Toronto Real Estate Blog Downtown Condos » New Condo Developments

My Review of the Homebuyers.com Preconstruction App

Mark Savel — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:26:35 +0000

Take a drive in downtown Toronto and you’re guaranteed to see two things: cranes and sandwich boards for condos! Problem is, neither really tell you much about the projects they’re promoting. Alas, a solution is here!

Homebuyers.com has just rolled out it’s user friendly iPhone and iPad app! I downloaded the app today and took it for a test run to see how well it works.

The download from the app store was quick, seemless and took seconds to load! The first step is to either sign-in under your Facebook or Email account. I started by skipping, but I’d highly suggest doing so as more features are available once logged in.

After asking for your location, a “Google map” based screen loads up with your current location and near by pre construction projects! With a pinch or pull of the screen the user can zoom in or out from the given area. Pink and blue pins represent the different condos. Each pin has a starting price of remaining units.

Clicking on a pin will take you to the individual listing of the building. It’s a very clean and simple layout that features a rendering of the building, starting price, mortgage caluculator, favorite button, priority registration, info, models (some contain floorplans and some renderings), current promotions, notes and contact button.

When the user clicks the star button the building get’s added to your “favourite list”. The pin on the main screen is changed to yellow, this helps keep track of what you’ve seen and to narrow down the process.

The mortgage button is a handy addition to the app that gives the user 5 financing scenarios. You can go into each option and customize the scenario. Once done, you can email the results! In future updates, a deposit calculator would also be helpful.

The descriptions of the buildings are short and concise, skipping all the normal broker babble and cutting straight to the goods!

The “models” and “promotions” tabs still require a lot of updating (at time of writting this). For some buildings, the “promotions” tab shows model suites and in others – floorplans. A tab just for floorplans would be incredibly powerful. Most promo tabs don’t have any specials listed, but as more builders take note of the app, I could see that changing.

The “My Notes” section does exactly what the name describes! Users can take and store notes for each building. You’ll need to have an email account activated in order to use this part of the app.

Lastly is the “contact” tab… users can email the developer directly from the app! The address and (sometimes) phone numbers are also listed under this section.

For an even quicker search you can narrow the criteria by a ton of variables such as location, price, type, bedrooms, square footage, status (coming soon, under construction, move-in now etc) and developer!

I was most impressed with how fast the app loaded. Typically with map based apps there’s an annoying lag before the user can even start the search. With the homebuyers.com app, you’re up and running right away! I love that the individual listing pages are so easily shareable through other social media sites like twitter and facebook. In a time where developers are still creating incredibly hard to navigate websites, this app saves a ton of time getting you the info you want. There’s even the option to sign up for priority registration… this will notify you when new projects open up to the public!

The only criticism I could offer about the app is that I didn’t really see the point of having a “regular” vs “featured listing” option but hopefully there’s a bigger plan for it down the road. Also, a few of the smaller builders were missing from the list and a couple of projects were not yet available. My small comments aside, For it’s first version I give the app 4 high-rises out of 5!

Download the app here: http://app.homebuyers.com/

277 Davenport x 10 condos x 6 floors

Mark Savel — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 04:16:28 +0000

Look along our downtown skyline and you’re guaranteed to see two things – cranes and highrises! It’s beauty to some, but often times sad to me (and no, not because a catastrophic bubble is about to pop). For you see, once you peel back the glass and concrete cladding… they’re all pretty much the same on the inside!

The formula for developing a condo in Toronto these days is pretty straight forward:
1. Buy downtown lot (bonus points if it’s “steps to” anything.)
2. Select from a one of five “starchitects” to design your glass box.
3. Once you have the outside mapped out, start on the interiors. Here you choice is even more limited… there’s roughly 3 to select from. Who you select won’t make much of a difference as they will typically suggest any or all of the following – granite in the kitchens with a modern or European cabinetry (from what I’ve seen, the words are used interchangeably), some form of hybrid hardwood/laminate concoction in the main living areas and a natural stone tile for the bathrooms.
4. Now that you’ve got 3 of the main ingredients in play, you’re going to need choose from one of the 2 big name preconstruction brokers. Both are equally good, it really comes down to who can sell a better story about your project. They’ll suggest a few marketing firms to bring the “vision” to life – actions words and pretty people are a must for all glossy brochures.
5. Hold a few VIP releases to the ever busy real estate community, and voila you’ve sold a condo.

I’ve left a few sub steps such as floorplan design, coming up with a price, and my personal favourite - music selection for flash based/non smartphone loading website… but i’m sure you get the (sarcastic) point i’m trying to make!

I recently stopped into the sales centre of 277 Davenport, expecting the same as usual. What I found was anything but! They used the same formula I described above, but did it soooo well it doesn’t seem wrong at all!

