Mark Savels Toronto Real Estate Blog » VIP Event

Trinity Lofts by Streetcar Developments

Mark Savel — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 23:04:01 +0000

A few months ago, I wrote about SYNC lofts by Streetcar Developments and experienced the same results as my 2 Gladstone post…tooooons of interest! In my opinion, Streetcar seems always be one step ahead of others in the mid-rise development business.

With 2 Gladstone they launched a soft loft that’s designed to work with the area instead of over power it. Its design and awesome location (Queen West at Gladstone) helped launch 2 Gladstone with strong sales. For SYNC it was the incorporation of high-tech gadgets that attracted many purchasers.

I was excited earlier in the month when rumours started circulating about a 3rd project (in the past year) launching from them… and even happier today to see it confirmed! Trinity Lofts is the newest project by Streetcar, with a location right in the thick of a few interesting up and coming areas. Located on the North West corner of Trinity and Eastern Avenue, the lofts will border the Distillery District, Downtown East and the West Don Lands!

Very few details are known at this time, but I’ve heard roughly 80 units will be available, spread over 8 floors. From my experience, more and more buyers are expressing interest in the intimate design of a low rise building as opposed to many of the tall towers popping up. It’s this kind of design that Streetcar excels so well in! I haven’t seen any renderings yet, but I’m very curious to see how the lofts merge with the century old architecture that can be found on neighbouring streets.

I’ll be keeping an eye on Trinity Lofts with blog posts as soon as more official info is known! If you’d like to be kept in the loop for the Trinity project, send me an email or give me a call… I’d love to help!

Number One Bloor

Mark Savel — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:50:12 +0000

The wait is over! Plans for Number One Bloor have finally been made public, and I’ve been getting a ton of interest on the development. I won’t be spending too much time writing about it on SavelBlogs.com but head on over to BloorCondos.com for all the latest on Number One Bloor and other projects in the Bloor and Yonge area.

Exclusive Access to MYC Condos South Facing Units

Mark Savel — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:54:47 +0000

After last year’s setbacks, Cresford is back on the Merton and Yonge block and pushing full steam ahead to launch their 25 story glass tower in midtown Toronto! Designed by Peter Clews (think Radio City, Mozo, and 18 Yorkville to name a few) the tower will be a welcoming addition to the Davisville area!

MYC will feature units ranging in size from one bedrooms (519 sqf) to 2 bedroom + den (1094 sqf). At the base of the building will be a 5 story podium with slightly larger units, one bedrooms from 592 sqf to 2 bedroom + den at 1256 sqf. MYC will also have a selection of 2 story town homes with 2 bedrooms at minimum that range in size from 930 sqf – 1462 sqf.

With condo’s I’m always asked “which units will offer the best views?” For the downtown projects it’s most often the south for its lake views! Unfortunately there isn’t much lake in midtown Toronto BUT there still is a big advantage to living in a South facing unit at MYC!

Units with South exposures will overlook the Mount Pleasant Cemetery. The cemetery dates back from 1876 and was designed as an arboretum (tree museum in simple terms) for the public to enjoy. The changing of the leaves from season to season not only provides a breathtaking act of nature but also a quite oasis in the heart of Toronto!

My company’s reputation with the builder has resulted in exclusive access to a variety of south facing units that’ll only be available to our Brokerage! There are 4 different plans to choose from, ranging from 1+ den to 2 bedrooms with wrap around balconies.

As with all preconstruction deals…time is of the essence! There are only 28 of these south facing units and they’ll only be held until Thursday March 4th! They’ll be accepting offers on a first come first serve basis, so if you’d like to meet up to discuss details give me a call or send me an email to set up an appointment…I’d love to help!

Floor Plans and Prices at SYNC Lofts

Mark Savel — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:53:24 +0000

Here’s a change…some “Streetcar” related news that DOES’NT involve a City Councillor!

