Condos in "downtown" Markham

[slowtyper]

Anyone bought into or interested in the condos around HWY 7 and Warden and other Markham areas? I've read some older threads about them, but they were mostly discussing the actual city (and they were quite old). Now that one of the projects (majestic court) is about finished and there has been more time to reflect, I'm curious how others feel about the area.

I'm looking for a condo to buy to live in, not solely as an investment. I'm most interested in North York center but would like to consider this Markham area as well depending on how affordable it is compared to Yonge/Empress or Yonge/finch.

Any thoughts on Majestic Court or others?

 

[lead82]

To me personally I think Markham centre condo's are ridiculously over-priced. I know a couple of friends who bought suite in the Tridel building and the buildings on the SE corner of Town Centre/Hwy7. One bedroom's there go for like 250K and up. I've seen prices there on par with downtown Toronto, which I think is unreasonable. As much as I love the Markham Centre plan and the urban density that it will bring once completed, I don't think it will be this urban paradise once everyone moves in. I expect must worse traffic in the area as the Viva routes won't really help reduce congestion much.

The crazy part for me was that some condo's there are on sale for like $400-500K, which makes no sense to me since you can get a house for that amount of money in that area, so why buy a condo?

Also, according to my friend who bought a unit in the Tridel building, the condo's there are mostly bought by seniors. This may be something worth noting because if you plan to entertain people, you may get noise complains from your neighbours, and the party room may have early closing limits like say 11pm.

Generally I find Markham and Richmond Hill to be quite congested suburban areas. During rush hour it's hard to get around anywhere without getting stuck in traffic.

I would recommend North York Centre over Markham Centre. North York is more mature, it has all the needed services already, and with the subway extension and LRT line planned for the area, it will become even more of a hub than it is already. The area is very convenient to live because no matter where you work or play, you can get pretty much anywhere in the Toronto area within 20-40 minutes either by car or transit. To me that's quite valuable since Toronto will only get more and more congested in the years to come.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[luxome]

Anyone bought into or interested in the condos around HWY 7 and Warden and other Markham areas? I've read some older threads about them, but they were mostly discussing the actual city (and they were quite old). Now that one of the projects (majestic court) is about finished and there has been more time to reflect, I'm curious how others feel about the area.

I'm looking for a condo to buy to live in, not solely as an investment. I'm most interested in North York center but would like to consider this Markham area as well depending on how affordable it is compared to Yonge/Empress or Yonge/finch.

Any thoughts on Majestic Court or others?

i personally know many investors that have invested there a while back. Since then prices have gone up many times. It's a decent location with average interior finishes, IMO. What i dislike is the long hallways - one of the reason why i backed out on the deal and invested elsewhere.

If you're familiar with the neighbourhood, then i don't see why not. But I would definitely try to negotiate on upgrades and make sure you know what your unit will be facing in the near future (e.g., view obstruction by new buildings). It may not matter to you, but it will definitely affect the resale price. Just something to keep in mind.

These are just some of the things to look out for. Lots of good tips that I totally agree with in the previous posts. The list is endless. G'luck.

 

[Solaris]

Any thoughts on Majestic Court or others?

I went to tour the model suites @ Majestic Court this weekend and was quite impressed by their finished product ... the units' standard finishes were above average with nicely designed common areas IMO, while the prices were quite reasonable, I recommend checking out this building ... although Times Group is not known for creating architectural masterpieces (Majestic Court to me is a good 'background building'), this builder tends to deliver good quality products

as others have noted, the down side on Majestic Court is the long hallways (because it is a slab bldg), but if you get a suite on the upper floors the hallway is substantially shorter

Quality wise, I would certainly prefer Times Group's Majestic Court OVER Liberty's NOA towers on the east side of Town Centre Blvd

... my 2 cents, good luck

 

[makattack]

...
I don't think it will be this urban paradise once everyone moves in. I expect must worse traffic in the area as the Viva routes won't really help reduce congestion much.
.............
Generally I find Markham and Richmond Hill to be quite congested suburban areas. During rush hour it's hard to get around anywhere without getting stuck in traffic.
.............
I would recommend North York Centre over Markham Centre. North York is more mature, it has all the needed services already, and with the subway extension and LRT line planned for the area, it will become even more of a hub than it is already. The area is very convenient to live because no matter where you work or play, you can get pretty much anywhere in the Toronto area within 20-40 minutes either by car or transit. To me that's quite valuable since Toronto will only get more and more congested in the years to come.

Just my 2 cents.

I find it funny how you would recomment North York Centre over Markham Centre. I'm in both areas very frequently and I find that the traffic is WORSE in North York vs. Markham Centre..
At least in Markham, you have the 407, which is a quick way across town (even in rush hour) and the Go Train is nearby, (40 min to Union Station). Yes traffic is bad in Markham on Highway 7 but at least there are alternatives (407)

 

[lead82]

well in north york you have the subway and most amenities within walking distance. Yes the 407 is convenient but ridiculously expensive.

 

[lead82]

also, traffic in north york is heavy but stable, in markham it will get worse once downtown markham is built up.

 

[makattack]

well in north york you have the subway and most amenities within walking distance. Yes the 407 is convenient but ridiculously expensive.

You get what you pay for.. At first I was dead against the 407, but after using it for a while, you realize that it's better to pay more and be able to drive 100-120kmh in rush hour than to pay less and have the highway jammed.

 

[makattack]

well in north york you have the subway and most amenities within walking distance. .

I personally like the amenities in Markham better (Main Street Unionville, East Beaver Creek, Parks, Big Box and Traditional Shopping etc.) even though you will need to drive, there is more around Markham within a 5 min drive of Warden and 7.

 

[animatrix]

I'm hearing a lot of hype too about this area, but I haven't really checked the units. What is the average price going for a 1+1 in Warden/Hwy7 ?

 

[Solaris]

I think I see resale units around the ~$250 k range on MLS (700 sq.ft. or so)