Posts Tagged ‘condo’

After spending a week in sunny Varadero,  the end of vacation and the start of work officially commenced with an update letter from the River City team!

The letter was sent out to all the purchasers and their Realtors in an effort to keep us up to date with progress on this changing part of Toronto.   To summarize the changes thus far:

When Tableau Condos first launched to the real estate community, very little was known about them.  I attended the Realtor’s VIP session and did some digging my self to get the low down on the project. The session took place in the a warehouse at 117 Peter St above the old Embassy Night Club.  There wasn’t very much marketing materials to work with aside from floorplans and a scale model of the tower.  At the time, they were only releasing 60% (which works out to approximately 250 units) of the building.  Purchasers were to be selected by way of worksheets  in a lottery system.

Within the first week, word on the street was that over 1000 worksheet were submitted!  The lack of a model suite and finishing selection didn’t seem to matter as the price was very attractive compared to other developments launching near by (The Mercer and Studio on Richmond). With very little marketing, a showroom incomplete and a well priced product, Tableau easily achieved what they had set out to do…Sell!

Last week, a much smaller group than the one originally at the launch was invited back for an early peek at the showroom and an update on Tableau’s progress.  I was on hand for the event and was quite excited with what I heard.  According to the developers: the last remaining tenant of the building has a year left on their lease.   Tear down and preservation of the existing facade should start as early as January 2012!  They also confirmed that sales are well over 60% and they anticipate that number to go even higher as they gear up for their public launch!

After the presentation, I toured the sales centre and snapped a few picture of it’s transformation. I especially liked the way they displayed the finishes.  Instead of your normal “wall of samples”, they’ve created three different cubes, each showing a different selection of finishes. The model suite was a replica of the T4A floorplan. Everything in the suite was standard except for the divider in the kitchen (that’s an upgrade).  My only criticism would be the use of white in the model.  Other may disagree, but I’m just too clumsy of a guy to be left in a white room lol.

Tableau has come a long way since it’s initial launch in October and I’m certain they’ll do very well once they launch to the public!  I have discounted prices on suites at Tableau but only until February 2nd! Check out the photos below:

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If you’re interested in purchasing at Tableau give me a call (or send me and email)…I’d love to help!

The lack of posts on the blog is directly related to the increase in activity, but not to worry… I’m back, busy, and ready to blog!

By the first week of January appointments on my listings started to really spike and the emails started pouring in from people interested in buying and selling.  I had taken a client of mine into a loft conversion that we’d been eying for some time.  A few hours after the listing went live, I booked us an appointment with the hopes of being the first ones in… 3 others had already previewed the place before us.  My client loved the space so much that within an hour of viewing the unit we had an offer printed and ready to present. Luckily for the both of us we moved fast.  The next day another 7 appointments were booked.  Because I was able to secure the unit for my client the night before we narrowly avoided participating in multiple offers… others weren’t as fortunate.

I’ve seen several new condo listings in the downtown core with the ever famous “Offers if any, reviewed on the xx of January”.  For those not in the biz, this is one of the many signs that it’s a sellers market and that there are more buyers than there are sellers!  When this happens, the negotiating power isn’t heavily the purchasers side BUT I still think it’s worth while to look.  I’m not a fan of paying several thousand dollars more than what a unit is worth, and I’d never suggest a client do that either… but if that dream layout and your desired building does become available, I say go for it just be aware of what comparables have sold for.  If your fair priced offer isn’t accepted don’t loose faith…another one is always out there!  Sellers, instead of waiting for the spring market I’d suggest prepping you’re unit for sale a lot sooner.  It’s only a matter of time before others get word of the increase demand and start listing their places.

On the preconstruciton side of things, 2011 is promising several great launches through out the City.  Projects gearing up for future phased launches and those looking to move last years inventory have started offering a variety of incentives. Throughout the week I’ll be spotlighting a few with great perks!

If you’re looking to live Downtown, I’d love to help!

Here are a few photos from inside the unit:

One of the first preconstruction projects I started promoting on SavelBlogs was 2 Gladstone by Streetcar Developments.  Sales started back in October of 2009  and to this day, I’m still getting emails from interested purchasers on it.  It was one of the few projects to launch in 09 and with only 54 units, it didn’t take long for them to sell. Fast forward to 2011 and 2 Gladstone is back on the blog!

In early 2010 they demolished the existing buildings and by early spring the had dug a hole large enough to pour the foundation. From there it’s been nothing but up as they’ve already surpassed ground level and have started on the second floor! Estimated move-in is scheduled for October 2011 and with only 7 more floors to go, they might just build this one on time!

It’s hard to get a good indication on what the first level looks like as most of it is covered up, but once cladding starts I’ll be back to take some more photos… In the mean time, click on the thumbnails below to see the progress thus far.

While out on Queen West I spotted a few other sites “ripe for development” which is great news if you missed your chance to buy at 2 Gladstone. If Queen West is calling you…call me (or send me and email) and I’ll help you call it home!

(try saying that 5 times fast)

If 2011 is the year of the Rabbit, then 2010 was the year of the “Shrinking Condo”!  The last quarter brought many new projects to the market and with it came the realization that our living space expectations are changing.  The condos of yesterday (think The Esplande or any of the units at Harbour Square) offered much larger layouts with a more spacious design.  Today the norm is glass clad buildings to give the illusion of more space paired with the ever popular “open concept” design.  Now we’re seeing 2 bedrooms being built in the same size as former one beds. The demand for a great downtown location is at an all time high, and with the price of land also increasing, developers are building as many units as they can in much smaller sizes! This is the new reality of realty, and to argue or complain about the shift is a much of a waste of time as the Toronto Land Transfer tax is to our pockets!

I’ve noticed a lot of new projects incorporating a “study” into their spaces instead of a den. Studies don’t have much of a dedicated space and are often looked at as a waste! It’s similar to the trend of cutting out the second bedroom and making it a den. I’ve walked into a countless number of resale units that feature this awkward space with no real sense of definition.  I don’t blame the sellers for not making better use as many condo showrooms don’t use the “study” layouts in their display.  A few simple (and cost effective) changes is all that’s needed to bring the space back to life!

During the holidays I was at my colleague, Chris Molders place over at Minto Skyy.  He had purchased a one bedroom and study layout a few years back and recently took possession of it. Instead of leaving the space empty, he transformed it into something both functional and aesthetically pleasing!

A few strips of wallpaper was all that was needed to give the study a separation from the rest of the unit. Read the rest of this entry »

Itttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt’s Teeeeeeeeeeeeeee Shirtttttttttt Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime!  Although the cab’s aren’t here, the TTC is!  Show the love you have for your hood by way of these super cool TTC station tees.  They’re called “Where Are You, Toronto?” and essentially answer that very question by wearing one!  They come in a variety of styles: tees, v-neck tees, women’s tees, long-sleeve tees, hoodies, and kids/toddler/infant wear and encompass the entire subway/LRT map!

They make the perfect gift for the Toronto urbanite (or Realtor hint hint wink wink) on your list…and they’re pretty affordable!  You can order your own tee here or follow @torontowhere on twitter for the latest!

If you need a condo near a station…give me a call or send me and email, I’d love to help!