Streetcar Developments have released more details on its SYNC Loft project. The 8 story building will house 98 units featuring 9 foot smooth finish ceilings, barn-style doors to bedrooms, contemporary kitchens with stainless steel appliances and modern spa bathrooms… to name a few

…and then there the tech-friendly features! Units will have built-in iPod docking stations that will be connected to prewired surface mounted speakers in the living room, bedroom, and bathroom. The rooftop gym will include a media wall and wireless internet connectivity. There will even be something for the animal lovers out there… a Pet Spa for washing and grooming on the main level!

I’ve been invited to the broker’s preview which also entitles clients to preview pricing! Prices start in the mid $420′s per square foot, with such few units for sale it’s sure to sell out quick. The floor plans are very workable, especially the one beds plus den! Many feature balconies or large terraces (4th and 5th floor units).

Similar to other projects, they’ll be accepting work sheet until this Saturday (February 13th 2010) and signing agreements of purchase and sale on Tuesday (February 16th 2010). Throughout the week I’ll be meeting with interested purchasers and submitting their worksheets. If you’d like to call SYNC home, send me and email or give me a call … I’d love to help!

SYNC Lofts at 630 Queen St East

Mark Savel — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 07:34:58 +0000

The same people, who brought 2 Gladstone to Queen West, are doing it again… But this time it’s on the other side of town! In the heart of Riverside Village at 630 Queen St E and minutes from the Distillery District and Corktown is where you’ll find Streetcar Developments newest loft called SYNC!

It looks to be an intimate 8 story building with an industrial, yet modern facade. The lofts will have pre-wired speakers, internet connectivity, HDTV (hence the word SYNC) and smooth 9ft ceilings! Streetcar is no stranger to the East end of Queen, having built EDGE Lofts and currently working on their Corktown District phases a few blocks West.

The area is becoming increasingly popular with projects like River City, the 80-acre West Don Lands Revitalization and the 2015 Pan American Village all being developed a few blocks away!

The last project they launched, 2 Gladstone, sold-out almost entirely in it’s opening week. I wouldn’t be surprised to see similar results for SYNC. I’ll have prices and floor plans in the coming days. As always, if you’d like to live here, send me and email or give me a call…I’d love to help!

Expect modern kitchens with stone counters, stainless steel appliances, sliding glass bedroom doors, and more!

X2 Condo Lineups

Mark Savel — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:19:57 +0000

The whole point of my blog is to share my experience in the Toronto Real Estate Market, and on Wednesday, booooooy did I ever have an experience! As reported by every news channel in Toronto, Condo-Mania hit Bloor St as Realtors lined up for the VIP launch of X2 Condos (nothing was very VIP about it, but I’ll save that for another post)

So what possessed me to stand in a cold, unorganized line for over 17 hours…and not sell a single unit? Price, Location, and Service! X2 had floor plans priced in the $475/ square foot range, and considering current developments (i.e. at Yonge and Church) start at $575/sqf, it made it a no brainer! Plus it’s being built by Great Gulf Homes, a reputable builder with a great track record. All these factors had me, 150 other Realtors and our clients lined up to purchase a unit.

The rules were simple… first come first serve, spots are handed out at 12pm, return at 4pm, purchase at 6pm. A group of Realtors took the first come first serve very seriously and rented rooms at the hotel weeks in advance, so technically they were first. What became confusing was figuring out where to line up in order to claim the first spot. I stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel 3 years ago, so does that make me first? Obviously not, but you can see how problems would arise.

For some reason this early group decided to line up on the south side of Bloor. Officially I don’t know why, but I’ve heard everything from Baker Realty told them to, the cops told them to, and lastly, they went on their own will. I arrived pretty early and was confused on which line to join. I decided to pick the one with the most familiar faces, since no other guidance was being given by the people running the show!

