Consumer Protection: MyHome Planner: Your Personal Home Buying Assistant

You might buy yourself a new pair of shoes on a whim.But a new condominium isn’t an impulse buy that you can return if you decide you don’t like it.Purchasing a condo involves a whole series of decisions beginning with setting your budget to picking out what kind of tile you want in the bathroom. This can be exciting but also a little overwhelming. Wouldn’t it be great to have a trusted advisor to help?MyHome Planner is a free app powered by Tarion that offers reliable advice, information and organization skills you need at each step of the home buying process. It’s like a best friend, new home expert and personal assistant all rolled into one.One of the first big questions to tackle is where do you want to live? Tarion regulates new home builders and through our MyHome Planner app you can do some research on the companies and where they are proposing to build new homes or condos.You want to buy from someone you can trust. The app helps you make that determination by giving you access to the Ontario Builder Directory so you can see a 10-year history of the builder, how many homes they’ve built and whether Tarion has paid out any warranty claims on their behalf.Once you know where you want to be, the fun part comes when it’s time to choose a model and customize it with fixtures, countertops and other finishes to create the home of your dreams. But who has time to track all these details and keep up with all the deadlines? MyHome Planner makes it easy by helping with scheduling, reminders and valuable information that will help ensure nothing is forgotten.So now you’re counting the days until you can move in. Before you start packing, however, an important step is the Pre-Delivery Inspection (or PDI) — a walk-through of your home with the builder prior to taking possession. This is the time to identify issues such as damaged or incomplete items.But do you know what to look for or what questions to ask? MyHome Planner can coach you with tips, videos and resources that will help you through the PDI process.At last, the keys are finally yours and you’re wondering how you’ll ever unpack all these boxes. But there’s still more to do as you transition from condo buyer to condo owner — including learning about your new condo warranty that is backstopped by Tarion.What does this warranty cover and how do you make a claim if needed? The answers are just a few clicks away thanks to MyHome Planner.The app will guide you through registering your warranty with Tarion and will connect you with MyHome, Tarion’s online tool that you can use to manage your warranty coverage in the years ahead.Buying a new condo can be stressful, but with MyHome Planner, you will be better equipped to deal with the many decisions that lie ahead. Consider it your personal home buying assistant available 24 hours a day with many of the answers you may need.The app is available for Android devices in the Google Play Store and Apple devices in the App Store. Don’t shop for a new condo without it!HOWARD BOGACH is president and CEO of Tarion Warranty Corp., a private corporation established to protect the rights of new homebuyers and to regulate new home builders. Tarion.com