Let’s start with step 1 – Location. As the name signifies, the condo is being built at 277 Davenport Rd. just a few doors down from Chef Massimo Capra’s Mistura and across the street from Brian Gluckstein’s gorgeous courtyard. The development is being built in a tucked away part of Davenport and the sales centre is almost hidden from plain sight. Panning out, you’ll notice that the project is smack in the middle of 3 of the most sought after neighbourhoods in the City – Casa Loma, Annex and Yorkville.

2. They went with Hariri Pontarini Architects, who’s company is no stranger to the area and is definitely among the Cities top “starchitects”. On an international level their work includes the Bahá’í Temple for South America in Chile and closer to home they’ve designed One Bloor East, Shangri-La and B Street Condos (to name a few)… Except at 277 Davenport you aren’t getting a 60 storey glass box! Instead, they went with much more appropriate 6 storey low rise containing only 10 condo units. Now I know as much as the next Realtor that a low rise boutique condo isn’t all that revolutionary or ground breaking but what I particularly like is how it fits in with the other structures in the area. For the most part, the community is made up of older bay and gable Annex homes. 277 Davenport is a bold contrast from these yet it compliments the curvey Davenport road with its angled balconies. It’s progressive mix of concrete and glass use the same elements of many other downtown condos, but arrange in a way that doesn’t over power the buildings design. The outside facade isn’t going to blow your socks off or make your snap your neck while driving by, but yet it’s subtle exterior is exactly what I think the target buyer for the project would want to live in!

3. Pick an interior designer. Now here’s were the project really gets interesting… they followed the steps but changed the ingredients and came up with a refreshing twist! Boychuk + Fuller were hired to create a space that would ultimately make or break the success of the project. To be perfectly honest, I’ve never heard of the team before. Even after several google searches all that I came up with was a hompage that features no more than the companies contact info and a link to email them. Rest assured, what they lack in online presence they make up where it counts the most – designing interiors! Stunning European-style (really, this kitchen actually is as European as it gets) kitchen cabinetry, cantilevered centre islands for seating and top-of-the-line appliances like; Miele gas ranges, refrigerators and dishwashers with Wolf microwave drawers.

Instead of choosing an “Italian sounding” local team (as is often used for condo kitchen spaces), they went with a true and authentic Italian luxury furniture manufacturer, Poliform. The companies roots go back to the 40′s, and have since been creating some of the most sought after designs for all different aspects of the house. If the name Poliform sounds familiar it’s probably from their contributions to prototypes at previous IDS shows in Toronto – the Monk lounge [2010]and the Pod Villa at Templar-Lake on The Mountain [ winner of IDS 2011 best of show].

When I walked into the sales centre, the floors were the first to catch my eyes! I figured they were being reused from the previous tenants of the building. The sales rep told me that these were in fact brand new floors and were made of an engineered hardwood that was created to give the image of an older and authentic look!

Like many other condos, the use of natural stone can be found through out the development… where they differ is in the quality and selection of stone purchasers can choose from!

Three standard finishes are available with a forth containing upgrades. The interweaving pattern seen in the photo above can be done in any of the three flooring selections but comes as an upgrade if done in that design… one i’d definitely take if buying here!

4. The Burnac Group is the company developing the project. When it comes to luxury building, they’re no stranger to the game. Not only have they built several other notable residential projects in the City (Think Madison Ave Lofts and Park Avenue) they also own and operate Royal de Versailles Jewellers in Yorkville! With prices starting from $1.65 million and up to $3.3 million , 277 Davenport isn’t for everyone. I feel as if the development is really geared to a purchaser who’s looking to downsize from their large high-end home. It’s more for someone who still wants to stay in the City but be away from all the pretentiousness of Yorkville. Most importantly, it’s for someone with great taste and who knows quality design when they see it!

The marketing (done by LA Ads) skips all the common fluff seen in other condo campaigns. You won’t find any 6 pack abs or bikini clad woman on any of their pages. Instead you’ll find well written descriptions of the project details, realistic renderings of what the condo will look like, and a great summary of the “it” places near by. It’s simple, straight to the point and very effective. The whole experience from walking into the sales centre to speaking with the sales reps was very low pressure and informative instead of pushy and annoying!

5. No fancy shmancy line-ups here! With only 10 units available, they’re selling on a first-come first-serve basis. And with a project of this caliber, you can still customize the look and feel of the interior space! I’ve included the remaining floorplans below.

In my opinion, 277 Davenport is a prime example of taste trumping luxury. The project is a perfect buy for the down-sizer looking to maintain a stylish resident with out having to settle for the everyday finishes found in many other condos downtown! I currently have prices and floorplans for the remaining units. If you’d like to live at 277 Davenport, fill out the form below

Bold Towns Launches with Prices and Floorplans

Mark Savel — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:08:51 +0000

The wait is over for The Bold Towns at Broadview and Danforth! Floorplans and prices for the project were just released to the public. In total only 14 towns will be built on the site. The collection is comprised of 6 different configurations. Each town comes with a parking spot (included in the price), a rec-room, a terrace, and 3 bedrooms. The master bedroom makes up the entire 3rd and comes with a walk-in closet and a private ensuite with a separate shower, tub and bathroom!

