Allodial Title

 In Canada, allodial title—a concept where land is owned free of any superior landlord—is not recognized. Property ownership typically involves fee simple title, subject to mortgages and government regulations. Having a mortgage means the lender holds a security interest in the property until the loan is paid off. Meaning the Bank is the owner of the property.

Main residence status does not affect the type of title held. 

Allodial title, which refers to absolute ownership of land free from any superior landlord, taxes, or government encumbrances, does not exist in Canada, including in Aurora, Ontario. 

All land ownership in Ontario is based on the feudal concept of tenure, where the Crown (the state) is the ultimate owner of all land, and individuals hold land in "fee simple". 

No Tax Exemption: Because allodial title is not recognized, you cannot own land in Ontario that is free from property taxes, liens, or government regulation.

Fee Simple Ownership: The highest form of property ownership in Ontario is "fee simple." While you have exclusive use of your property, it is still subject to municipal, provincial, and federal laws.

Failure to Pay Taxes: If property taxes are not paid, the municipality can register a lien and eventually sell the property to recover the arrears.

Legal Standing: Claims that suggest you can use "land patents" or other methods to establish allodial title in Canada are not recognized in Canadian law. 

12 York St Toronto

12 York Street (ICE Condos) in Toronto has become infamous for a high concentration of transient, short-term, and low-income residents due to its reputation as a "ghost hotel," high-density investor-owned units, and strategic location. While located in a prime, high-cost area, the building’s functional issues—including extreme congestion, security problems, and safety incidents—have driven out long-term tenants and attracted a high-turnover population. 

Here is why many people with low income or temporary status reside at 12 York Street:

• "Ghost Hotel" and Short-Term Rentals: The towers are notorious for being densely filled with Airbnb-style, short-term rentals. These units often facilitate illegal subletting, allowing people to rent rooms without standard long-term lease requirements, which suits temporary residents, newcomers, or students.
• High Investor Ownership: A large portion of the units are owned by investors, not owner-occupiers, leading to high turnover and a focus on rental income rather than building stability.
• "Sketchy" Reputation and Lower Relative Rent: Despite the prime location, the building is frequently described as having "endless" fire alarms, broken elevators, and security issues. This poor reputation, often labeled "Toronto's sketchiest," can lead to lower, more accessible rents compared to nearby, better-managed buildings, making it an option for those on a budget.
• Rental Scams and Vulnerability: The high number of short-term units has made the building a hotspot for fraudulent rental scams, where scammers (often short-term renters themselves) sublet units illegally, scamming people looking for affordable housing.
• Proximity to Transit and Jobs: Located at 12-14 York Street, the building offers direct PATH access and is next to Union Station, making it attractive for workers in the downtown core, even if they must deal with the building's tumultuous environment. 

Summary of Demographics and Housing Type:

• Units: Over 1,300 units in the complex (12 & 14 York).
• Layouts: Many small studios and 1-bedroom units.
• Residents: A mix of young professionals, international students, and a high-turnover, transient population. 

8 Colborne St Toronto Ontario Canada

Find Land To Live Off The Grid

Millions of people want to live off grid! You want to build your own cabin, produce your own electrical power, grow your own food, raise livestock (chickens, pigs, cows) for food, and live a sustainable self sufficient and self reliant lifestyle. If you’re like me, you want all this and more. You want the freedom and independence that living off grid gives you and you certainly most probably don’t want a mortgage. I would say if you can move off grid now then do it. But where do you go and how do you do it? This is a million dollar question.
Fortunately there is an easy answer. The answer is easy, but the work involved is not. It’s going to take hard work, dedication, commitment, due diligence, and lots and lots of homework. 
16 TIPS How To Pick The Perfect Off Grid Land 

