Category Archives: For Buyers

Rarely offered two bedroom and den suite at the luxurious Palace Gate condos

Rarely Offered Split 2 Bedroom + Den Suite In The Luxurious Tridel Palace Gate. Well Maintained Building With Million Dollar Units. Elegant Open Layout, Private Views Facing Trees & Greenery For Privacy. Generous Storage. Perfect For Buyers Downsizing Looking For A Larger Condo Unit. Close To Parks, Highway 401 / DVP, TTC. Walk To All Amenities. Excellent Facilities Include Swimming Pool, Guest Suites, Recreation Centre, Party Room, Boardroom, Book Club, Tennis Court, BBQ Area, 24 Hour Concierge. One Parking And One Oversized Locker Included.

Address: 3181 Bayview Ave #203
Bedrooms: 2+1
Washrooms: 2
Type: Condominium
Maintenance Fee: $1084.37 / Month Inclusive of All Utilities and Cable TV
Extras: Refrigerator, Stainless Steel Stove, Stainless Steel Dishwasher, Hood Vent, Front Loading Washer And Dryer, All Electric Light Fixtures, All Window Coverings.

Don’t Miss This Opportunity For A Stunning 3 Bedroom, 3 Bath Townhouse

Prime Location In Ajax! Don’t Miss This Opportunity For A Stunning 3 Bedroom, 3 Bath Townhouse! Spacious Open Concept Living And Dining, Beautiful Eat In Kitchen, Oversized Family Room. Plenty Of Natural Light. Fantastic Area Close To 401-407, Go, Public Transit, Shopping, Schools, Parks And All Amenities. Large Fully Fenced Backyard, Direct Access To Home From The Garage!

Address: 58 Oakins Lane
Bedrooms: 3
Washrooms: 3
Type: Condo Townhouse
Maintenance Fee: $277 / Month
Extras: Stainless Steel Fridge, Stainless Steel Stove, Stainless Steel Dishwasher, Stainless Steel Microwave Hood Vent, Front Loading Washer And Dryer, All Electric Light Fixtures, All Window Coverings. Garage Door Opener W/ Remote, Exclude: Sconces In Living Room

Sub-Penthouse Loft in Iconic Merchandise Building!

Welcome to the Iconic Merchandise Lofts! This Authentic Sub-Penthouse Loft Features 12′ High Ceilings, Huge
Windows W/ Unobstructed East Views. Open Concept Layout Kitchen W/ S/S Appliances And Granite Counters.
Building Has Great Amenities Incl. Rooftop Garden W/ BBQ & Dog Park, Large Gym, Basketball Court, & 24/7 Concierge. Minutes To Subway, Eaton Centre, Dundas Square, Metro Groceries At Ground Level

Address: 155 Dalhousie Street #1049
Bedrooms: 2
Washrooms: 2
Type: Loft
Parking: One parking spot
Extras: Stainless Steel Fridge, Stainless Steel Stove, Stainless Steel Dishwasher, Stainless Steel Hood Vent, Front Loading Washer/Dryer, All Window Coverings, All Electrical Light Fixtures.

Gorgeous Modern Detached Minutes From St Clair!

Stunning Modern Detached Home! Professionally Renovated Top To Bottom In 2015. Bright, Open Concept W/Gas Fireplace, Beautiful Large Kitchen, Pot Lights Throughout, Skylight, Spacious Master W/Large W/I Closet & 4Pc Semi-Ensuite. Hardwood Floors Throughout, Finished Basement. Gas Line For Bbq. Short Walk To St-Clair, Shops, Transit, Earlscourt Park, Excellent Location And Neighborhood, Mins To Stockyards, New Community Centre.

Address: 254 McRoberts Ave
Bedrooms: 3
Washrooms: 3
Type: Detached
Parking: Detached Garage
Extras: Stainless Steel Fridge, Gas Stove, B/I Dishwasher, Front Loading Washer/Dryer, All Window Coverings, All Electrical Light Fixtures. Full Renovation Includes: Plumbing, Electrical, Furnace, A/C, Windows, Roof, Sump Pump, Back Water Valve, Waterproofing (W/ Warranty), And More!