Preview pricing has homes starting at $809,990. Purchasers are required to put down a 15% deposit on the towns. Move-in date is scheduled for approximately Spring 2013. You can preview the floorplans below:

If you’d like to purchase at Bold Towns, please contact me by filling out the form below!

Photo Updates of River City Phase 1

Mark Savel — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:00:35 +0000

During last weeks “peak and enter” at the newly completed Don River Park… I stopped by the River City development to take a few photos of phase one under construction!

The 7 storey River St. building is well underway and already taking shape.

The two storey townhomes line the base of the building along River St.

Here’s a close up of the King St. building… eventually the two will be connected by a bridge!

Interlocking stone was used in the construction of sidewalks and roads for the area!

Looking for more updates from River City? Waterfront Toronto recently relocated one of its web cameras to capture the construction progress of the development! The web camera, which was previously used to capture the construction of Sherbourne Common north, is now on the rooftop of Edge Loft condominiums at 625 Queen Street East. Still images of the site are taken every 15 minutes and can be viewed on Waterfront Toronto’s construction webcam page and on the River City page.

Images are archived and once the project is complete, a two minute time lapse video is created that showcases the transformation of the project from start to finish.

Don River Park – Photo Friday

Mark Savel — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:09:44 +0000

One of the most exciting things about being in the business of selling the City is watching how it changes over the years. In 2008 I started focusing on the West Don Land (or River City) part of town. At the time it was no more than a contaminated brown field with a bunch of old industrial buildings. With the announcement of Toronto hosting the Pan Am games in 2015… plans quickly got underway to improve the look of the area.

A new school, daycares, and condos are just a few of the things planned for the area… but before any of this could happen, the City had to deal with a potential flood hazard at the base of the redevelopment. Reshaping the floodplain would not only protect the West Don Lands but also a 99 hectare (245 acre) area, including Toronto’s financial district, from sinking underwater!

The solution they came up with was both practical and useful for the area residents and the overall look of the area! Approximately 400,000 cubic metres of fill is being used to construct the Don River Park. According to WaterFrontToronto’s website: “The centrepiece of the West Don Lands, Don River Park will be a 7.3 hectare (18 acre) active, vibrant and inviting park that will not only serve the local community, but residents from throughout Toronto and visitors from far and wide. Construction of the park, which will occupy the south eastern portion of the neighbourhood and will run along the Don River from King Street to the rail corridor in the south, started in September 2010. When completed, the beautiful green space will invite people to the Don River and offer inspiring experiences along the river’s edge as well as spectacular views of downtown and Lake Ontario.”

I’ve visited the site several times since 2009 and been blown away by it’s progress each time! Shortly before the park opened, I took a self guided tour of the almost completed park! Check out the photos below:

Live Details from South Hill on Madison VIP Launch

Mark Savel — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:18:48 +0000

Starting at 12:00 pm on Tuesday March 20th, I’ll be live blogging from the South Hill on Madison VIP Broker Launch. This exclusive Platinum Broker lunch is taking place at Mistura’s Upper Lounge and will go from 12-2. The project is being developed by Burnac Holdings Limited and will be constructed next to The Madison Avenue Lofts, at the foot of Casa Loma.

12:30 – arrived at Mistura, beautiful spread for lunch. A lot of excitement!

1:28 – Hunter Milborne taking the floor to discuss the details.

Sales office to have a one bedroom suite!

1:30 – History of Burnac development. Built over 1000 condos in the past 20 years. Currently working on a highend boutique on Davenport

1:33 – priced in the 600 per square foot. 15% for VIP downpayment.

1:35 – only 159 suites available. Parking available for everything over $300,000.

Prices and floorplans now available!

Prices range from $239,900-$989,900 and in size from 384-1259 sq. ft.

Check in here for all the live details. And if you’re interested in purchasing at South Hill, fill out the form below anytime!

What Will South Hill on Madison Look Like?

Mark Savel — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:22:08 +0000

Today we got our first look of what South Hill on Madison will one day look like! BuzzBuzzHome released the rendering on twitter earlier today. It’s hard to tell which way the building will front in relation to Madison lofts next door, yet it’s still better than the vacant lot that currently sits on the site!

South Hill Condos will sit at the base of Casa Loma and have the Dupont subway station literally minutes away. A brand new eco park is also in the works for the are and will be developed on the vacant parking lot to the south of Macpherson!

If you’d like to be kept in the loop on it’s progress fill out the form below!