The east end of Toronto’s waterfront is rapidly changing!  Once finished, Pier 27 will be a predominate jewel on the condo crown that outlines the waterfront… but those days are still a while away, so until then let’s look at what Cityzen Developments has built thus far! Below is an update (with photos) from their official blog:

Though it may not look luxurious now, Pier 27 will be screaming prestige at Yonge and Lakeshore in the future.

We visited the Toronto Waterfront site late last week and the progress made since our last visit this past November has been substantial to say the least!

With many different crews on site at the moment, things are going well, especially with the weather.

Work has progressed up to the 7th floor on buidling B1, and up to floor 4 in building B2.

Phase 3 of Pier 27 is currently undergoing approvals, and we hope to bring the project to market in the near future. 

A view of the Pier 27 site from the 20th floor of L Tower.

A new model suite is coming to the sales centre, and we hope to have it ready for viewing this spring.

Stay tuned for the latest updates on Pier 27 and many more of our projects. Got a question? Tweet to us or catch us on Facebook.

If you’d like to purchase at Pier 27, please fill out the form below:

Believe it or not… there’s a bit of Brooklyn in Toronto’s CityPlace neighbourhood.  In fact, there’s even a bit of Tokyo, London, and Hong Kong! Next time you’re in the area, pop into the lobby of 10 Capreol Court and look up over the concierges desk.  That’s where you’ll find Brooklyn artist Jose Parlas “Bridge” installation!

Now look a bit closer!  The white scribble is actually a story of Jose’s life in New York city (Brooklyn) and how it has become his bridge to other cities around the world.  Two pieces were commissioned by Concord Adex Developments for the Parade 1 lobby at CityPlace.

Watch Jose speak about the painting and describe the story behind the Bridge!

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’ve been pretty lucky thus far in Toronto!  Christmas Eve is less than 2 weeks away and we’ve still yet to have a serious snowfall in the City… yet tons of mysterious snow men have been popping up all over town!

I found one in my neck of the woods (in-front of the Maria Shchuka Library on Eglinton West) and was instantly intrigued by it’s unusual design. A few days later I saw a couple posing in front of a similar snowman on Church St… then another in Yorkville!

The snowmen are part of a fundraiser for the Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada!  Residents and visitors of Toronto are encouraged to take a photo of themselves next to the snowmen and email or text it to me@TOsnowman.com or 647-TAG-SNOW.

For every photo received – either through text or email – TorontoLand will donate $2 to the Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada, who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and life-altering injuries. The campaign runs from from Nov. 1 – Dec. 20, 2011 or until the maximum donation of $50,000 is reached. As of writing this they’ve raised over $31,500!  Help reach there goals and have some fun posing next to your favorite snowman!

More details and photos can be seen at the TorontoLand Facebook page!

There was an old woman that lived in a Shoe,
She’s also made an appearance in the latest CREA commercial, or two.

Long live the ad agency that created the Canadian Real Estate Association latest commercial! The 30 second spot is a spoof of the popular Mother Goose rhyme - The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.

I’ve had a tooooooon of requests to post the video, so with no further delay I present to you the full, one minute and thirty second documentary of the The Old Woman That Lived in a Shoe…2011 style!

Click here to view the embedded video.

To find a shoe…err, condo of your own, contact me! I’d love to help.

If you’re a Toronto Start reader, chances are, you woke up yesterday to a story that featured a very well known Realtor! He’s tall, successful, knows a lot about Toronto condos and has no hair on his head - Brad J. Lamb… just below him was the words of an average sized, modest Realtor, with a full head of hair – me (Mark Savel)!

A few days before the article was published, I had a lengthy talk with Susan Pigg – columnist for The Toronto Star’s Moneyville section.  She was most curious about the current state of the Downtown Rental Market, and specifically if there was any truth to multiple offers scenarios for downtown condo rentals.  Brad Lamb, Dominic Calla and myself were all asked to share our experience in leases with her. If you haven’t read it yet, give it a read here!

Naturally, an article can only fit so much… so I wanted to share some more insights from the streets to describe the current state of downtown rentals and how you can improve your chances of leasing a unit.

Last month I was fortunate enough to participate in four different rental transactions.  In each case I represented one side (meaning tenant or landlord only) which gave me some really good knowledge on what both parties go through. In short, supply of rentals is much less than demand which has resulted in a tough time for potential renters!

