Derek Paquette Realty

10/28/2026

Would you know if the furniture in a listing photo was added with AI?

Virtual staging can be useful, especially for an empty house. It can help you picture how the room might work. But there's a difference between adding furniture and changing what the property actually looks like.

RECO's guidance for Ontario real-estate agents says digitally altered images need to be clearly labelled and still show the home's permanent features accurately. Agents also have to check the facts in AI-written listing descriptions.

If you're buying, ask which photos were edited and compare the important details during the showing. If you're selling, review the edited photos before they're used and make sure they don't create the wrong impression.

I've put the main points into a practical guide for Ontario buyers and sellers.

Read it here: https://dprealty.ca/blog/ai-virtual-staging-ontario-real-estate-listings

10/27/2026

Thinking about buying a Hamilton house with a finished basement?

A second kitchen and separate entrance don't automatically make it an approved apartment. If that space is a big reason you want the house, it's worth checking the paperwork before making assumptions.

Hamilton lets owners request available permits and plans. Zoning is a separate check, and a survey may matter if you're concerned about property boundaries.

Sometimes the City won't have every old record. That doesn't prove the renovation was done improperly, but it does leave questions to resolve.

I've put the important checks into a short guide. Read it here:

https://dprealty.ca/blog/hamilton-property-records-before-buying

10/23/2026

What's the best neighbourhood on Hamilton's east end?

Crown Point usually comes up, and Ottawa Street is a big part of the appeal. You've got independent shops, restaurants and an established shopping district.

But if being close to parks and trails is more important to you, I'd also look at Rosedale or around Gage Park.

Homeside, Normanhurst and Bartonville are worth exploring too.

The thing is, two houses in the same neighbourhood can be very different purchases.

The street, parking, condition of the house and what else is available for the money all matter.

I've put together a guide comparing Hamilton's east-end neighbourhoods, what sets them apart and what I'd check before choosing where to buy.

Read the full article on here:

https://dprealty.ca/blog/best-hamilton-east-neighbourhoods

Which Hamilton East neighbourhood fits you? Compare Crown Point, Homeside, Normanhurst, Rosedale and more by location, amenities and homebuying trade-offs.

10/22/2026

A new kitchen might make your house look better. That doesn't necessarily make it worth the money.

If you're thinking about selling in Hamilton or Ancaster, I'd be careful about spending thousands on renovations without first understanding what buyers are comparing your house against.

An older kitchen is different from a leaking basement or a safety problem.

Some issues need proper attention. Other things may just be a matter of taste.

Before committing to a major renovation, I'd want to look at similar properties, what they've sold for and whether the potential benefit justifies the full cost.

I've put together a guide on what to repair, what to consider and what you might be better off leaving alone.

Read the guide:

https://dprealty.ca/blog/renovate-before-selling-house-hamilton

Selling a home in Hamilton or Ancaster? Learn what to repair, what to leave alone, and how to assess renovations before spending money.

10/20/2026

A home inspection condition does not mean the seller has already agreed to repair whatever the inspector finds.

That is one of the easiest parts of an inspection condition to misunderstand.

The inspection gives the buyer more information about the property.

Maybe the report identifies normal maintenance.

Maybe it finds a concern that should go to an electrician, plumber, roofer or another specialist.

Maybe the issue changes how comfortable the buyer is with the home at the agreed price.

At that point, the buyer can ask to discuss a repair, price change or another amendment. But the seller does not automatically have to agree.

The other important point is cancellation.

A serious inspection finding does not automatically mean a buyer can simply walk away. The exact wording of the inspection condition, the deadline and the signed agreement matter.

RECO recommends considering a home inspection condition and cautions buyers about giving up that protection just to make an offer more competitive.

I put together a Hamilton and Ancaster buyer guide explaining the process in plain language, including what an inspector can miss and what buyers should understand before removing the condition.

If you're considering a property and something about the condition concerns you, send me the address.

Read the guide: https://dprealty.ca/blog/hamilton-home-inspection-condition

10/12/2026

Where does your home deposit actually go?

A real-estate deposit is serious money, and there are a few things buyers and sellers sometimes misunderstand about it.

First, the deposit amount and deadline come from the Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Missing the deadline does not automatically cancel the deal.

Second, the money is often held in a brokerage trust account. It is not normally handed directly to the seller when the offer becomes firm.

