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Family Sized Condos

Eug said:
That one for $379000 is concerning as they avoided posting pictures of the interior. Never a good sign. And it's 2 bedroom anyway as you said.

The one for $399000 seems promising though. It just made the < $400000 cut. :)
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Well it says motivated seller and nothing a few grand can't do to make it into 3 bed.

Here's another at Yonge/Davenport - 1437 Sq. Ft, 2b + sol, $399K:
http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=8164099
 
prosperegal said:
But condo fees pay for amenities such as the gym, maintenance, etc...Living in a condo means I don't have to clear the snow, mow the lawn or pay for gym membership. I can just use the gym in my building (most new buildings would have one).
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True, but you pay a premium, most condo maintenance fees have a 15-20% management fee tacked on that goes towards the profit of the management company.
Also, there are many gyms out there, and with competition, pricing can be found as low as $40-$50/mo for a decent gym (Goodlife, Extreme), plus most gyms in condos are "lacking" to say the least.
Lawn and snow removal, either do it yourself, get the kids to do it, or hire someone, it will still be cheaper than what the condo board wants. Plus, 30 min on a Saturday to cut the grass isn't the end of the world.
 
realtycoon said:
True, but you pay a premium, most condo maintenance fees have a 15-20% management fee tacked on that goes towards the profit of the management company.
Also, there are many gyms out there, and with competition, pricing can be found as low as $40-$50/mo for a decent gym (Goodlife, Extreme), plus most gyms in condos are "lacking" to say the least.
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Heh, a bunch of us selfish types joined the condo's gym committee, and then proceeded to mold the equipment acquisition to stuff we liked. :p

Lawn and snow removal, either do it yourself, get the kids to do it, or hire someone, it will still be cheaper than what the condo board wants. Plus, 30 min on a Saturday to cut the grass isn't the end of the world.
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Heh. Funny you should mention that. My garden is big so I hired a gardener to come by once in a while to help out. I see the costs as condo fees. I still cut my own grass though because I didn't like the last company that did it.

What I do really hate though is shoveling the snow. It's usually not bad, but the 2008/2009 winter was terrible. My neighbour pays a company to do it. I might do the same eventually.
 
How to give an older condo unit a facelift

So why would someone buy one of these old, tired units that needs to be renovated as opposed to a brand spanking new unit with all the bells and whistles?

Condo buyer and real estate agent Judy Wingham has the answer to that one – and it, of course, starts with location, location, location.

"We really wanted to be in the St. Lawrence Market area, and there weren't any new projects in the area when we were looking," she explains. But, equally important to Judy and her husband, Brian Smith, was the size of the unit itself.

"How do you find a place big enough when you're downsizing from a four-bedroom house? We only looked at older units because they're generally larger than the new ones," says Wingham about the 1,300-square-foot, two-bedroom condo they purchased.

Condominium lawyer and Toronto Star columnist Gerry Hyman says buyers (or owners) who are considering a condominium renovation need to be very cognizant of the rules that govern renovations in that particular building or risk finding out too late that they can't do what they were planning.
 
The worst part of this tax is that the HST runs directly counter to the province's Places to Grow plan. The policy frameworks encourage intensification and brownfield redevelopment with diverse mixed use/mixed price communities, is undermined by this tax policy.

Builders will continue to dole out expensive and small condo units and away from housing that is larger and suitable for families or near-retirement couples seeking to relocate from the suburbs to the core.
 
dt_toronto_geek said:
There's a building I'm familiar with on Jarvis n. of Dundas, only 4 suites per floor, all apartments are 2 bed + den (easily converted to 3rd bedroom), 1700 sq. ft. and currently list in the mid to upper $300's. These are exceptionally sized family homes in a secure, well maintained building that's close to everything. Maintenance fees are good (a little under $700/month) and include hydro, water & cable.
Many downtown buildings from the late 70's & 80's can be great finds for family living. Hopefully the next real estate wave will produce reasonably sized family units to add to the existing stock that won't break the bank.
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Eug said:
Yeah, assuming the place is decent then that's a pretty good deal. We won't see any new units going forward at that price range (comparatively) though.
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It's clean, well maintained, with large principal rooms, newly decorated common areas, built in the early-mid 80's, self managed building, grocery store on-site + gym, sauna, billiards, hot tub, rooftop terrace, small intimate building with 16 stories X 4 suites per floor. Perfect for families, couples or me!

Many more of these types of apartments can be found although this building has exceptionally large suites.

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Edit: Each suite is either 1700 or 1750 sq. feet, I can't confirm which but will look into it
 
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Shut up Adam Vaughan
From the man who wanted to tax night clubs for using sidewalks, comes this brilliant piece of policy: telling developers what kind of homes they can build.

Toronto Councillor Adam Vaughan wants to ensure that 10% of condos built are "family friendly." He is concerned that downtown will become a "Child free zone." Has Mr. Vaughan given any thought to the possibility that most people with children don't want to live downtown? And if they did the developers would build homes for them to capture that market.

This is just pure idiotic micromanagement by a dimwitted political hack.

Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on November 7, 2009 | Permalink
 
Automation Gallery said:
Shut up Adam Vaughan
From the man who wanted to tax night clubs for using sidewalks, comes this brilliant piece of policy: telling developers what kind of homes they can build.

Toronto Councillor Adam Vaughan wants to ensure that 10% of condos built are "family friendly." He is concerned that downtown will become a "Child free zone." Has Mr. Vaughan given any thought to the possibility that most people with children don't want to live downtown? And if they did the developers would build homes for them to capture that market.

This is just pure idiotic micromanagement by a dimwitted political hack.

Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on November 7, 2009 | Permalink
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Link?
 
Automation Gallery said:
Shut up Adam Vaughan
From the man who wanted to tax night clubs for using sidewalks, comes this brilliant piece of policy: telling developers what kind of homes they can build.

Toronto Councillor Adam Vaughan wants to ensure that 10% of condos built are "family friendly." He is concerned that downtown will become a "Child free zone." Has Mr. Vaughan given any thought to the possibility that most people with children don't want to live downtown? And if they did the developers would build homes for them to capture that market.

This is just pure idiotic micromanagement by a dimwitted political hack.

Posted by Hugh MacIntyre on November 7, 2009 | Permalink
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I don't see any incentive for families downtown. Where would the kids play? Don Mills is the ideal place to raise a family in the city. Great parks/ravines, nice neighbourhoods.
 
Dugmor said:
I don't see any incentive for families downtown. Where would the kids play? Don Mills is the ideal place to raise a family in the city. Great parks/ravines, nice neighbourhoods.
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Even when it comes to "where would the kids play", parks/ravines aren't everything, you know. (And if that's an issue, investing in a Metropass or Autoshare/Zipcar can compensate.)
 
adma said:
Even when it comes to "where would the kids play", parks/ravines aren't everything, you know. (And if that's an issue, investing in a Metropass or Autoshare/Zipcar can compensate.)
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I wasn't necessarily insinuating for the kids to use the ravines. But living outside of the core offers more for children. There's more open space for them to use.
 
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