Archive for the ‘Real Estate’ Category

It’s funny how very little we know about the Canadian banking system! Be it for a mortgage, car loans or credit card purchases, the banks are literally the back bones to our economy yet on an individual level most of us hardly understand how they work!

Just the other day I was asking my friends a very basic question – “who owns a bank?”  and sadly, none of us could answer with certainty. As serendipity would have it, the next day I came across a speech delivered by 12 year old Victoria.  It’s a short video on how (inefficient) our system works and how we could improve it to give Canadians even more financial stability!

Check it out and be prepared to be blown away by what she has to say!

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/

What was once a tiny and dark one bedroom bungalow is now a two level, 3 bedrooms with 3.5 bath dream home. 25 Hanson has been transformed into the perfect family house. The stone veneer facade at the front of the home stands out from the others on the street. A granite driveway and cedar porch complete with security cameras are just a few of the executive upgrades waiting for you.

Inside is a completely open main level. Bamboo floors can be found in all other areas of the main level. In the living/dining room there’s an electric fire place, surrounded with a stone facade and two large columns. A Bay window lets the light shine in. Up top are pot lights with set regions set to dimmers for movie nights.

The kitchen has a unique two toned finish. The lower cabinets and drawers have a wood finish to compliment the floors. The above cabinets have a white finish. Both feature a quite close system meaning you’ll never hear a slammed door again! The Countertops are quartz, with a beautiful sparkle finish to them. A breakfast bar was added to maximize the space. Stainless appliances include a built in dishwasher, stove and microwave (with fan) and double door fridge. The sink is extra deep with an industrial faucet. A built in wine rack completes the kitchen!

A walk-out takes you to your private backyard complete with a newly built fence on each side. A large custom built patio allows for tons of entertaining room. Two flower beds were built using the same stone veneer as at the front of the house to tie the two themes together. The custom built shed with cedar doors and window provide ample storage for all your gardening needs.

In order to keep with the open concept theme, the powder room was placed a short flight down the stairs. The laundry room, electrical panel furnace, central vac equipment and water system are all conveniently placed in the lower level. A separate walk out can be found at the front of the house. Another electric fireplace adds to the warmth of the basement. At the rear a fourth bedroom or office with a private 3 piece bathroom is available.

Take a walk up the oak staircase and you’ll find three well appointed bedrooms. Two sky lights were installed to let the light in from the upper level to the lower. At the peak of the hallway, the ceiling height is approx 12 feet. The shared bathroom at the end of the hallway features a Jacuzzi tub and shower system with jets. Porcelain tiles cover the floors and wall. A mosaic tile accent wall carries from the floor to ceiling!

Each bedroom has wiring for phone, cable, and data and each has its own closet. The master has his and hers closets, a large picture window and a separate skylight. The ensuite bath comes complete with a large two person shower. River rocks accent the floors and ceilings and a therapeutic touch to the experience.

You can view all photos of the home in the gallery below:

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For a walkthough of 25 Hanson, check out this video:

Feel free to contact me for your own private tour of 25 Hanson by filling out the form below:

The Gladstone Hotel is known to many as a popular hipster hotspot on Queen west… but look back only 12 years and you get a story of a much different crowd! In keeping with last weeks post on the 2012 HotDoc Film Fest, I wanted to spotlight a documentary about the Hotels transformation. Last Call At The Gladstone Hotel first screened at HotDocs in 2007. While picking up my tickets for this years festival, the title of the film caught my eye. I did a bit of googling and came across this trailer for the film:

The official write up for the film says: “In 2000, developers purchase the crumbling, century-old Gladstone hotel to turn it from skid row flophouse to arts and music hotspot. They think it’s empty… until they meet Marilyn, the chambermaid with a heart of gold; Shirley Ann, the cynical front desk clerk; and a motley crew of residents, including Maryanne, a sweet ex-bag lady who has turned her room into a toxic zone. Staff and residents—some who have been there for over 30 years—worry they’ll be squeezed out during the hotel’s imminent revitalization.

The developers’ plan— a gradual restoration with staff and residents remaining upstairs, while downstairs the bar serves designer drinks to new, affluent clientele—doesn’t work. When experimental film-maker, Christina Zeidler inherits the mess and forms a “business model that includes social change,” the hotel has the last word. City inspectors demand complete rewiring, the boiler blows up leaving the hotel without heat, ceilings leak, walls are crumbling and Zeidler now has to decide what to do.

Shot over five years in a cinema direct style, Last Call at the Gladstone Hotel is an intimate portrait of the effects of urban renewal on the poor—a compelling tale of urban conflict put under the lens of class, money and social consciousness, chronicling a heart breaking clash of cultures between down at the heels hotel residents, artists and developers. More than a story about haves versus have-nots, this film exposes a pattern of displacement repeated in cities worldwide, and reveals the unintentional roles we often play in the process of gentrification.”

The film is available for purchase at the HotDocs box office (783 Bathurst Street) or can be streamed online in the HotDocs Library - http://www.hotdocslibrary.ca/en/detail.cfm?filmId=11105

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.

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Rising on Burnhamthorpe Road West at Duke of York Boulevard across from Mississauga City Hall, Citygate One is a magnificent 35-storey tower, with its striking symmetry to its Sister-Tower, Citygate Two, and articulated cascade design – virtually all glass – makes a distinctive addition to the city skyline.

