Buying From Away
Most of my buyers don’t live here yet. Some are two provinces over, some are six time zones away. Buying from a distance is normal on the South Shore, and there is a process for doing it well. Here is exactly how it works with me.
Book a video call →Get the free Buyers GuideYou don’t need to be here to buy here
I moved to the South Shore from Montreal myself. I did the long-distance research, the flights, the leap. So when a buyer calls me from Toronto, Calgary, Texas, or Germany, I know what they can’t see from a listing: which roads flood, which coves get the wind, what winter actually costs, and which properties photograph better than they live.
My job is to be your eyes, ears, and boots on the ground until the day you get the keys.
How buying remotely works, step by step
A video call, not a sales call
We start with 30 minutes on Google Meet or Zoom. What you’re after, your budget in Canadian dollars, your timeline, and whether the South Shore is even the right fit. If it isn’t, I’ll tell you.
I narrow the map before you spend a dime
Six towns and a hundred coves all feel different. Based on what you told me, I point you at the right stretch of coast and set up a listing search that matches.
Live video walkthroughs
When something looks right, I go through it on a live video call with you. Not a polished reel. You direct me: open that cupboard, show me the panel, walk the shoreline, start the car in the driveway so you can hear the road noise.
Straight answers about what the camera misses
Sun exposure, smells, slope, neighbours, cell signal, how the driveway will handle a plow. I tell you what I’d want to know if it were my money.
Offers and signing, fully remote
Offers, counters, and every document are signed electronically through secure e-signature. Same-day turnaround when a deal is moving.
Due diligence with people who know coastal property
I coordinate and attend the inspection, well and septic tests, and water flow checks, and you get the reports, photos, and my plain-language read on each one. Need a surveyor or insurance quotes? I’ll connect you with the right local people and keep it all moving.
Closing: plan to be here for it
Almost everything up to closing day happens remotely, and deposits arrive by wire. The closing itself is better in person: your Nova Scotia lawyer will usually want to meet you face to face a few days to a week before closing to verify ID and sign the final documents. Fully remote closings can be arranged when travel truly isn’t possible, but in person is smoother, and it means I hand you the keys the day the place becomes yours.
Then: landing
Power, internet, heating fuel, health card, licence, school registration. My Welcome Home guide covers it street by street, and I stay on call after closing.
“Am I even allowed to buy?”
This is the first question every international buyer asks, and the honest answer is better than most people expect.
Canada’s foreign buyer ban
The federal ban (in effect until at least January 1, 2027) only covers larger population centres. On the South Shore it applies in the Halifax Regional Municipality stretch: St. Margarets Bay, Peggy’s Cove, and the HRM side of Hubbards. From Chester through Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Bridgewater, and down to Liverpool, the ban does not apply. Non-Canadians can buy there today.
Even inside the HRM zone
Permanent residents are not affected. Holders of a valid Canadian work permit with at least 183 days remaining can also buy. Vacant residential land is exempt everywhere.
NS non-resident deed transfer tax
If you buy as a non-resident of Nova Scotia, the province charges 10% on the greater of the purchase price or assessed value. It applies to other Canadians too. The key exemption: move here and make the home your primary residence within 6 months of closing and you don’t pay it. Buying a year ahead of your move is where it stings; buying as part of your move usually isn’t.
Regular deed transfer tax + financing
Each municipality charges its own deed transfer tax on every purchase, typically 1% to 1.5%. Canadian lenders do finance non-resident buyers, but expect a larger down payment, commonly around 35%, and more documentation. I can point you to brokers who do this regularly.
Rules change and your situation is your own. Before you rely on any of this, confirm it with a Nova Scotia real estate lawyer. I’ll connect you with one as part of the process, at no cost to ask.
Worth knowing before we talk
Prices are in Canadian dollars
For US buyers the exchange rate works in your favour. Check the day’s rate before you set a budget.
45–90 min from the airport
Halifax Stanfield (YHZ) has direct flights to Toronto, Montreal, Boston, New York, and seasonal direct service to London and Frankfurt.
Atlantic Time
One hour ahead of Toronto and New York, four behind London, five behind most of Europe. I take calls across time zones.
“Doug helped me purchase my dream ocean view home in Hubbards. He was fantastic to work with - honest, straightforward, and never pushy.”Maryam Vahedi · Bought in Hubbards