Legacy, Ultra, Yorkland @ Heron's Hill Condos (Monarch Homes) - Real Estate

[Solaris]

Hi Solaris, I was actually looking for some opinion for the floor plan of 665. Can you tell me about your opinion on the 665 design?

albertwong1 ... here's my thoughs on the Ultimo 665 suite ~

PROs

1. linear kitchens are cool + modern, just maybe not too functional
2. good size bedroom (10'8" x 11'8" I think?) with 2 sided windows
3. walk in closet !!
4. normally I'm not a fan of laundry closet in the bedroom, but in this case given its only a 1B unit I think it works quite well, except for the noise ... but then you can control when to do laundry
5. west view will be unobstructed by ~8s office buildings to the west, north view may be partially obstructed by the brown Crossroads Condominiums on the other side of Sheppard

CONs

1. I wouldn't like the balcony because its enclosed by on wall on the left and privacy screening on the right, but it may be favoured by others would want a sense of enclosure on their balcony
2. without a doubt, the entrance hallway is a waste
3. the living/dining/kitchen is about 17'6" (I think), which means minus kitchen cabinets you only have 15'6" left, that may be a bit tight for living + dining room furniture
4. given the odd location of walls, windows + doors, I can't quite figure out how you can place furniture to make sense in the room
5. I think the small den will be useless given its size, you may as well as for a extended walk-in closet and extend the right bedroom wall right down to create a usable corner in the living/dining room
6. the linear kitchen may not look good enough if you don't have integrated appliances such as dishwasher + refridgerator with cabinetry finish ... but means more $$
7. lack of privacy since balcony is shared with unit abutting to the east

 

[Solaris]

Also, I am wondering why facing south is better than facing north on the Ultra?

Given we are in the northern hemisphere, sunlight comes primarily from the south

When I look at their model, they are going to build Phase 3 on the south side of Ultra. I think the view will be blocked somehow. The 655 on the east side of the building will be blocked by Legency too.

the southeast view from Ultra will be blocked, whereas south, southwest, west, northwest should be fine ... east view would see Legacy off to the right 1/3 of your view, but not "head on" and there's some separation distance

Why people is saying that facing north and west will never see the sun light?
Is it becuase of other building around? I personally like the window on the west side of the 665 master room. Since it is facing west, it is going to have sunlight in the afternoon instead of the morning. However, may be it is going to be hot in the afternoon in the masterroom because of the window too

There's plenty of sunlight in west facing units, it is usually the north facing units that have the 'lack of sunlight' concerns ... west facing units have the issue of overheating in the afternoon, so make sure you get good curtains or be ready to jack up the A/C or buy a fan

Do you think the price of the unit will went up once the construction is finished? How much you think I can rent the unit for?

normally for ANY project unit prices always increase from the day they first launch sales ... it is possible for a builder to slash prices at the very end when they have inventory units they just want to get rid of and finish the project ~

unfortunately I can't help you with the rent estimation

good luck !!

 

[Solaris]

Should I find a real estate lawyer to have a look at it? Or it is fine as is. Because my budget is tight

I just have a look at Emerald City's Floor Plan. I think the 1+1 is much better than that of 665 I am interested in.

My guess is if the subway is not extended, the Emerald City will appreciate faster than that of Ultra. Providing that Emerald City have direct access to Subway and 9' ceiling, $15k off.

However, the 665 have 20k off too, it is a great plus for my tight budget.
Also, it is further away from the rental apartment. I think it is going to be easier to rent the unit out too.

Any thoughts?

always get a real estate lawyer to look over your Agreement of Purchase + Sale plus any Amendments ... unless of course if you have legal background

generally I think for the 1B or 1B+D units, Emerald City has better floorplans than Ultra+Legacy

Emerald City has its PROs which of course is the subway, but the CONs is the Parkway Forest neighbourhood which contains vast amounts of rental apartments ... which puts Emerald City at about par with Ultra+Legacy ... and frankly I don't expect the Sheppard Subway to be extended in our life times given the Transit City LRT work currently underway

If I were looking for a place to rent, I would choose Emerald City only if I did not have a car to drive and depended on transit, otherwise I would choose Ultra+Legacy ... so it really depends on the target audience

 

[Rocky]

I believe there is a cap included in the agreement already for the meter. I cant remember what it is.

Jin, are you saying that the standard agreement that monarch has for Ultra has a cap on meter installation charges ? Would you be able to confirm what is the cap at on your agreement ? Just curious as mine does not cap it at all ! and i never asked for it!

