Buying a home like 170 Hwy 7A, step by step.
This guide walks through the process of buying a home like 170 Hwy 7A, from getting pre-approved to closing day, the way Keith Williams and Lisa C. Follows walk their own clients through it. No rate forecasts and no price guesses here, just the order of operations and the questions worth asking at each step.
The process · five steps
Pre-approval to keys, without the guesswork.
Buying a rural property adds a few questions of its own, solar contracts, workshop zoning, septic and well condition in some areas, and commute testing, which is why a team that has done it before is worth having in your corner. That same preparation is exactly what sold 170 Hwy 7A in three days at full asking price; what sells a home well also buys one well.
01
Get pre-approved before you tour
A mortgage pre-approval from a lender you trust tells you what price range is genuinely comfortable before you fall for a property outside it. It also makes your offer stronger when the right home appears: sellers take a pre-approved buyer more seriously than one who is still shopping for financing.
02
Tour, compare, and test your checklist
See more than one property, and revisit the front-runner at different times of day if you can. For a property like 170 Hwy 7A, the checklist runs beyond the house: garage and workshop size, parking for an RV and guests, solar income and its contract, and the commute at the hour you would actually drive it.
03
Make an offer that reflects the market
Your broker studies comparable sales and helps you decide the number and the terms. Keith and Lisa hold real negotiation credentials, including the Master Certified Negotiation Expert (MCNE) designation, and they present every offer on paper, plainly, with time for your questions before anything is signed.
04
Use conditions to protect yourself
The most common conditions are financing and home inspection. Each runs on its own date: confirm the mortgage, complete and review the inspection, then satisfy or waive each condition in writing. If a condition cannot be met, you can typically step away without penalty during that window. How conditions work, in detail, is on the FAQ page.
05
Close with a checklist, not a cliffhanger
Closing day brings the lawyer's work, the financing, the title transfer, and the handover of the keys. Your team stays in the deal to the end, coordinating dates and paperwork so the only surprise on move-in day is how smoothly it went.
Toolkit · reading for buyers
- The workshop home: what tradespeople and makers buy
Garage, workshop, parking, and site access as buying criteria.
- Solar income and the microFIT contract
What to verify before buying a home with solar.
- The Hwy 7A commute, in numbers
Approximate drives from the Janetville area.
- Buyer FAQ
Plain answers to the questions buyers ask most.
Practical notes
The costs that sit quietly beside the price.
The purchase price is the headline, but a clean budget accounts for the rest too:
Closing costs
Land transfer tax, legal fees, and lender charges arrive at closing. Your lawyer gives you the exact figures in advance; a pre-approval that leaves headroom absorbs them comfortably.
Inspections and checks
A home inspection is the obvious one; on a rural property, add questions about the water, septic, well, and any outbuildings. Sellers love a buyer who asks smart questions up front.
Timing and movers
Closing dates are negotiated, not dictated. If you have a lease to exit or a move to plan around, say so early; a flexible buyer and a flexible seller usually find a date that works.
Your buyer's team
Keith Williams & Lisa C. Follows
Who you work with
Two brokers, one standard of care.
Keith has spent 29 years building a reputation for trust and results across Durham Region and beyond. Lisa brings a corporate background in research, innovation, and strategic consulting. Both hold the Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) designation, and Keith holds Master Certified Negotiation Expert (MCNE), so your side of the table is never under-resourced.
They work with first-time buyers, seasoned investors, seniors planning their next chapter, and families ready for a fresh start, across Durham Region, Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County. Replies come personally, usually within one business day.
- Phone
- 905-447-5842
- team@willowsgroup.ca
- Brokerage
- Royal LePage Frank Real Estate, 268 Queen St., Port Perry ON. L9L 1B9