1. Remote Land Equals Cheap Land (usually)– The further away from civilization the cheaper it will be.
2. Remote Equals Fewer Restrictions/Ordinances – The further away from civilization the fewer restrictions you’ll have and the more freedom you’ll have to build and do what you want without someone telling you you can’t.
3. No Covenants or Restrictions! – Don’t buy land that has covenants and restrictions because it will limit what you will be able to do with your land.
4. No Subdivisions! – Don’t buy land in a subdivision. Even a rural subdivision has rules that could hinder your off grid lifestyle. Not to mention HOA’s. That’s the next thing.
5. No HOA’s! – Home Owners Associations will cost you money. It’s also a pain in the a** to deal with all the rules and restrictions and pesky nosey neighbors always getting into your business or trying to tell you how to live your life or what color you can paint your house or whatever stupid rules they put. Think about this. An HOA is basically a bunch of folks getting together to decide how everyone else lives their lives and what color and type of house they can live in, and they force everyone else to pay a fee to be managed. Yeah…no thanks! That’s the OPPOSITE of what it means to live off the grid.
6. No Building Codes or Codes not enforced – No building codes or a property located in an area where the county doesn’t really enforce the codes is best. This usually means remote. Even if there are codes you need to worry about there are still good properties available, but they will limit what you can do and build, and will ultimately cost you more money out of pocket upfront.
7. Year Round Access – Make sure you have access to the property year round. In some places winter and monsoon season can make accessing the property impossible. Good roads are key. Think about how you’re going to get your materials and tools and equipment onto your land.e
8. Legal Access – Make sure you have LEGAL right of way access to the property. No “land-locked” properties where you have to cross someone else’s land to access your land.
9. No Legal Issues, (Encumbrances) Liens or Back Taxes Due – Do a title search. Check all the records to make sure there are no tax liens, contractor liens, or money owed. Make sure there are “no encumbrances” that could cost you more money or time you don’t have to lose.
10. PERC TEST! – If there’s no septic system on the property already you’ll need to put one in and that costs money. It will cost you more money if you spend all your money on a piece of land and you can’t put in a septic system because the soil fails a percolation test. A PERC test. A PERC test tests the rate at which liquids seep into the soil. There’s a certain acceptable rate which the soil is supposed to absorb and if it fails then you can’t build. It’s that simple. You can’t build a house because a house has to have a septic system. So it’s a bad deal all the way around. Make sure you do a PERC test on the land if you’re seriously interested in the land. It’s worth the few hundred bucks it takes for peace of mind and can save you TENS OF THOUSANDS if not hundreds of thousands of dollars later.
11. Do a Survey! (check the current survey if there is one; if it’s outdated or it’s unclear where there property boundaries are then have it redone) – Have the property surveyed by a licensed and insured surveyor because if you don’t and there’s a property dispute later it can cost your thousands or tens of thousands of dollars and or cause the loss of your building/cabin if it’s on the disputed land. Always make sure the property boundaries are clearly marked and you know where they are and every matches the contract/sale/advertisement.
12. Have The Water/Soil Tested For Contaminants! – This is very important. You don’t want to buy a cheap property and build your dream cabin only to discover that your land was a former mining site and is contaminated with poisonous chemicals that will make you and your family sick.
13. Pay Cash! – You don’t want to live on a remote property with a mortgage. Bad idea! If something happens and you can’t make payments then you’re in a bad place and could lose everything. Don’t get a mortgage. Beg, borrow and sell whatever you need to raise the funding needed to pay CASH for your land. Don’t go into debt to buy your dream property. Sell ALL your personal items you can afford to sell and use that cash to buy land. If you don’t want to sell your stuff, then ask yourself this. “What’s more important to me…my STUFF or my dream of living off grid, independent, self sufficient, self reliant and FREE!”. The answer should be FREEDOM! Pay cash for your land. Never get a mortgage. Ever!
14. Mineral Rights & Water Rights! – Make sure you secure mineral rights (including water rights). If you like a property and the mineral rights don’t come with it then STOP! Back away and find a different property. I don’t care how good the property is, you do NOT want someone coming in and digging and drilling on your land, because that’s exactly what will happen if there are valuable minerals/oil or whatever found in your area. The person or company who owns the mineral rights or water rights will have the right to be on your land to extract the minerals or water and you will be powerless to stop them.
15. Don’t Buy Land in a Flood Plain – This should go without saying, but some folks will buy land in these places and lost their money. There is an
16. Don’t Buy Land with a Nature Preserve or in Wetlands! – You’ll have a nightmare of a time trying to build, and most likely you won’t be able to. Make sure the land is NOT in a wetland area or in a Nature Preserve because you most likely will not be able to do anything with it.
17. BONUS TIP 1: DO YOUR HOMEWORK! – Make sure you check all the local, county, state and federal laws. If you’ve done your homework you’ll have decades of awesome wonderful off grid living.
    