Beautiful Detached Home With Small Town Charm Meets Abundance of Amenities

Beautiful All Brick Detached 1 Year Old Home In New Avalon Sub-Division By Empire Communities in Caledonia! Open Concept Layout, Bright Double Door Entry, Double Car Garage. $60K In Upgrades! 9 Ft Ceilings, Wall Mounted Hood Range, Backsplash, Samsung S/S Appliances, Maple Wood Kitchen Cabinets, California Shutters Throughout, Oak Wood Staircase, Frameless Glass Shower, Upgraded Enlarged Windows, 6 1/2″ Baseboards, Cold Room In Basement.

Address: 29 Cromarty Ave
Bedrooms: 4
Washrooms: 3
Type: Detached
Parking: Double Car Garage With 4 Driveway Spots
Extras: Samsung Stainless Steel Fridge, Stove, B/I Dishwasher, Front Loading Washer/Dryer, California Shutters Throughout, All Window Coverings, All Electrical Light Fixtures

Prestigious Ritz Carlton Residences Suite

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Welcome To The Prestigious Ritz Carlton Residences, Offering A New Standard Of 5 Star Downtown Living. 24Hr Concierge, Valet Parking, Spa, Pool, Exercise And Access To All Hotel Amenities. Direct Access to PATH. Stunning 1657 Sqft One Bedroom With Private Elevator Access. Clean North West City And Lake Views. Stunning Luxury Finishes, 10 Ft Ceilings, Chef’s Kitchen, Gas Fireplace In Living Room, Herringbone & Marble Floors, Spa-Like Ensuite And Walk-In Closet. Lots Of Storage!

Address: 183 Wellington St W #3801
Bedrooms: 1
Washrooms: 2
Type: Condominium
Parking: 1
Locker: 1
Extras: Sub Zero Fridge & Wine Fridge, Wolf 5 Burner Gas Stovetop, Wolf Built-In Oven And Built-In Microwave, Miele Dishwasher, Side By Side Washer & Dryer In Large Laundry Room, Window Treatments.

Why the Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan won’t curb housing prices

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced 16 measures today to help increase supply in the Golden Horseshoe region. Hopefully, these measures will slow down the 30%+ increases, to the 10-15% range for the rest of the year. This won’t cause a decrease in prices, just a more gradual increase.

So for the Buyers out there, you may see some relief in the pre-construction sector. For the Sellers, not to worry, you’ll still be seeing the bidding wars and gains.

Here are a couple of the major measures announced and why they won’t curb housing prices:

15% Foreign Speculation Tax
This tax won’t affect the market much as it will only apply on home purchases by non-resident foreigners in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. It will not apply to new immigrants or those planning to live here. The Toronto Real Estate Board estimates that only 4.9% of residential real estate transactions are by foreign buyers and more than half of those are either buying for themselves or a family member. I concur with this estimate as virtually all of my ‘foreign’ buyer clients are either from other parts of the country or are buying for themselves or a family member living in the city.

Ban on Pre-Construction Speculators
This is something that the government has been trying to crack down on for years. This will be good buyers looking to get into the market and for the resale market, where investors will now go to invest in real estate.

Power for Municipalities to Impose a Vacant Home Tax
The Municipalities will wait and see how the real estate market will react to these new provincial measures before implementing a Vacant Home Tax. However, I am sure they will end up imposing such a tax in the near future because the measures announced today will not curb prices by much.

Other Measures Include:
– Expanding existing rent control systems to cover all tenants, including those buildings built after 1991
– Rebate of development cost charges to encourage building of more rental housing
– A move to identify provincially owned surplus lands that could be used for affordable and rental housing development
– $125-million, five-year program to encourage construction of new purpose-built rental apartment buildings by rebating a portion of development charges.

Overall, this will be good for the GTA because the 30-40% increases we are seeing this year are unsustainable. It will put us into bubble territory if it continues this way year-over-year and nobody wants that. For those who have been following me on social media, I have been a huge proponent of transforming single-family homes to multiple units as an investment vehicle. I continue to believe that it is a smart investment decision and now the government will make it easier to do so.

