A lawyer handles the file in Saskatchewan rather than a third-party holdback process, and title moves through Information Services Corporation rather than any private registry. Your lawyer's fee covers the title search, the transfer registration and the mortgage discharge or setup, and that fee typically runs $800 to $1,500 depending on the file's complexity.
Minimum down payment in Canada is 5 percent up to $500,000 and 10 percent on the portion above that, and anything under 20 percent triggers CMHC, Sagen or Canada Guaranty mortgage insurance, with Saskatchewan charging provincial sales tax on that premium at closing. Budget that tax as a real closing cost, not an afterthought.
If you are buying and selling in Saskatoon at the same time, Joel Dyck can walk through both sides of the timeline with you so the numbers line up. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.