Now that you’ve made it this far, let’s talk about what happens when you find a property that you like and that fits your group. Again, the market is competitive so you and your group have to be ready to act fast.

As we said at the beginning of this step, the real estate market is a seller’s market most of the time. In the GTA, that isn’t looking to change any time soon. While there are a lot of different types of properties that your group can look at, you should always keep in mind that supply is limited.

Building on your understanding of the needs and wants of each group member, you can begin to create a list of criteria that you are looking for in your co-owned real estate purchase. This Home Brief will help your agent’s guide to finding you a property.

The final step in a co-ownership real estate purchase is to find the perfect property for your group! This step is last because all of the preparation you and your group have done will make this step much easier. So once you are comfortable with your Group Agreement and have worked through your Legal Agreement and budget, you are finally ready to consider properties.

Once you have done the work of determining your legal rights and responsibilities, financial obligations, and future scenarios as a group, we recommend finding a lawyer who has some experience drafting co-ownership agreements. It is essential that your agreement is created with all members of your purchasing group and the contents of any wills or spousal agreements are shared with your lawyer as they prepare your group’s Legal Agreement, so that they align.

It is impossible to anticipate all future change, and you or members of your group might find yourself in a position of wanting to exit your co-purchasing arrangement. Members of your purchasing group must be in agreement about how and when your property will be divested (disposed of, sold etc.).

We recommend that you include a schedule for mortgage payments and a clear delineation of other payments, like bills and taxes, in your Legal Agreement.

Over the next three sections, we will be covering the three important features to include in your legal agreement. Starting now with Rights and Responsibilities!

Generally, there are two types of legal relationships between co-owners: you can buy property as either tenants-in-common or as joint tenants.

Your legal agreement is an essential part of the co-ownership real estate purchase. It may feel daunting or uncomfortable to discuss certain aspects of your living arrangement through the lens of a legal agreement, but your Legal Agreement is in place to protect you and your group, both individually and collectively.

Finally let’s finish up with some case studies to summarise Step 3 before moving on to Step 4: Creating Your Legal Agreement.

Conflict resolution is an important aspect of co-ownership and collective functioning. Find out the best ways to get through these situations.

Communication is an essential part of a co-ownership agreement. Your group needs to open and honest as well as regular in your frequency when it comes to house meetings and general communication.

There are many models and resources for collective decision making, and we recommend that you determine a decision-making structure with your group early on.

It’s important to harmonise and identify your group’s shared goals. This will build the foundation for your group agreement.

It’s time to look at how your group is going to function when living in a co-ownership arrangement.

Summarize Step 2 and take a look at the final parts to make sure you’re ready for Step 3!

Finally, the last piece of your financial puzzle is to assess your ongoing costs using the Combine-Leverage-Split method!

It’s Budget Time! Check out the example of the McGill group and create your group budget together!

It’s time to get your finances together and create your financial profile! Get together with your group and create a group outline to figure out your buying power!

Now that you’ve completed your crash course on mortgages, it’s time to move on to who will lend to you and how will you convince them to lend to your group.

Mortgages can be complicated. Co-ownership can make the process even more complicated. While it is helpful to have a working knowledge of the basics on mortgages, we’ve compiled a quick crash course aimed at co-ownership.

Now that you’ve got your group together and you’ve decided that you would be a good fit, it’s time to get real about everyone’s financials.

That’s all of step one and finding your purchasing group for co-ownership. This step can take a lot of time depending on a number of factors but, as it is the first step, it’s one of the most important. You need to work hard and dig deep to solidify your purchasing group and ensure the success of your co-ownership purchase.

Now that you have a clearer sense of your own needs, wants, and dreams in co-purchasing a home, and you’ve found a group of people that share your vision of co-ownership, you can assess and discuss your compatibility with your co-purchasing group. The more detailed and clear your ideas are, the easier they will be to convey to others.

There are many ways to form a purchasing group for co-ownership purposes. While co-ownership is still relatively new, there are plenty of services that are available to you even if you are a single buyer looking for a group.

There is a broad spectrum of co-purchasing relationships. You and your potential co-purchasers get to decide where you fit on that spectrum, and develop your own shared goals for your home. You might be entering into this process with friends or family members, or with complete strangers.

There is a broad spectrum of co-purchasing relationships. You and your potential co-purchasers get to decide where you fit on that spectrum, and develop your own shared goals for your home. You might be entering into this process with friends or family members, or with complete strangers.

Co-purchasing is a significant commitment that can have high stakes. You and your group will jointly manage what may be your most important asset, and this project must be undertaken with care and planning to be successful. Every group is different and you will develop your own models and methods to facilitate the functioning of your home.

With good planning, your co-ownership purchase can be a profound and rewarding experience. The following are 3 entries are studies from groups who co-purchased their homes. While not all of these groups remain together, their stories demonstrate the importance of preparation and following the 5 Steps. Check out how Two Mothers fared in this case study example!