Quaint Condo for Sale in Richmond Hill

Welcome Home to Your Future Luxury Condo On Yonge Street, In A Prime Richmond Hill Area! Lovely & Bright, Open Concept, Soaring 10Ft. Ceilings. Spacious 1+Den With Separate Powder Room For Guests. Walk Out To Terrace & Gazebo. Steps To Viva/YRT, Close To Schools & Shopping. Amenities Include: 24Hr Concierge, Gym, Indoor Pool, Steam Room, Billiard Room, Party Room, Library & Guest Suites.

What $20 Million Buys You in Toronto

Address: 35 High Point Road

Neighbourhood: Bridle Path – Sunnybrook – York Mills

Price: $19,800,000

The Place:
A stunning mansion in the heart of The Bridle Path.

Bragging Rights:

The house has more amenities than some condominiums in the city. With its very own indoor pool and spa, exercise room, his and hers change rooms, party room with commercial grade kitchen, wine cellar, billiards room, home theatre and tennis court, it truly has something for everyone. It even features its own playroom with specialized rubber for the little ones.

Big Selling Point:

The exquisitely landscaped grounds makes living in the city feel like cottage country.

By the Numbers:

• $19,800,000
• 18,086 sq ft
• 2 acres
• 7 bedrooms
• 15 washrooms
• 4 parking spaces
• 1 wine cellar

Listing Agent: Ashley Lo

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5 Reasons why home ownership is better than renting

Why use your hard-earned cash to pay the landlord’s mortgage when you could be using the rent money to buy a home of your own? Although home ownership is not right for everyone, it does make sense in many cases.

Here are 5 reasons why home ownership is better than renting:

Home ownership is a great investment. Although short term real estate prices may follow similar patterns as an economic cycle with peaks and valleys, there has always been a general upwards trend. Especially with cities such as Toronto, urbanization and gentrification become more predominant over time, and scarcity of land drives prices up. Over the past 40 years, the average Toronto home price increase per year still remains at 7%, even after a couple of recessions!

1. Leveraging your money. With interest rates at an all time low and with as little of a down payment as 5%, you can still have completely control of your property. Act fast though, because lending rules are becoming more stringent!

1. Home ownership acts as a method of forced savings.By getting into the real estate market early (imagine having your income trying to catch up with a 7% increase a year!), you are able to save for a more expensive home in the future by paying down your mortgage every month and leveraging your current home equity. Monthly costs of owning are often only a little more than what you would pay for an equivalent rental.

1. Pride of ownership and being in full control. Any improvements or decoration changes need no approval from your landlord. Feel free to upgrade as your please! (Amen to that!)

Tax benefits. Especially as a first time home buyer, there are many perks from a tax perspective such as RRSP withdrawals and land transfer tax credits. In addition, there are no capital gain taxes on a principal residence. Even for investment properties, there are significant tax deductions which can make property ownership a great investment strategy.

Buy vs. Rent Example

Featured listing: Gorgeous 2 bedroom + den at Yonge/Finch for sale at $299,000

MLS # C2437195

More information on this property: https://ashleylo.com/5785yongest202

Comparison

Purchase Price – $299,900
Down Payment	5%	10%	15%
Down Payment	$14,995	$29,990	$44,985
Monthly Expenses Mortgage Amount (including Mortgage Insurance; Interest at 3% for 5 years) Property Taxes Maintenance Fees Total Monthly Expenses	$1,479 $157 $886 $2,522	$1,367 $157 $886 $2,411	$1,281 $157 $886 $2,324
Annual Cash Spent Average Annual Savings From Principle (based on 5 year term)	$30,268 $8,278	$28,929 $7,843	$27,890 $7,407
Annual Cost of Ownership vs. Annual Cost of Renting at $2,150/month Savings From Home Ownership	$21,989 $25,800 $3,811	$21,086 $25,800 $4,714	$20,483 $25,800 $5,317

As you can see, even with a down payment of 5% and having to pay mortgage insurance, it would be more beneficial to purchase vs. rent, even without taking into consideration home price appreciation! As GoC bond yields decrease (which is what our fixed-mortgage rates are based on), interest rates will be even lower, allowing an even greater gap between this buy vs. rent scenario. In addition, this example is based on the first 5 years, with additional savings as time passes as you pay down more of your principle and have less interest in your mortgage.

Questions? Feel free to contact me at anytime!