Posts Tagged ‘Savel Sells’

Ladies and gentlemen, boy and girls, movie buffs and doc-heads alike…step right up and get ready for hotDocs 2010, live from various cinema’s across Toronto!

In it’s 17th year, the hotDocs festival will be in town for 11 days (April 29 to May 9). North America’s largest documentary festival will have over 170 films from more than 40 countries!  This will be my second year attending the event.  Last year I had the chance to watch “Jazz Baroness”, the story of a white British Baroness (Pannonica ‘Nica” Rothschild) who fell in love with the musical genius Thelonious Monk. (one of my favourites!)

This year, I have my eyes and appetite set to watch “Candyman: The David Klein Story“.  He’s been called the real life Willy Wonka because of his idea for Jelly Belly jellybeans!

From docs about Canada’s own Josh Dolgin aka “socalled” to films about Choirs singing songs of complaints (you’ve gotta check this one out…they even complain about haiting their condo association! lol) hotDocs is sure to have something you’ll enjoy!  Check out their full schedule here.

If you’re thinking of moving up to “Hollywood North”, give me a call or send me an email, I’d love to help!

I was at the River City sales office the other day getting some updates on availability of units…after chatting with the wonderful staff (I can truthfully say that from experience) I took a walk over to the see the progress at the site! To the average person it pretty much looks the same, but from what I saw back in October to how it looks now is quite substantial. For a project of this size, tons of parts must first be put in place before the actual project gets off the ground. In the coming days I’ll have some video footage showing some of the changes at the site….

BUT the bigggggest update I discovered was almost camouflaged by some graffiti on the hoarding. Posted towards the end of the construction wall was a white sign that read “Daniels”!!! I instantly got on my laptop and started searching to see if anyone had picked up on this! (As of writing this post, no one has)… before I go on, let me take a step back to explain why this finding is so HUGE!

Currently all that’s on the site is a ton of dirt and a bunch of construction workers getting ready to carve the River St extension. Once complete the street will run through the River City development (on the East side of the street. To the West of the extension will be a dedicated area for mixed use and affordable housing. Since the project launched back in November, I’ve been searching all over the City (and internet) for information on who will be building the housing. All that I was able to find was a short note reading “Toronto Community Housing Corporation is developing the first complex comprised of three buildings of affordable housing. Construction of the 243 unit development designed by Baird Sampson Neurt Architects will start in spring 2010 and occupancy is expected in early 2012.” from a March 10th Waterfront Toronto release. Even the Toronto Affordable Housing website lacked the details I’ve been looking for!

If my findings are true, and in fact Daniels is the developer selected to build at the site…this is great news for all! Daniels has an excellent reputation, already building AND selling out their One Cole project a few blocks away in Moss Park. They’re also the developers who practically sold out their Mississauga townhouse complex in several hours back in March. I couldn’t find anything on the Daniels website announcing their involvement in the River City project BUT if that little white sign is any indication of what’s to come, it’s should be a welcomed addition to the neighbourhood!

There are some great layouts available at River City! If you’re interested in calling River City home, give me a call or send me an email… I’d love to help!

Look for more video updates in the coming posts!

I’ve been spending a lot of my time on the East side of town lately, showing and selling at the various condo sites and hanging out in its eclectic coffee shops. The other day I was in the area gathering info on Trinity Lofts, when I passed the newly opened Mini Downtown…being a Mini Cooper driver/enthusiast/owner myself I just had to stop by!

The new looking dealership is MUCH different than the old! I first fell in love with my Cooper when I saw it sitting in the “loft-like” showroom at its King West location. The space had exposed brick, wood beams, and high ceilings. Shortly after I picked up the car, the dealership moved out of its place and headed east…Located in front of BMW Downtown (the tall glass building that can be seen from the DVP) the new place is an excellent evolution of design and space compared to its old digs.

Designed by Toronto based Raw Design (the geniuses’ in design behind the Cube Lofts on College St), it’s new look has replaced wooden beams with black steel ones and substituted hardwood floors with rectangular slate-like tiles. Perched above the showroom floor is the mezzanine that allows customers to watch their car being serviced as they hang out in the “lounge” atmosphere! The showroom is mainly black, but lightens up with the colourful Coopers that line the floor. Playful greens, oranges and other neon lights accent the space and help to put you in a “mini cooper” state of mind!

Check out some photos below. The East side of town is proving to be an excellent area, with tons of potential…I think we’ll be seeing more business follow Mini by heading east! If you to have thought about making the move  send me an email or give me a call… I’d love to help!

PS… if you’re looking to get into a Mini, talk to Sam Barbaro!  He did an awesome job getting me into mine and I’m sure he can do the same for you!!

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the weekend I had the chance to check out a cooool loft conversion in the Bloor and Islington area of Etobicoke! Located a few minutes away from the Islington subway station at 2 Fieldway, the newly converted loft was once home to Bell Canada offices. For the past few years, they’ve been working to transform the building into what it is today!

