15 11, 2017

JUST SOLD! – 90 Sumach Street Loft 403 – Trefann Court

2 Days on the market, over 2000 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 2 washrooms, and 2 parking spaces!

90 Sumach Street, once home to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a warehouse and design centre was originally used for their archives, studios, rehearsal spaces and workshops. From the brick exterior to the warehouse style windows to the vintage film light in the front lobby, everything about 90 Sumach pays tribute to its history.

Loft 403 is absolutely stunning! Upon entry you are immediately impressed by expansive open concept space. With 2059 square feet of living space plus a balcony, this loft is one of the largest in the building.

True to the definition of a hard loft, this residence features concrete floors, exposed ducts, fluted concrete columns and 14 foot ceilings.

Loft 403 includes extensive premium upgrades and finishes. The kitchen was completely renovated in 2011 with a beautiful mosaic tiled back splash, new cabinets, marble counters and a new sink and faucet. The appliances are second to none and include a 36” Wolfe Range, a Vent A hood vent, a built-in Sub Zero Refrigerator, and a built-in Miele dishwasher. The plumbing and electrical in the kitchen was upgraded at this time as well.

The kitchen overlooks the open concept dining and living rooms making the entire space perfect for entertaining. The floor to ceiling windows offer south views and an abundance of natural light all day long. There is also a walk out to the large balcony which was installed in 2011.

The master bedroom is absolutely stunning with high ceilings, a large walk-in closet and a spa-like master ensuite.

The second bedroom is perfect for a spare room, a home office or even an art studio. Additional upgrades were done in 2014 which include a ton of built in storage.

Both washrooms were upgraded in 2014 with new faucets and toilets and a new shower was installed in the main bathroom. There is also a convenient laundry closet with a stacked Bosch washer and Bosch dryer.

This loft also includes not one but two parking spaces!

The building offers a newly refurbished amenities room, visitor parking, and a fenced dog run. There is also a spectacular rooftop terrace with barbecues where you can take in the incredible west-facing views of the Toronto skyline. Located just steps from Queen Street East, you can enjoy easy access to the TTC as well as tons of great restaurants, shops and bars in the neighbourhood.

14 11, 2016

Knock, Knock. How to Avoid Door-to-Door Scams

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It’s early in the evening and there’s a knock on the door. You answer and are greeted by an official-looking man who claims he needs to see your utility bill to confirm you’re getting your energy rebate.
Do you let him in?
While he may be legitimate, he may also be using deception to sell you something you don’t want. Here are some suggestions for finding out:
• Ask for a business card. Then, check if it has an address, phone
number and website. If the salesperson refuses or just shows you his
ID card (which anyone can fake), that’s a red flag.
• Ask for the name of his employer. Sometimes salespeople will say
they “represent the phone company”. That doesn’t mean they
actually work for it.
• Ask if you can call his company to confirm details before buying. If he
refuses, or says the office is closed, shut the door.
• Ask if you can consider the offer and call the office the next day to
place your order.
• If you’re really suspicious, ask him to come back later. Then, call the
non-emergency police number. Police are aware of common scams
in the area.
Most importantly, use your common sense. Door-to-door salespeople can
be pretty persuasive, but if something doesn’t seem right to you, trust your
gut. Say, “No thanks.”
Of course, if everything checks out with the salesperson, and the offer is a
good one, consider taking advantage of it.

9 02, 2016

Getting Ready To Sell This Spring? Here Are Some Household Cleaning Tips!

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1. To clean bathroom tiles and grout naturally, try a solution of 1/2 cup of baking soda in 2 gallons (approx. 8 litres) of warm water. Apply with a clean rag or soft toothbrush.
2. To scrub out or blot a stain on a cushion with a slip-cover, put a sheet of plastic between the cushion and the fabric, to prevent the stain from becoming absorbed by the cushion.
3. Most shower curtains are machine washable. Wash yours with some water, detergent and a bit of bleach (for disinfecting), plus add a few towels for abrasion.
4. To clean your dishwasher, consult your dishwasher manual for cleaning instructions, as the methodology may differ based on the interior finish of your machine. Most recommend running the machine with either vinegar, a light bleach-in-water solution, or a brand-name cleaner recommended by the manufacturer.

13 01, 2016

TOP 5 LOFTS IN LESLIEVILLE

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Working in the Leslieville/Riverside area, we often have clients ask us which condos and lofts we think are the coolest in the neighbourhood. After a recent meeting with a new client who asked us this same question, we decided it would be a good idea to write a list of our Top 5 Lofts In Leslieville. It wasn’t easy because there are a lot of great ones to choose from but here’s our top 5!
1
68 Broadview was built in 1914 and the building originally served as a Rexall Warehouse. In 2007, The Sorbara Group converted this building in to true hard lofts that are absolutely stunning! They salvaged several of the building’s original fixtures and hardware, and redistributed them within the building.

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What makes The Broadview Lofts so cool?
• Tongue and groove wood ceilings
• Exposed brick walls
• Fantastic management with current maintenance fees around $0.39 per square foot
• Roof top terrace and large party room with unobstructed views of the Toronto skyline

# of units: 154
# of storeys: 6
Walk Score: 86

2
The Wrigley building dates back to the early 1900s and was once home to a Wrigley’s chewing gum factory. The building was converted to hard lofts in 1998 and maintains its authenticity from top to bottom. As soon as you step inside the front entrance and onto the original elevator, you feel like you’ve gone back in time. The Wrigley Lofts have been known to attract photographers, fashion designers and entrepreneurs to name a few.