Lets say if this wasnt capped - how much is the max i might be asked to pay !? Any ideas from any other users !? Monarch being a reputable builder, Can they really squeeze the pockets of purchasers who never got a cap on those charges !?

Any other charges that should be capped !?

 

[Jin-N-Juice]

Jin, are you saying that the standard agreement that monarch has for Ultra has a cap on meter installation charges ? Would you be able to confirm what is the cap at on your agreement ? Just curious as mine does not cap it at all ! and i never asked for it!

Lets say if this wasnt capped - how much is the max i might be asked to pay !? Any ideas from any other users !? Monarch being a reputable builder, Can they really squeeze the pockets of purchasers who never got a cap on those charges !?

Any other charges that should be capped !?

I probably should ask my lawyer, because I only read it afterwards

5.1

(5) The purchaser shall reimburse the vendor for ... (ii) the cost or charge for utility services and the individual meters for the units ... (which, in respect of the installation of the hydro meter for the unit only, shall not exceed $600.00);

then the next section stated
(6) the purchaser may be responsible for any necessary installation ..... Any and all expenses and costs associated with such individual metering will be paid directly by the purchaser....

hrmmmm....

 

[newbuyer]

I see. So after I asked for the 1 month delay in the last 2 installments. They will have to make another copy and it will take a week before I get it back.

Should I find a real estate lawyer to have a look at it? Or it is fine as is. Because my budget is tight

I just have a look at Emerald City's Floor Plan. I think the 1+1 is much better than that of 665 I am interested in.

My guess is if the subway is not extended, the Emerald City will appreciate faster than that of Ultra. Providing that Emerald City have direct access to Subway and 9' ceiling, $15k off.

However, the 665 have 20k off too, it is a great plus for my tight budget.
Also, it is further away from the rental apartment. I think it is going to be easier to rent the unit out too.

Any thoughts?

Few things that I don't like from Ultra:
1. 8' ceiling
2. No direct access to subway and malls
3.Floor plan

Emerald city have all of mentioned above, and IMO Emerald city's floor plan is better.
Regarding the rental unit around Emerald, I don't think is a big deal at all. Look around in downtown, there are nice condos who are surrounded by old small houses and graffity and etc.
In term on renting it out, I think Emerald is a little bit better because of direct access to mall and TTC. That is just my opinion.

 

[luxome]

Hi Jin and Juice. Do you have an idea of how much the metering fee will be?
I think it is a good idea to put a cap on those charges.

The sales sales person said something about having to pay some HST if you are investor.

Me: About the HST. I remember you told me it is going to be taken care
of by the builder. So is it included in the price already? Do I need to do
any rebate afterward?


Them: IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BUILDER TO PAY HST.
IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR THE HST IS NOT INCLUDED COMPLETELY. THERE
WILL BE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ONTARIO'S NEW BUDGET IN TIME.
PLEASE REVIEW SCHEDULE 'T' WITH YOUR LAWYER.


What do they mean by HST is not included completely if you are investor. How to define investor or not? If I rent the unit to someone else, is it consider to be investor?

whether if you will be the primary residence or not? that would be my guess.

 

[Rocky]

But Ultra does have it's strength. I really like it's horizontal cabinet with frosted mirror doors, but the one who is going to live in the condo is my dad, so he makes the call

Probey, Which frosted doors are you talking about !? Are these the sliding closet doors in the bedrooms or are these on all cabinets in the unit and is it limited to certain floor layouts !? or may be i am missing something altogether .

 

[probey]

Probey, Which frosted doors are you talking about !? Are these the sliding closet doors in the bedrooms or are these on all cabinets in the unit and is it limited to certain floor layouts !? or may be i am missing something altogether .

Oh, I was talking about the kitchen cabinet with frosted glass doors, not mirror, my mistake

 

[Rocky]

(6) the purchaser may be responsible for any necessary installation ..... Any and all expenses and costs associated with such individual metering will be paid directly by the purchaser....hrmmmm....

These points are identical in almost all agreements and the $600 doesnt seem to be a cap. I will appreciate if you could share what your lawyer says in terms of capping this up ? mine agreement looks exactly the same for both points 5 and 6.

 

[albertwong1]

thanks

Thank you so much Solaris. I think I am going to install some California blinds on the west side windows. I may make a storage out of the Den. hehe.

