I just got back from a couple weeks in Europe and got to spend some time in one of my favourite cities: Paris. When travelling I always like to try to learn something of the state of the local real estate market. As you can imagine, Paris is a very expensive city, and has ‘world-class’ […]
When buying a new condo, you need to be aware of the costs involved. Buying a new condo is not the same as buying a resale condo, there are additional costs you will incur on closing day. The sales people at the condo sales centres will NEVER bring any of these items to your attention. A […]
With several dozen new condos expected to launch over the next 60-90 days in Toronto, the question for investors is quickly becoming: Which one(s) do I invest in? If you believe the prevailing message of the condo marketing machine, newer is always better. That is, getting into a condo at the earliest stage is always […]
I guess this makes it official: everyone is talking about the Toronto condo market. I was interviewed a couple weeks ago for an article on our condo market by a writer for the Wall Street Journal, and today that article hit wsj.com. Read the entire article here. See what people on Twitter are saying about […]
Location is the most important factor when considering any real estate investment. You can change many things about a property, but you can’t change its location, therefore it’s vitally important for any condo buyer to understand exactly what makes a good location good. Why do some condos appreciate at higher rates and command higher resale […]
Over the past 2 years in particular, the size of condos in Toronto have been getting progessively smaller. The shrinking size of condos has allowed developers to continue to keep the actual prices of the units at a reasonable level, even while the average price per square foot has basically doubled in the last 7-8 years. […]
I wanted to dig a little deeper for today’s blog post and take a look at absorption rates in various condos. Looking at Festival Tower got me thinking about this subject. Festival Tower has a plethora of units available for sale, but hardly anything is actually selling. The building is stunning. The amenities are amazing, […]
I never envisioned my face would be plastered on the front page of TheStar.com right next to a picture of Rob Ford laughing diabolically, but here we are. Check out this cute little article-with video- that Susan Pigg (The Star’s new real estate reporter) wrote about my investment unit at One Park West. What is interesting […]
Just 24 hours after TheStar.com wrote their article, Sympatico.ca and Yourmoney.ca picked up the story too. You can read it here. While the articles were a fun read, what I found most interesting were the comments section of each article. The article on TheStar.com framed me as a landlord and Realtor. The comments were mostly […]
Insights
Observations from Paris
August 15, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
I just got back from a couple weeks in Europe and got to spend some time in one of my favourite cities: Paris. When travelling I always like to try to learn something of the state of the local real estate market. As you can imagine, Paris is a very expensive city, and has ‘world-class’ […]
Read more
Statement of Adjustments from Hell
July 27, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
When buying a new condo, you need to be aware of the costs involved. Buying a new condo is not the same as buying a resale condo, there are additional costs you will incur on closing day. The sales people at the condo sales centres will NEVER bring any of these items to your attention. A […]
Read more
Newer is Better, Right?
August 23, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
With several dozen new condos expected to launch over the next 60-90 days in Toronto, the question for investors is quickly becoming: Which one(s) do I invest in? If you believe the prevailing message of the condo marketing machine, newer is always better. That is, getting into a condo at the earliest stage is always […]
Read more
Wall Street Journal Chimes in on the Toronto Condo Market
August 24, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
I guess this makes it official: everyone is talking about the Toronto condo market. I was interviewed a couple weeks ago for an article on our condo market by a writer for the Wall Street Journal, and today that article hit wsj.com. Read the entire article here. See what people on Twitter are saying about […]
Read more
What Makes a Good Location Good?
September 1, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
Location is the most important factor when considering any real estate investment. You can change many things about a property, but you can’t change its location, therefore it’s vitally important for any condo buyer to understand exactly what makes a good location good. Why do some condos appreciate at higher rates and command higher resale […]
Read more
Lockers More Important Than Ever
September 14, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
Over the past 2 years in particular, the size of condos in Toronto have been getting progessively smaller. The shrinking size of condos has allowed developers to continue to keep the actual prices of the units at a reasonable level, even while the average price per square foot has basically doubled in the last 7-8 years. […]
Read more
Absorption Rates
September 23, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
I wanted to dig a little deeper for today’s blog post and take a look at absorption rates in various condos. Looking at Festival Tower got me thinking about this subject. Festival Tower has a plethora of units available for sale, but hardly anything is actually selling. The building is stunning. The amenities are amazing, […]
Read more
What Does The Smallest Condo In Toronto Look Like?
September 27, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
I never envisioned my face would be plastered on the front page of TheStar.com right next to a picture of Rob Ford laughing diabolically, but here we are. Check out this cute little article-with video- that Susan Pigg (The Star’s new real estate reporter) wrote about my investment unit at One Park West. What is interesting […]
Read more
Sympatico.ca Picks up the Smallest Condo in Toronto Story
September 29, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
Just 24 hours after TheStar.com wrote their article, Sympatico.ca and Yourmoney.ca picked up the story too. You can read it here. While the articles were a fun read, what I found most interesting were the comments section of each article. The article on TheStar.com framed me as a landlord and Realtor. The comments were mostly […]
Read more