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What makes Wrigley so cool?
• Massive warehouse windows
• Concrete mushroom columns
• A wide array of different sized units with different finishes
• Open concept living
• 14 foot ceilings
• Live/Work building

# of units: 79
# of storeys: 5
Walk Score: 95

3
The Garment Factory was converted into residential units in 2008. Atria Developments did a phenomenal job of integrating the old and new parts of the building seamlessly with a combination of traditional old brick and modern additions of steel and glass on the upper levels.

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What makes The Garment Factory so cool?
• Exposed concrete ceilings
• Restored concrete floors
• Large terraces and balconies
• Strong community feel
• Extremely pet friendly
• Live/Work building

# of units: 150
# of storeys: 8
Walk Score: 95

4
The Sync Lofts were completed in 2013 by Streetcar Developments. The exterior of the building is an esthetically appealing mixture of brick and glass and the interior is sophisticated and chic with modern advancements including built-in iPod docking stations and pre-wired speakers. You can’t beat this location with so many great shops, restaurants and bars just minutes away as well as Dark Horse Espresso Bar conveniently located on the main floor of the building.

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What makes The Sync Lofts so cool?
• Great layouts that maximize usable space
• A dog wash on the main level
• High-tech modern finishes
• Private rooftop terraces
• Large communal rooftop terrace with views of the iconic Riverside Bridge and the downtown skyline

# of units: 98
# of storeys: 8
Walk Score: 97

5
The IZone lofts were converted to residential units in 2002 by Atria. They are a cultural hub to artists, tech professionals and entrepreneurs. As you walk down the halls, you immediately look up to the industrial style lighting and exposed ducts that compliment the industrial and raw feel of the building.

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What makes IZone so cool?
• Ceilings ranging from 16 to 30 feet
• Skylights in many units
• Roof top decks on some of the units
• Large industrial double doors
• Open concept floors plans
• Live/Work Building

# of units: 104
# of storeys: 2
Walk Score: 95

12 01, 2016

Two Decades Of Steady Price Appreciation In The GTA

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Steady average price appreciation over close to two decades makes GTA housing market a global anomaly, says RE/MAX Hallmark
214 per cent increase in real estate values since 1996

Toronto, ON (January 12, 2016) – Low interest rates, coupled with population growth and solid economic fundamentals, contributed to a 214 per cent increase in average residential housing values in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) over almost two-­-decades, according to RE/MAX Hallmark Ltd., one of country’s largest real estate franchises.

The GTA housing market is now entering its 20th year of consecutive price appreciation, on the heels of a record-­-breaking 2015. The market has reported a steady increase in values since 1996, when the cost of an average home in the GTA hovered at $198,150. Average price broke through the $600,000 benchmark in 2015, settling at $622,217 – an increase of 6.21 per cent when compounded annually over the 19-­-year period.

“The overall strength and stability of Toronto’s housing market is a global anomaly,” says Ken McLachlan, Broker-­-Owner, RE/MAX Hallmark Ltd. “Very few large residential housing markets can compete with the GTA’s performance over the past two decades”

When analyzing the level of growth in the Greater Toronto Area, population played a serious role. In 2014, the Toronto CMA topped six million (6,055,724), a figure eight per cent higher than the 2011 Census population of 5,583,064 and a substantial 42 per cent uptick over the 1996 Census figure of 4,263,757.

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The low interest rate environment has also influenced home buying activity in the GTA. While the average residential mortgage-­-lending rate for a five-­-year term hovered at approximately eight per cent in 1996, the same product can be had for under three per cent in today’s competitive market.
Homeownership rates have also steadily increased in the GTA, in spite of rising values. Between 1996 and 2006, the level of ownership jumped approximately 10 per cent in the GTA (58.4 per cent to 67.6 per cent). The most recent available rates for the province of Ontario sat at 71.4 per cent in 2011.

Given the turbulence the GTA market has withstood –recessions, 9/11, and SARS, just to name a few – the performance is “nothing short of remarkable”, explains McLachlan.

“Moving forward, there is no reason to expect the upward trend to end,” says McLachlan. “In light of recent volatility in the stock market and overall economic uncertainty, we anticipate an upswing in home buying activity as investors look to tangible assets like bricks and mortar to ride out the storm. The strength of the US dollar will also contribute, serving as an impetus for greater investment in the Greater Toronto Area throughout 2016.”

15 11, 2015

WHAT TO CHECK ON YOUR FINAL PURCHASER VISIT

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When you purchase a home in Toronto, your Realtor will likely include at least 2 purchaser visits in the agreement of purchase and sale to occur before you close on the property. These visits can be used to make sure furniture fits, bring your family to see your new home, select paint colours, etc. You should plan to do your final purchaser visit a day or two before the closing date to ensure that everything is in order. Your Realtor will attend the purchaser visits with you and can help to answer any questions you might have. Now remember, you don’t own the home yet so there is a good chance that you will see moving boxes scattered around and the place might seem to be in disarray. This is normal (within reason). If your final purchaser visit takes place a day before closing and the house is full of garbage, no furniture has been moved and there is a car in the driveway with no tires on it, your realtor should definitely investigate further as it’s not likely that all of this will be resolved in one night.

Here is a list of things to look for during your final purchaser visit:

• Inspect ceilings, walls and floors for any damage that did not exist at the time you made your offer
• Turn on and off every light switch
• Test heating and air conditioning
• Test any exhaust fans
• Test all appliances
• Open and close all windows
• Test all of the outlets
• Check around all visible piping for leaks
• Run sink and tub water. Flush toilets
• Test the garage door opener
• Check for things that you thought would be included (appliances, light fixtures, etc)

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