Posts Tagged ‘affordable’

It’s been a little more than a year since the Riverside Townhomes launched on Broadview at Queen St. East! Last week I passed by the site to find demolition well underway.  Check out some photos of the site below:

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This past weekend, my curiosity got the better of me as wandered around the River City neighbourhood …and in particular, Underpass Park!

I was killing some time in between appointments and trying to find away to snap some pictures of the Don River Park from atop the Adelaide E Bridge.  Sadly, I didn’t have much luck as Cole Haans aren’t the most practical shoes for fence jumping or bridge scaling. Although… I was successful in finding a nice little place to park for free (something that’s getting harder and harder in Toronto).  With my car tucked away, I had juuust enough time to snap a few photos of the changes under the bridge!

Construction started about 6 months ago on the dreary and dark space under the bridge. Once complete, Underpass Park will be the most extensive park to ever be built under an overpass in Canada. Already concrete has been poured, plants have been planted and jungle sets for the kids installed! Read the rest of this entry »

You haven’t truly sold Real Estate until you’ve sold a co-op!

Co-op’s are a form of ownership wildly popular in New York yet not that common in Toronto. They’re typically cheaper to purchase when compared to a condo unit. The price of co-op units makes them ideal for a first time purchasers. The term “co-op” is commonly associated with government supported housing, yet many have no relation and are run entirely by the residents and property manager.

The unique location of my listing is on the border of two sought after communities. The building is located on 1648 Bathurst and has Forest Hill to the East and Cedarville to the West! The shops and restaurants of”Upper Village” are minutes away on Eglinton. Loblaw’s and the St. Clair subway station can be found to the South.

The building has a ton of character with a welcoming Tudor style exterior. Typical units in the area are reflective of its time and are rarely updated. I helped my client purchase in the co-op a while back and was amazed when I saw how she transformed the place! Here is what it looked like before the renovations:

From your first visit, you’ll notice that this isn’t you’re typical co-op! The owner has extensively updated the look and feel of her place while still respecting the character and charm originally built into the unit. The walls have been recently painted to give the area a warm feel. The kitchen went through a massive overhaul with the old finishes removed and a much more modern style applied.  The dull white cabinets, the laminate countertops and the basic appliances have been replaced with granite counterops, mahogany coloured cabinets, glass blacksplash and stainless steel appliances.  And now, the after photos:

The living area which was once painted in 2 clashing hues of yellow has been transformed with a floral wallpaper and warm coloured complimentary wall!  My client has preserved the character of the imitation fireplace by giving it a fresh coat of paint.  I particularly love the inlay around the base of the fireplace…that level of work is rarely seen these days.  Oh, and did I mention the hardwood???  Yes I said hardwood NOT laminate!  Try finding that in a newly built condo!

And check out the video!

Laundry is available in the lower level of the building and there is a parking space available for rent!  The unit is placed on the main level, at the rear of the building which allows for quite conversations without the noise of traffic.  The maintenance fees include property taxes, hydro, water and heat.

You can learn even more about the listing on my SavelSells website or feel free to contact me for a private showing!

Its quite common to read about a project on the blog that’ll one day result in a high rise tower dominating over Toronto’s downtown core… and if you’re expecting that in this one, you’ll have to look somewhere else!

I recently attended the launch for Eleven Superior, Mimicos newest condominium project! Truthfully, I don’t have much experience in this part of town and was definitely intrigued to see what Mimico had to offer. The event was a huge success and featured local neighbourhood favourites…such as…french bites (crepes, duck confit, and maple syrup tarts) from Cafe du Lac, locally roasted, fair trade and bird friendly coffee from Birds and Beans, and an Eleven Superior signature sour apple martini by city favourite but local, Chasers Juice.  I know I know…this is supposed to be a real estate blog BUT the food from Cafe du Lac was sooooooooo good!  It’s a Montreal Bistro type-of set up and I highly recommend stopping by if your in the area (They also do a “Bring Your Own Wine” night).

Now back to the Real Estate side of things… Read the rest of this entry »

Earlier in the week, I recieved my brokers invite to the launch of Riverside Towns!  The invite shared more info about the project including:

• All brick and stone exteriors
• clean, modern interiors
• 9ft high smooth ceilings
• engineered hardwood floors
• European inspired kitchens with stone counters
• garden patios, balconies and rooftop terraces
• stainless steel appliances
• all gas cooking
• designer styled modern baths

The launch is happening this Monday, November 1st!  I’ll be attending the event and if you’d like to join…feel free to call or email…I’d love to help!  You can check out more pics of the project at my previous post!

We finally got our first glimpse of what Tableau will look like!  On Thursday, brokers were invited to hear David Wex (of Urban Capital) speak on the unique characteristics that Tableau has planned for future residents!

The play on words of “Tableau”, (French for table) is apparent throughout the marketing of the project!   The features of the condo are broken down in 3 different parts of the Tableau…below, on and above! To add to my previous post of what the condo will offer:

BELOW THE TABLE –  will feature a combination of design powerhouses.  Starting with my favourite part of the project is Shayne Darks “Nova” piece (seen above) that will  shoot through the table and add a dynamic display to the condo.  Below the table will be Claude Cormiers mosaic tiled plaza that will give a “ying and yang” contrast with the green space his firm is also working on across the street from Tableau.  To whisk you to and from your unit will be 4 high speed elevators. The lobby will house a 18′ high marble clad wall on one side with a floor to ceiling windows over looking the public plaza. Residential and commercial lobbies will be designed by Cecconi Simone. The current site of Embassy Night club will be worked into the building…sort of.  The tower and table will sit on top of the existing building with the facade being worked into the design instead of demolished!  Below are a few photos of what the corner currently looks like:

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DID YOU KNOW… the location of your condo may determine who pays for the status certificate!

Wait…do you even know what a “status certificate” is? And why you should be asking for one when purchasing a condo?

In the simplest terms, a Status Certificate is set of documents prepared by a condo board to illustrate the financial health of the building! A typical certificate will show a variety of facts including: how many units are being leased in the building, any shortages in payments of maintenance fees (for the particular unit) and the amount levels of the reserve fund.  They take 10 days to prepare (though most boards I’ve dealt with produce them sooner) and can be obtained by the unit owner.  They’re typically requested when a buyer submits an offer to purchase.  The purpose of the documents is better educate the potential buyer on the financial status of the condo and point out any pitfalls that may lay ahead if the decide to go through with the purchase.  A Real Estate lawyer is often best to review the Status and relay it’s info to the purchaser!

Now that we know what it is and why it’s needed, it’s time to answer the almighty dollar question “Who pays for it?”

Up until a few weeks ago, it was to my understanding that in Canada the seller is the one who pays for it…but after talking with Matt Richling, a colleague selling real estate in Ottawa I learnt different!  In Ottawa it’s common practice for the buyer to be the one who pays the fee. Which would make sense since it’s the buyer who’d be most interested in it’s findings. Fortunately for buyers in Toronto that’s not the case, and the seller typically pays for the status.  Your Realtor should always have the “Cost Talk” with you to better inform you of all the expenses that tend to pop up above and beyond the sticker price!

I ALWAYS recommend putting in a clause requesting a copy of the status and having a Real Estate lawyer review it.  Regardless of who pays for it…it only costs $100 and could save you a million headaches in the future!  If you’re looking at buying place of your own downtown…feel free to call or email…I’d love to help!