Ask a Wahi REALTOR®: Which Questions Should Buyers Ask Neighbours or Community Groups Before Finalizing an Offer?

Wahi Broker of Record Anne Alkok recommends important questions homebuyers can ask to get deeper intel into a neighbourhood or condo building. 

By Josh Sherman | 2 minute read

The types of questions homebuyers should ask neighbours before putting in an offer vary property type.

If you’re in the market for a home, you’ll likely have more questions than a game of “Jeopardy!”

Many of these questions are best directed to a licensed Realtor. It’s a topic we’ve written about more than once, from how to interview a potential Realtor to 20 questions to ask your Realtor when buying.

But when the time comes to begin making offers, you’re going to want deeper local intel — and we’re not talking about the latest home sales data. Real estate industry professionals often recommend querying those who live near the properties that you’re seriously considering. “You might ask neighbours how they like living in the area, what the local schools are like, and — if you have children — whether there are other kids around the same age close by,” says Wahi Broker of Record Anne Alkok.

Weekends are typically the best time to low-key canvas the neighbourhood, though you could also try speaking to the neighbours during a weekday showing depending on the time. 

By all means, continue to check online resources. The Wahi app and website lets you filter listings to only show those that are located within zones with schools that have ratings of 7.0 or higher, according to the Fraser Institute’s provincial school rankings. However, nothing compares to genuine first-hand accounts. These can clue you in to the most recent developments in a neighbourhood. 

The questions you ask your potential future neighbours vary depending on the type of property you’re looking at, suggests Alkok. Looking at a house in a recently constructed subdivision? Inquire about build quality or if there have been any recurring issues with the houses. 

“If you’re considering a condo, you might ask whether there are long waits for the elevator during peak hours,” says Alkok. It may not seem like a big deal, but some experts warn that long wait times — and the stress related to them — can reduce the quality of life of residents in condos with insufficient elevator service.

“You may also want to ask whether the building is occupied mostly by owners or tenants and if noise levels from neighbours or nearby streets is ever an issue,” Alkok continues.

There are horror stories about Toronto condos that have been overrun by illegal Airbnb rentals and transformed into so-called ghost hotels. While the worst-case offenders end up making the news, asking occupants of a building ahead of time can help you avoid buildings that may become tomorrow’s headlines. 

Alkok suggests obtaining a condo status certificate. The document can answer many questions a condo buyer may be curious about — and likely some they didn’t even know they had.

A condo status certificate details a building’s financials, including the current budget and status of the reserve fund, which is set aside for major repairs. It also details any outstanding legal judgments against the condo corporation or ongoing litigation, as well as by-laws and rules.

Condo corporations in Ontario are mandated to provide status certificates within 10 days of request at a cost of no more than $100, including taxes, according to the Condominium Authority of Ontario.

“Knowing how responsive property management is to issues and how well the common areas are maintained could be helpful as well,” says Alkok.