Surprise!

Buying a house in Canada is much different than what I knew from the USA. The vocabulary is different. In the States, the final meeting where the keys are exchanged and papers signed, is called a "closing." I suppose it comes from the sales marketing lingo for closing the deal. In Canada, it is a "completion."

In the States, all the parties involved meet together and the seller and buyer get writers cramp from signing a huge stack of official forms, that you have no idea of the contents. You just trust your attorney and sign, sign, and sign. Finally, it is over, and every one sighs, and keys are surrendered.

In Canada, the buyer does more "foot work" for individual tasks. The buyer has to secure the insurance on the new dwelling. In the States, that is done for you...(maybe because they don't trust you to do it?)

Today, I got a shock when I learned that the bank did not request a transfer of certain funds. The closing/completion date is only 7 days away. I thought they would do that, as the mortgage provider. They assumed I would do it. So, with my blood pressure surging, I Faxed the forms into cyber-space where I hope they safely arrived into the loving hands of a clerk at the other end, who would devote themselves wholly to a speedy processing of my request.

In seven days, if all goes alright, we will meet at our attorneys office and sign a few forms, hand over some money, and that is the completion. No inch thick pile of documents to sign.
The whole thing ought to be done in 15 minutes. The attorney then files a new registration certificate for the property. Two days later, the realtor hands us the house keys.

I just hope there are no more surprises, even though in reality, the experience of buying a house in Canada is a new one. I hope my surprises are good ones then.