18. BONUS TIP 2: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ACCESS! (Both Legal & Physical) – I want to reiterate this very important aspect of land buying. One of the most obvious things people overlook is access. People usually assume there’s a way onto the land and that you’ll be able to get to your land anytime. You’d be surprised at how often this is overlooked. Bad neighbors can also make your off grid life miserable. It can also cause lawsuits and legal action against you or force you to sue them for access for the property thereby costing you even more money, usually tens of thousands of dollars in attorney fees and permits and damage to your property. It;s not worth it. If there is any question at all…walk away.
19. BONUS TIP 3: WALK AWAY IF THE DEAL IS NOT RIGHT! – Always always always be prepared to walk away if the deal doesn’t feel right or it’s not the ideal property. Also don’f fall in love with a property just because you really really really want to move off grid. Never buy the first property you look at. (unless you’re and experienced real estate investor) And even then don’t do it unless you know absolutely what you’re doing and that it’s a great deal. 

Now this is just a basic overview of some of the things you’ll need to consider when picking our your off grid property.

ive Off Grid

We all need the 3 basics of survival.

1. Shelter

2. Food

3. Water

But in today’s modern  “civilized” society, to live above basic subsistence level living, you’re going to need electricity, gas (propane is not sustainable; perhaps fuel oil or diesel made from old vegetable oil) and the most important utilities, internet…and maybe cable TV if you’re into sports or news. That’s it.
Oh, and healthcare and education. Education you can get online, and if you live within an hour of a major town you should have access to good healthcare too.

The 5 things you need to live in civilized society are:

1. Housing
2. Food
3. Utilities (includes water, electricity, gas, internet, cell phone, transportation etc.)
4. Healthcare
5. Education

The point of listing these 5 simple and very basic things is this.
When you are searching for your off grid property you also need to be thinking about how you’re going to provide these 5 things for yourself and your family.
This will help you pick the best possible property for you and your family to live on for decades to come.

Walkability

Walkability is a measure of how friendly an area is to walking. Walkability has health, environmental, and economic benefits.

Walkability offers surprising benefits to our health, the environment, our finances, and our communities. Health: The average resident of a walkable neighbourhood weighs 6-10 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood. Cities with good public transit and access to amenities promote happiness. Environment: 87% of CO2 emissions are from burning fossil fuels. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines. Finances: Cars are the second largest household expense in the U.S. One point of Walk Score is worth up to $3,250 of value for your property. Communities: Walkability is associated with higher levels of arts organizations, creativity, and civic engagement. Homes within walking distance to jobs, schools, shopping, parks and other urban amenities are both highly desired and extremely rare. Fewer than 2 percent of  active listings are considered a walker’s paradise (Walk Score of 90 and above). Yet 56 percent of millennials and 46 percent of boomers prefer walkable communities with a range of housing amidst local businesses and public services. And like everything rare and desirable, walkability comes at a premium; homes highly “walkable” to amenities, everything else being equal, are more expensive than comparable homes in less “walkable” areas.

90–100	Walker's Paradise Daily errands do not require a car
70–89	Very Walkable Most errands can be accomplished on foot
50–69	Somewhat Walkable Some errands can be accomplished on foot
25–49	Car-Dependent Most errands require a car
0–24	Car-Dependent Almost all errands require a car

Permaculture Housing talk by Bill Mollison

New Mortgage Rules in 2018

Since Jan. 1, 2018, Canadians getting, renewing or refinancing a mortgage have to prove that they would be able to cope with interest rates substantially higher than their contract rate.

New rules by Canada’s federal financial regulator announced in October mean that even borrowers with a down payment of 20 per cent or more will now face a stress test, as has been the case since January of 2017, for applicants with smaller down payments who require mortgage insurance.

Ottawa has already moved to tighten the rules around the mortgage market six times since July 2008, with a series of regulatory tweaks aimed at limiting the amount of debt that Canadians and financial institutions take on.

Some 10 per cent of Canadians who got an uninsured mortgage between mid-2016 and mid-2017 would not have qualified under the new standards, a recent analysis by the Bank of Canada suggested.

To put a number on it, the rules will likely affect about 100,000 home buyers, who would have qualify for a mortgage for their preferred house in 2017 but will likely fail the stress test for an equally large loan starting January 1, 2018.

Lenders don’t have to apply the stress test to clients renewing an existing mortgage.

This means that if you fail the stress test, you’ll probably get stuck renewing with your current financial institution, without being able to shop around for a better rate.

In some cases, “renewing borrowers may be forced to accept noncompetitive rates from their current lenders.”