Third, if the transaction falls apart, the deposit does not automatically belong to either side. The agreement, circumstances and proper release process matter.

Ontario also has consumer deposit insurance for certain eligible brokerage-related losses, but it does not protect against every contractual problem.

I broke the whole process down here:

https://dprealty.ca/blog/ontario-real-estate-deposit-trust-account

If you're preparing an offer in Hamilton or Ancaster, send me the property and the deposit question you want answered.

10/07/2026

Hamilton’s September 2026 market numbers are in.

At a glance:

- 376 homes sold
- $714,420 average sale price
- $664,500 HPI benchmark
- 1,061 new listings
- 4.8 months of supply
- 46 average days on market

Compared with September 2025:

- sales were down 22.8%
- average price was down 8.0%

That sounds soft, but the full picture is a little more useful.
Hamilton still had about 4.8 months of supply, which puts the overall market closer to balanced territory than an extreme buyer’s or seller’s market.
And property type mattered.

Single-family homes

- $778,972 average price
- 270 sales
- 4.5 months of supply
- 44 average days on market

Townhouse / condo group

- $549,996 average price
- 106 sales
- 5.4 months of supply
- 51 average days on market

So if you’re buying or selling, one citywide average is not enough.
The neighbourhood, property type, condition, price range and current competition still matter.
Full September breakdown:

https://dprealty.ca/blog/hamilton-real-estate-market-september-2026

If you want to know how these numbers apply to a specific property, send me the address.

10/06/2026

A Hamilton house has a finished basement, separate entrance, second kitchen and the listing says “income potential.”

Great.

But how much of that should you actually rely on when deciding what the house is worth or whether you can afford it?

That takes a little more work.

If the basement apartment matters to the purchase, I would want to check things like:

• What does the zoning permit at this specific address?
• What permits or occupancy records are available?
• Does the physical unit match those records?
• Does it have official municipal addressing?
• Does Hamilton's rental licensing program apply here?
• Is there already a tenant?
• How much of the rent will your lender actually recognize?
• Will your insurer cover the property the way you intend to use it?

And there is an important bit of nuance with older Hamilton homes:

No record found does not automatically mean an illegal apartment.

Hamilton itself warns that some older property records may be incomplete.

But the opposite is also true. A beautiful renovation and a confident MLS description do not prove everything was properly documented.

The goal is not to look for problems.

It's to know which assumptions you're relying on before those assumptions affect your offer price or mortgage.

Full guide:

https://dprealty.ca/blog/buying-hamilton-home-basement-apartment

If you're looking at a Hamilton property with a basement suite right now, send me the address.

09/29/2026

A buyer can have enough money for the down payment and still be short on closing day.

Take a $750,000 purchase in Hamilton.

For an otherwise eligible insured mortgage:

- Minimum down payment: $50,000
- Ontario land transfer tax: $11,475 before any applicable first-time-buyer refund

And that still does not include every cost.

You may also need money for legal fees, adjustments, property insurance, mortgage-insurance tax, inspections, appraisals, moving and immediate expenses after possession.

One mistake I see in closing-cost calculations is counting the deposit twice. The deposit is credited toward the purchase funds. It is not an extra amount on top of the down payment.

Before shopping near the top of your approval, plan for:

- The deposit and when it is due
- The remaining down payment after the deposit is credited
- Closing costs
- Cash left after closing

I broke the full calculation down here:

https://dprealty.ca/blog/closing-costs-hamilton-home-buyers

09/22/2026

A basement apartment or backyard unit can completely change how you look at a Hamilton property.

But a second kitchen, separate entrance or finished basement does not automatically mean you're looking at a legal Additional Dwelling Unit.

Hamilton is also reviewing its urban ADU rules right now, with a public meeting scheduled for September 29.

The important distinction is that the September 18 notice did not create a new zoning rule.

So if an existing suite or future ADU is part of your buying decision, I would still want to know:

- what the current zoning allows;
- what permits and property records exist;
- whether the site can support the proposed unit;
- what work may still be required;
- how the lender will treat the income; and
- whether the intended use works for your insurer.

I've broken down what is current, what is proposed and what still needs to be verified:

https://dprealty.ca/blog/hamilton-adu-rules-2026

If you're looking at a specific Hamilton property, send me the address and what you're hoping to do with it.

Hamilton is reviewing ADU rules in 2026. Learn the current Additional Dwelling Unit rules, what is proposed and what to verify before relying on a suite.