Toronto The Yorkville Condominiums | 104.54m | 31s | Lifetime | Wallman Architects

modernizt said:
You need to keep in mind that marketing renderings are generally done before materials/suppliers have been selected and finalized. Renderings, even for an architect, show ideas. They do not take the time to model each and every particular product, with the exact final shape/dimensions/etc., so much as represent the space.

I'm not defending the lack of honesty in the renderings, but that's the way it works in the industry. Regulating something like a marketing image (which does have disclaimer a disclaimer attached pointing out that it's an artist's depiction) would be very difficult since often, even in an architect's renderings, it speaks to ideas ("a large round pendant lamp hanging here") more than it does to final products and selected suppliers ("the _____ Lamp produced by the company ________"). Those details can't possibly be resolved by the time the building goes into marketing.
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What you are saying is absolutely not true. Developers love to cut corners and save billions of dollars by:

1- switching from Engineered Wood flooring to Laminate flooring for all the units. this is against their marketing material and the phrase in the contract isn't clear.
2- removing the waterfall counter top in the kitchen island
3- switching kitchen drawers with doors (the photos of their sales center is still available on-line)
4- changing the design of the lobby and switching the black area rug with a commercial fixed cheap carpet.
5- switching the light fixtures in the lobby and going with a much cheaper version.
6- changing the wood exterior entry door to the building and installing cheap glass doors
7- removing all the exterior greenery and planters
8- replacing the exterior LED pin lights with ugly big commercial lights

I think the reason all these things happening to condo market these days, is because there is no governing body to really monitor the condo industry.
 
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Save billions of dollars? My word!

I don't see a need for monitoring. Buyers need to own up and be fully versed when buying pre-built. It's absolutely ridiculous how many nowadays blindly make major financial decisions and than blame everyone but themselves for things not playing out as they had thought.
 
maestro said:
Save billions of dollars? My word!

I don't see a need for monitoring. Buyers need to own up and be fully versed when buying pre-built. It's absolutely ridiculous how many nowadays blindly make major financial decisions and than blame everyone but themselves for things not playing out as they had thought.
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Too easy to put it on the buyers. It's like the vw fiasco.whwn there are millions of dollars at stake the purchaser will get screwed. You can't blame a buyer for a builder pulling an okie doke on a signed contract. You're well aware that builders don't deliver On things that they have signed on the dotted line for right? I'm not talking about marketing. I'm talking about the purchase agreement. There's a lot of lies that firs time buyers are told and I can tell you many will not buy new again. I just don't get how you put that on the buyer. Buyer can not control builders who do not do what they agreed to do. Tarion is utterly useless(although at first they are told that ration will protect them) and many do not have the resources to go up against builders in court.

Builders know this and leverage that into doing bare minimum.

The government won't come after the builders they make so much money through home construction so I don't see anything being done.

Luckily there are some good builders with integrity(not many)
 
SmartInteriorArchitecture said:
I think the reason all these things happening to condo market these days, is because there is no governing body to really monitor the condo industry in Canada.
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The only "monitoring" body required here is....the purchaser.

We have legislation in the form of the Condo Act and the Building Code, plus we have contract law and the court system. There really is no other necessary tools for the condo speculator. It's the consumer's responsibility to decide whether he is happy with his transaction, and has all the tools to do something about it if he isn't.
 
It is nothing like the vw situation. That was complete cover up. There's more that a decades worth of information for first time buyers to be readily access that explicitly shows developers will make the needed changes during tendering to keep costs down. Most developers aren't in an established market to screw over customers. That's shortsighted. Prebuilt buyers should be fully versed that they are speculating and not buying a home. It's ignorant to assume otherwise.
 
freshcutgrass said:
The only "monitoring" body required here is....the purchaser.

We have legislation in the form of the Condo Act and the Building Code, plus we have contract law and the court system. There really is no other necessary tools for the condo speculator. It's the consumer's responsibility to decide whether he is happy with his transaction, and has all the tools to do something about it if he isn't.
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So what you are describing is an uncivilized city with lots of thieves who want to rip you off and those who don't know the building code and regulations and simply just want to purchase a dream home and live peacefully, should be harassed and run for their rights and still no guarantee that they can get it back. you are saying "Condo Act and the Building Code" and non of these will cover the promises in terms of finishes and the design of the building. I gave you a real example and you read and suggest how "Condo Act and the Building Code" can cover up this mess. Im excited to know
 
SmartInteriorArchitecture said:
So what you are describing is an uncivilized city with lots of thieves who want to rip you off and those who don't know the building code and regulations and simply just want to purchase a dream home and live peacefully, should be harassed and run for their rights and still no guarantee that they can get it back
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I hate to break it to you, but you're sounding a little naïve and defenseless. Yes, there are uncivilized people around who don't care about 'our desire to live peacefully in our dream home'. Simply watching the news, observing history in our country and elsewhere should make that obvious. Consider yourself lucky there are laws to help protect you, even if you have to read them from time to time.
 
SmartInteriorArchitecture said:
So what you are describing is an uncivilized city with lots of thieves who want to rip you off and those who don't know the building code and regulations and simply just want to purchase a dream home and live peacefully, should be harassed and run for their rights and still no guarantee that they can get it back. you are saying "Condo Act and the Building Code" and non of these will cover the promises in terms of finishes and the design of the building. I gave you a real example and you read and suggest how "Condo Act and the Building Code" can cover up this mess. Im excited to know
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What I'm saying is that there is no role for a 3rd party monitoring body to play here...it would be superfluous. The tools you need to deal with any conflicts that may arise from the business contract you have between yourself and the developer already exist.
 
The existing system has failed miserably in terms of ensuring quality design and construction across the industry. There are any number of reasons why, but it is not as simple as saying regulation exists in theory and that is all that is needed.

It's also not as simple as having "render police". It's about creating accountability for the developer and their product. The current legal and regulatory system is stacked against the consumer so that even legitimate complaints aren't heard let alone grey area issues of false advertising.
 
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Oh for crying out loud. Read your frigging contract. It will spell out what leeway the developer has. If you don't like it....don't sign it. If when you take possession of your property you think the contract has been violated....sue them. It is your responsibility to mitigate your perceived losses...it's not a public responsibility. If you don't like the risks that come with real estate speculation...then buy existing real estate instead.
 
I wonder what eventually happens to poorly executed new construction....it becomes existing housing stock. The city and all its inhabitants feel the effects. You can get off your high horse by the way.
 
freshcutgrass said:
Oh for crying out loud. Read your frigging contract. It will spell out what leeway the developer has. If you don't like it....don't sign it. If when you take possession of your property you think the contract has been violated....sue them. It is your responsibility to mitigate your perceived losses...it's not a public responsibility. If you don't like the risks that come with real estate speculation...then buy existing real estate instead.
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The point is it should not come to that... You should not have to go through all the trouble of suing a frigging builder for continuously deceiving its purchasers.
 
TheKingEast said:
The point is it should not come to that... You should not have to go through all the trouble of suing a frigging builder for continuously deceiving its purchasers.
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You still don't seem to get it. This hypothetical, vague "monitoring entity" people seem to be alluding to wouldn't have a practical function. What you are really saying is they need to change the laws in place. What you may be calling "deceiving" may really be something the builder is legally allowed to do, and it is you who was naive. There's no insurance against not doing your homework, or being unaware of the risks involved in speculation.
 
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