Lower Trent Conservation, Otonabee Conservation — which one applies depends on where the property drains. 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.
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.
Seven Northumberland County municipalities, one flat fee for every closing. Start your file and lock in the price before closing.