I’ve just listed one of the largest penthouses at the Citygate community! Approximately 1800 sqft create the space for this 2 storey Penthouse that overlooks Mississaugas City Centre and Square One Shopping Mall. A natural stone foyer greets visitors when they enter the condo.  A storage closet and powder room are conveniently positioned off to the side.  The layout then opens up to a spacious array of living, dining and kitchen space.  The main level feels even larger with its 10ft ceilings and crown moldings above and hardwood flooring in main areas. When the firework celebrations go off below, you get the best seat in the house in front of your private fire place that elegantly rises from the floor to ceiling and overlooks the public square.  The balcony comes equipped with a natural gas hook up for bbq’s!

The kitchen is well appointed with a roomy layout and tons of space for cooking.  Slabs of granite make up the counter tops and island with stainless steel appliances and a wine cooler accompanying it’s high end finishes.

On the second level is where you’ll find a second office, play area (which can be converted) and two bedrooms.  The laundry area has it’s own room with storage.  The master bedroom features his and hers closets, an ensuite bathroom with Jacuzzi tub and tons of natural light!  There is a second 4 piece bathroom on the upper level as well.

Parking and locker are also included in the purchase price! Maintenance only $.56/sqft AND hydro is included, in many new buildings hydro is extra! Unique to Citygate, residents also have use of a shuttle service to the Cooksville GO station. Check out a video from inside the penthouse below:

This building is centrally located in Mississauga and is only a short walk to local strip plazas, schools, parks and other amenities. It’s located close to the city’s centre, where residents can enjoy visiting the Square One Shopping Centre, with over 350 specialty shops and services, the Mississauga Civic Centre and the Central Library and community centre, all within a single mile’s radius.

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Citygate One offers luxurious facilities such as gym, swimming pool, beautiful kept gardens, BBQ facilities billiards, party room Building features include:
- Daily shuttle bus service back and forth to GO train station. great for people who work downtown
- Gym
- Wellness Centre
- Swimming pool
- Two Guest Suites
- Party room
- Movie room
- Board/meeting room
- Pool table
- 5th floor BBQ and terrace area, including mini-putt golf and children`s play area
- 24×7 concierge security
- Convenient access to all amenities, mall, library, YMCA.
- Close to major highways, 401, 403

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Hop on the 63 bus, and head down to Ossington for drinks, dinner and condos!  The former sleepy street that was once home to factories and commercial business has quickly transformed into a hot bed of action with new bars and restaurants popping up everywhere… and I’m not just selling the hype here, i’m also partaking in it!  You’ll often find me at BQM for a burger or hanging out at The Ossington while the Secert Models dj a set to a packed house on a Saturday Night! I’m probably not the first to tell you this but the Ossington neighbourhood is quickly becoming the “it” place to be!

A few years back, Reserve Properties was the first to embrace the strip and bring to it a modern and well appointed development known as Motif!  With the success of their first project, they’re back again with a second project at 109 Ossington, the former Mondial Auto Repair shop! According to the press release:

Building on Ossington’s character and dynamic street line, 1090Z offers a contemporary design that reads to the eye as four intimate structures. “We wanted to create a built form that really suited the eclectic rhythm and dimensions of the street,” says Shane Fenton VP of Reserve Properties.

Catering to Ossington’s active pedestrian traffic, new retail on the ground floor will reanimate 150 feet along Ossington’s vibrant north-south corridor.

“Staggering storeys back and forth as you move up the building provides a variety of angles and gives each element its own identity,” says lead architect Roland Rom Colthoff of RAW. “Dark brick, zinc and glass materials used on the façade further enhance texture, while mimicking the memory of the existing lot division.”

Emphasizing the angular façade, balcony enclosures will be punctuated with different colours, co-designed by purchasers, giving them the opportunity to personalize the exterior of their new home.

“With 109OZ we really wanted to capture the essence of the local attitude and diversity of people who live there,” says Dan Menchions of II BY IV Design Associates.

Drawing the Ossington vibe inside, the 109OZ marketing centre is animated with pops of tangerine orange, canary yellow and fuchsia and a monochromatic gradient herringbone pattern on the floor. “The presentation centre is designed to make you feel like you are walking into the actual lobby itself,” adds Menchions.

Capturing the creative culture of the area, a multi-coloured pendant fixture by neighbourhood design darling Castor Design, crafted from recycled fire extinguishers, is surrounded by graphic elements and artwork reminiscent of 60’s and 70’s pop-art movement.

“We know from our recent success with Motif Lofts & Towns on Ossington that this is a very savvy neighbourhood when it comes to design. We wanted to create a project that local residents would appreciate and represents where design is going,” says Shelley Fenton, President of Reserve Properties.

109OZ offers 85 generously sized lofts with open concept layouts. Providing purchasers a flex space for work, dining and entertaining, European styled kitchens feature oversized islands that double as a chef’s table. With private outdoor space off of almost every suite and a second floor amenity terrace that overlooks the main street, purchasers can stay in and still engage with Ossington.

“People from around the city travel to Ossington in order to play. They come here to do their boutique shopping, do dinner at Union or hit up Foxely,” says Johnston. “But now with 109OZ people won’t just be visiting the neighbourhood to enjoy it, they are going to be able to live in it and truly take part in everything by foot, and that’s just good neighbourhood building.” Read the rest of this entry »