Here is my floorplan. It may be strange, but I like to look outside when I lie down.

Oh, I just find out I cannot upload the image to urbantoronto.



For the cap on installation fee. Anyone think $5000 is too much? I am thinking of puting a cap of $5000 on those fee.

I think it is a good idea to live in there once u can. Providing that you cannot rent the unit to anyone before it is registered under your name. You will have to pay the phantom mortgage anyway (for around 2 months). Then why dont you move in and enjoy the new home?

Anyone know how many visitor parking is going to be in Emerald City? In Ultra, they will have 20% of visitor parking which is 82 or 83. I think it is good to have plenty of parking if you are going to have any party.

Just another thought. I think those visitor parking in Emerald City will be busy because it is right across Fairview Mall. Everytime I go to the mall, the parking is packed. I think those who live in Emerald City will let their friend park in their visitor parking. As a result, it will be mainly for those teens who go to the mall.

Anyone who signed the sales agreement have any suggestion that I should change on the agreement?
I am going to ask for a cap on the fees on Sunday. It would be great if someone can give me an idea of what to ask for.
Anything else in the agreement should be changed?
Can I ask them to line up the closing day and the move in day? Are they going to do it? I dont want to pay for the phantom mortgage.

I am also worried about the phantom mortgage in Emerald City. Giving the fact that they are new in toronto, they have no experience in registering here in toronto. It might hence have a longer phantom mortgage period.

 

[albertwong1]

thanks

Thank you so much Solaris. I think I am going to install some California blinds on the west side windows. I may make a storage out of the Den. hehe.

Here is my floorplan. It may be strange, but I like to look outside when I lie down.

Oh, I just find out I cannot upload the image to urbantoronto.



For the cap on installation fee. Anyone think $5000 is too much? I am thinking of puting a cap of $5000 on those fee.

I think it is a good idea to live in there once u can. Providing that you cannot rent the unit to anyone before it is registered under your name. You will have to pay the phantom mortgage anyway (for around 2 months). Then why dont you move in and enjoy the new home?

Anyone know how many visitor parking is going to be in Emerald City? In Ultra, they will have 20% of visitor parking which is 82 or 83. I think it is good to have plenty of parking if you are going to have any party.

Just another thought. I think those visitor parking in Emerald City will be busy because it is right across Fairview Mall. Everytime I go to the mall, the parking is packed. I think those who live in Emerald City will let their friend park in their visitor parking. As a result, it will be mainly for those teens who go to the mall.

Anyone who signed the sales agreement have any suggestion that I should change on the agreement?
I am going to ask for a cap on the fees on Sunday. It would be great if someone can give me an idea of what to ask for.
Anything else in the agreement should be changed?
Can I ask them to line up the closing day and the move in day? Are they going to do it? I dont want to pay for the phantom mortgage.


Just another thought. It might take longer for Emerald City to register because they are new in toronto. Longer phantom mortgage period will kill me. So I guess I will stick with Ultra.

 

[newbuyer]

Thank you so much Solaris. I think I am going to install some California blinds on the west side windows. I may make a storage out of the Den. hehe.

Here is my floorplan. It may be strange, but I like to look outside when I lie down.

Oh, I just find out I cannot upload the image to urbantoronto.



For the cap on installation fee. Anyone think $5000 is too much? I am thinking of puting a cap of $5000 on those fee.

I think it is a good idea to live in there once u can. Providing that you cannot rent the unit to anyone before it is registered under your name. You will have to pay the phantom mortgage anyway (for around 2 months). Then why dont you move in and enjoy the new home?

Anyone know how many visitor parking is going to be in Emerald City? In Ultra, they will have 20% of visitor parking which is 82 or 83. I think it is good to have plenty of parking if you are going to have any party.

Just another thought. I think those visitor parking in Emerald City will be busy because it is right across Fairview Mall. Everytime I go to the mall, the parking is packed. I think those who live in Emerald City will let their friend park in their visitor parking. As a result, it will be mainly for those teens who go to the mall.

Anyone who signed the sales agreement have any suggestion that I should change on the agreement?
I am going to ask for a cap on the fees on Sunday. It would be great if someone can give me an idea of what to ask for.
Anything else in the agreement should be changed?
Can I ask them to line up the closing day and the move in day? Are they going to do it? I dont want to pay for the phantom mortgage.

I am also worried about the phantom mortgage in Emerald City. Giving the fact that they are new in toronto, they have no experience in registering here in toronto. It might hence have a longer phantom mortgage period.