Luckily mine was the correct one, but I still had to do a lot of waiting until numbers were handed out. As I’m sure you’ve seen on the news, the other group of realtors made their opinion of the outcome very vocal. They started shouting “X2 unfair”, and respectively so, after all that could have easily been me. Reports were claiming fights had broken out and realtors were rioting over spots…UNTRUE! Yes, the Realtors who were denied access where upset, but it wasn’t at us, it was at the developer and its representatives who weren’t communicating procedures. I found many colleagues to be respectful of one another and great company during the long wait. Other reports made it seem like “greedy realtors” were lined up to grab a great deal and make tons of profit before the public had their chance…also UNTRUE. Each realtor was allowed to sell 3 units, and ONLY one of the 3 could be for themselves. The other two were for their clients aka the public! I even heard a lot of Realtors say something like “if my client wants to purchase more than one, they can have my spot”. So no, it wasn’t the big bad realtors hoarding all the units!

At about 9 am I was finally handed lucky number 60 (ya right). This meant that I could return later that evening and possibly purchase a unit with my clients. Simple math shows that at least 177 units would sell before my clients had the opportunity to purchase. With approximately 42 stories of units I remained hopeful.

Finally 6pm rolled around, and the “no organization” theme of the night continued! We weren’t allowed in the hotel, we weren’t allowed outside of the hotel; instead we had to line up along the side walk until our number was called. The first group went in without a hitch, but the second group had to wait over an hour before their numbers were called. I do these preconstruction events often, so I know it’s usually a 30-45 process…when 2 hours had passed and they were only at number 20 I figured something was up. Clients started to get annoyed and curious as to what the holdup was. Once again, no word from Baker (the firm representing the Developer) as to what was going on. I think things would have been a lot less tense if they told us officially how many units they were releasing that night. Because we didn’t want to lose our spot we stood and waited for any updates. Finally at about 10 o’clock a fellow Realtor emerged but was very tight lipped about remaining inventory. At 10:30 rumours were swirling that they were sold out for the night! Eventually the cops confirmed the story and told us we all had to clear the hotel ASAP!

Now I’m not naive. I get it. When you hold the cards, you control the game. Clearly they were only prepared to release 100 units; the rest I assume will be marked up at a higher price and resold to the public. They’re not the first to do this, and they sure as hell wouldn’t be the last…BUT everyone has limits, and I think they pushed ours too far! I must have looked very foolish having to tell my clients, “Sorry but they refuse to let you purchase a condo tonight” “come back later when inventory is less and price is higher”. Though my clients were very understanding of the matter, they weren’t happy. After 17 hours of line-ups, 8 green teas and 1 tuna sandwich…how many deals did I do: ZERO. Was I mad? YEP. So what possessed me to do it in the first place?

For starters, I had a VIP invite with me, which as it turned out meant NOTHING. Secondly, it seemed like a great opportunity for my clients to invest in. And lastly, it’s part of the job aka the-not-so-glamorous-side-HGTV-fails-to-show! I had spent considerable time with my clients educating and describing the preconstruction process. Plus, they made it very clear that they wanted a specific unit! This is a service business, and I’m in it for the long haul. If you have the clients, you better do everything in your power to get the job done. That being said, even if I had camped out for days, there still would be no guarantee that I would be waiting in the correct! It was very poorly organized and turned off a lot of realtors from participating in preconstruction event. I truly hope they learn from this disappointing experience and can implement better procedures! So would I do it again? YEP! Actually next week!

River City, something I’ve blogged heavily about, are having their VIP launch next Wednesday. The process is much more organized. They’ll be doing a lottery system! Essentially every realtor can submit a worksheet, all in the hopes of being randomly selected to purchase a unit. Only a select amount of units will be released, but at least we won’t have to stand in line ups for hours :)

X2 Condo Mania

Mark Savel — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:43:13 +0000

This is what lining up at 7 in the morning for a condo looks like! If you’ve turned on the radio today i’m sure you’ve already heard about the chaos that ensued at the X2 condo launch…if not, i’ll tell you in a nutshell: 3 Lineups were formed, and no one knew which one was legit. I took my chances and hoped into the north and RIGHT one all in the hopes or getting my clients their desired units. Another lined had formed in on the south side (why? i have no idea). Once they were informed that their lined was’nt being honoured, the chants broke out. Cops were their, clients were their and cameras were their… and that was my day up until 9:30am