Starting next week (April 1, 2025), Nova Scotia will increase the Non-Resident Deed Transfer Tax from 5% to 10%. This tax applies to residential properties with three or fewer dwelling units purchased by individuals or corporations not residing in Nova Scotia – and yes, it also includes vacant land. Government’s Rationale The provincial … Read more
While there is a section on applicable taxes in the Buyer’s Guide: How to Buy Land in Nova Scotia, the topic is worth a deeper dive. That is particularly true due to the recent increase in capital gains inclusion rates that became effective across Canada in 2024. Deed Transfer Taxes The most common tax to … Read more
Real estate investors in any part of the world are looking for the same thing: under-valued real estate investments with high upside potential. And if you’re not looking at Canada’s Atlantic coast as a promising opportunity, you might be missing out In particular, I feel Nova Scotia’s land market has the most to offer. Here’s … Read more
A Land Survey is your official “map” of your Nova Scotia land “Is it surveyed?” is a common question that comes up when buying land in Nova Scotia, or anywhere really. While a survey isn’t essential, it’s the surest way to fully understand the boundaries of a property. And for certain activities like subdividing land, … Read more
When buying land in Nova Scotia, a title search is essential. Paperwork, right? When what you want is a beautiful slice of Nova Scotia land, who wants to dig through dusty old deeds and legal documents? But as I’ll explain below, a title search is a MUST-DO activity for any prospective land buyer. Let’s dive … Read more
Contents What is land migration? Is my property migrated? Do I need to migrate a property to buy/sell? Who pays for land migration? What are the costs? How is land migrated? Do I need a lawyer to migrate land? How long does it take to migrate land? Property migration issues for buyers Property migration issues … Read more
We’ve previously written about how the Nova Scotia Non-Resident Deed Transfer Tax may impact foreigners hoping to buy land in Nova Scotia. But here we’re discussing a different type of legislation (the federal government’s Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act, which came into effect Jan 1, 2023). This Act is far … Read more
(Note: this post deals with the provincial deed transfer tax affecting foreign buyers. View this post for information on the repeal of restrictions for foreign buyers purchasing vacant land in the Federal Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act). For a full overview of all the types of taxes applicable for a land … Read more