Last week the building finally registered with the City, meaning residents can now sell their units on the open market (ie. MLS). I previewed several units, and EVERY one was totally different. Some had polished concrete floors giving it the industrial look, while others had beautiful thick-plank hardwood floors for a more modern feel! There is roughly 205 units spread out over 12 floors with 10′ ceiling heights for most suites and 15′10″ for the 2 story lofts.

With conversion lofts, residents should often give consideration to noise levels as most of the time builders can only work with what they currently have. At Network Lofts the builders had 10 inch to 18 inch floor slabs for exceptional low noise transition (as per their website). Though I can’t verify the slab sizes myself, I can say that the units were all very quite during our visit! (a big plus)

The lobby was very impressive, with its spacious entrance surrounded by wood paneled walls and big stone accents…pictured below!

We didn’t get to see all of its amenities but original plans called for: His and hers steam rooms in exercise area, guest suite, fully outfitted fitness room with two treadmills, two elliptical exercisers, various free weights and a rooftop terrace for use by all residents for enjoying warm weather and great views that Network Lofts has to offer!

As with most newly completed builds, new listings are coming out daily! If you’re interested in living and being part of the ”network” give me a call or send me an email…I’d love to help!

Sellers, units have appreciated quite a bit since its first launch; contact me if you’d like to know what yours is worth!

500 and 530 St. Clair, are in my opinion, one of the most underrated projects in the City!! The development is in the process of transforming the Bathurst and St. Clair corner with two well-thought-out condo towers. One of the reasons I so heavily favour it is because it’s perfectly placed location. Once complete, the towers will positioned between several highly desirable neighbourhoods, including Cedarville – Humewood, Forest Hill, Casa Loma and Hillcrest all offering unique characteristics for its residents.

Topographically speaking, the condo’s placement at the top of Bathurst allows for some of the most comprehensive views I’ve ever seen of the Toronto skyline. The photo below was taken from the 16th floor of 500 St. Clair, and perfectly depicts what I mean!

Lake views can be had to the South West!

Of course it takes more than views to make a great a building, and here’s where the project really shines! I had the opportunity to accompany a client during their “pre delivery inspection” last week. The layout was well planned, and had ample room for a beautiful kitchen with tons of storage space. I love to eat, so naturally the kitchen is something I hold very dear to my heart. Both my client and I both commented on how it was very similar in size to something found in a residential house (a huuuge plus, based on some of the smaller kitchens I’ve seen in my time). The stainless steel appliances complemented the space and completed the picture perfect image one should expect in a condo!

Read the rest of this entry »

The week has just begun, and it’s already looking busier than the line up for beer at a Toronto FC game! I figured, before I get into a week of writing about the glamorous world of real estate, I’d dedicate my Monday post to my beloved Reds! 

The Toronto Football club is about to embark on its 4th year in the MLS (and no not the Multiple Listing Service as some readers may think). TFC has yet to make the playoffs but have definitely scored in getting fans on their side. I dabbled in the cult following but never really became hooked until my first live game…I remember it like it was only a year ago (probably because it was). 

From the Dufferin bus ride down, to the stomping of the ground in the bleachers…it’s an experience every Torontonian must try! I went to several games last year and had the time of my life every time. – Sidenote to any one from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment that may be reading this: They won 5 out of 6 games I attended; I very well may be their lucky charm! I started the season as just another fan wearing whatever red and white I could find in my closet, but I ended the season with a scarf, jersey, t-shirt (both of which I won at that game) and I was even lucky enough to catch the ball! See video below

The team has gone through a lot of changes during the off season, and so has the stadium! We not only have REAL grass to play on, but also additional seats for the North side of the pitch. The Reds start their season Saturday March 27th in Columbus! Check out the full schedule here. 

If you weren’t lucky enough to buy season tickets…you could always buy a liberty village condo as many offer views of the stadium ;) Goooo Reeeeds!

You have every right in the world to think I’m loosing my marbles, based on the above photo! Although I can assure you I’m not… I definitely need a bit of a break!  For those who’ve worked with me in the past, the photo shouldn’t shock you (k maybe a bit).  There’s 3 things i like to incorporate into my business: Knowledge, Passion and a bit of fun! 

I’ll be down south for the week refreshing the mind and working on bettering the business.  I’ve decided to leave all tech gadgets in Toronto so I’ll be completely out of the loop in regards to checking and responding to messages.  You can call me at the office and the front desk will put you in contact with a colleague who is watching the business in my absence!

…I hope to get some inspiration from a few books I’ll be bringing with me, in specific: What the Dog saw by Malcom Gladwell and The Four Seasons by Isadore Sharp!

See you in a week Toronto!

oh, and yes, it’s photoshopped :)