That is why I don't like the floor plan. To be honest with you, IMO that set up look very akward.
-What size of the bed you can fit in the wall between the doors to the washer/dryer and the bedroom's door? There is no night tables? That's no good for me.
-You don't get locker with the unit? Is that why you are using the den as a storage?
IMO, I don't think it is a good idea. It makes your unit feels smaller.
-The hallway upon entry is just a waste of space.
-I don't like the placing of the TV so close to the entry to the bedroom.
The whole set up in akward.

In regards to parking space, Emerald city phase 1 will have 3 stroreys of parking spaces which will not be shared with future buildingg phase 2 and 3. They all will have their own underground parking. I'm not sure how many visitor parking space will be available.
I don't think Fairview mall is soo packed that requires you to park accross the street. In my life, I have never ever not being able to find a good spot at Fairview malls.
Fairview mall is not a yorkdale mall which is 100x busier. I don't believe it will be a problem.

My fees are capped at $5k as well. I asked for lower but they wouldn't give it to me. They say it is standard.
It is a very common practive to pay phantom mortgage before the registering in new condos. It's unlikely you can choose to not move it when its deemed safe to move in.

 

[argos]

Thank you so much Solaris. I think I am going to install some California blinds on the west side windows. I may make a storage out of the Den. hehe.

Here is my floorplan. It may be strange, but I like to look outside when I lie down.

Oh, I just find out I cannot upload the image to urbantoronto.



For the cap on installation fee. Anyone think $5000 is too much? I am thinking of puting a cap of $5000 on those fee.

I think it is a good idea to live in there once u can. Providing that you cannot rent the unit to anyone before it is registered under your name. You will have to pay the phantom mortgage anyway (for around 2 months). Then why dont you move in and enjoy the new home?

Anyone know how many visitor parking is going to be in Emerald City? In Ultra, they will have 20% of visitor parking which is 82 or 83. I think it is good to have plenty of parking if you are going to have any party.

Just another thought. I think those visitor parking in Emerald City will be busy because it is right across Fairview Mall. Everytime I go to the mall, the parking is packed. I think those who live in Emerald City will let their friend park in their visitor parking. As a result, it will be mainly for those teens who go to the mall.

Anyone who signed the sales agreement have any suggestion that I should change on the agreement?
I am going to ask for a cap on the fees on Sunday. It would be great if someone can give me an idea of what to ask for.
Anything else in the agreement should be changed?
Can I ask them to line up the closing day and the move in day? Are they going to do it? I dont want to pay for the phantom mortgage.


Just another thought. It might take longer for Emerald City to register because they are new in toronto. Longer phantom mortgage period will kill me. So I guess I will stick with Ultra.

IMO, i think this is one of the worst floor plan design in Ultra. I call it the "Pistol". your furniture placement is a little awkward. Your furniture placement needs to be to-scale, because i think the place will be much smaller than your expectation. Also, they had a one-price-plan for all these units for a reason. They couldn't sell.

Just my honest opinion. But to each his/her own, not here to argue

1) Lots of waste hallway space, which is extremely crucial for a 1-bdrm unit
2) can they even call that a den? a computer desk can take up the entire space
3) the Hallway is already small and tight, by adding a shelf along the walls will only shrink the walking space. You may even have to walk sideways to get into your living room/kitchen

Nothing seems right in this floorplan. I truly believe that the purchasers will have an extremely difficult time placing their furniture. And this floorplan should NOT be marketed as 1+1. It's ridiculous.

If i were you, i would reconsider. But again, to each their own. Afterall, they need to sell these units, so someone's gota buy them right?

I would be extremely careful about what the salesreps tell you. After all, they are there to make a sale (that's how they get paid). But take their words with a grain of salt because shall problems arise when the building is built, the sales rep will long be gone.

HOWEVER, if you are really interested in the unit then i would go back and ask for flooring upgrades.

Anyways, g'luck.

 

[Seesus]

My fees are capped at $5k as well.

Hey Newbuyer. Just curious how much is one exposed in terms of risk factor if the installation fee is not capped !? Mine aint capped and i am worried if they are going to charge me a furtune and make me short of my downpayment It can only be capped ofcourse prior to cool down period ends but is there anything that can be done after - if a cap wasnt established. Just am concerned more about the amount of risk in $$$ i am now exposed to because of this CAP not being set on my agreement !?