Back in the day you could actually negotiate the suggested monthly rent (most people think that rent amount is carved in stone).  In a balanced market I can usually negotiate anywhere from $25-$150 off the asking price.  Various factors such as market conditions, unit appearance, and length of lease are just a few of the variables that can determine your bargaining power.  In today’s market most of those chips are off the table.  Some of the most popular areas people want to live are: Liberty Village, The Bay Street Corridor and The St. Lawrence Market.  In these neighbourhoods units move fast…in less than a day in some cases with multiple people wanting the same lovely space as you.  So why is this?

Location, Location, Location, lack of apartment style rentals and high purchasing costs are the typical reasons!  For the Bay Street Corridor its the network of hospitals and proximity to the University of Toronto that makes it so desirable.  In Liberty Village and The St. Lawrence Market, it’s the convenience of having practically everything within walking distance (banks, bars, grocery stores, gyms, LCBO etc). With such high demand, finding a place in these areas is often a tricky task.

So what can you do to improve your chances?

Every person I worked with last month got the first unit they wanted…how? They were very well prepared.  Since landlords have a large pool of renters to choose from I always suggest my clients get few things in order before the search begins!

Landlords always ask potential renters to provide them with a current credit check. For $20-$30 you can have one prepared and printed online from Equifax or Transunion. The report is something landlords use to evaluate the history of your credit worthiness. By preparing one early, you can review it yourself to ensure to mistakes were recorded (a common problem these days).

An employment letter is another valuable document that can go a long way in securing a unit.  It can be obtained from your companies human resources department and typically states how much you make a year and the position you hold.

Most Realtors (myself included) will ask you to fill out a rental application.  It gives the landlord a quick summary of who you are as a person.  It also asks for past references from previous landlords and employers.

Those three documents can be vital in finding a lease… and in some cases it may even secure you a place without going up in price. I also suggest having a certified cheque or bank draft for the first and last months rent prepared before your Realtor presents your lease. It shows you’re serious about the place and makes a great first impression!

Some extra expenses to plan for above and beyond rent are: Key deposits (typically $150-$200 paid at the beginning of the lease and is returned at end of lease), tenant insurance and utilities not covered in rent (ie. hyrdo/heat).

All this may seem like a lot for a lease, but remember landlords have the cards in their favour and want to protect their investment by renting out their condo to the most qualified renter!

Happy hunting!

It was one of those weeks that took me all over the City…from River City in the Queen East area to 8 Gladstone in the West! As per my usual shutterbug ways, I stopped at each project to take a few photos of the progress.  It was interesting to see the progress 8 Gladstone has made in a mere 7 months.  The existing structures have been demolished to make way for the new TACT designed building!  Enjoy some more photos of progress below…

In the East, I took some time to walk along the bridge over looking the future River City Development.  Workers were on site and busy plugging away at some much needed infrastructure for the project.  Phase 2 is also about to launch to stay tuned for the latest deals and promotions at the new River City community.  See what I saw in the photos below!

To purchase at either River City or 8 Gladstone, fill out the form below!

My mother often says “i’m worst than her with all the shoes I have”…and this past weekend, I discovered she may very well be right!  I’ve got my running shoes, working shoes, weekend shoes, house shoes, water shoes, gardening shoes etc etc. BUT what I don’t have is a lot of space to keep all these shoes.

In an effort to solve my shoe collection of a problem, I came across two creations from brothers Jaime & Mark Antoniades of J-Me Original Design.  The two work out of London’s Oxo Tower,and follow a focused design ethos which results in a range of products that encompass original, intelligent design and everyday function.

The Horizontal Shoe Rack was the first possible solution that caught my eye.  It’s a stainless steel shoe rack that can be mounted to a wall giving it a floating look while holding up to 4 or 7 pair’s of shoes (available in two lengths). Stacking 3 or 4 of these above each other can create a wall of shoes allowing for quick access an open display.

The second choice was the Freestanding Nest Shoe Rack (also available to mount on the wall).  It comes in one size and holds about 7 shoes.  I like this one because even without shoes it looks like a steel sculpture that can be on display as is!

Both can be purchased online from the brother’s website … or if you’d like a space big enough to fit all your shoes without resorting to a rack, Contact Me, I’d love to help!