Address: 377 Madison Avenue, Penthouse 708
Neighbourhood: Casa Loma
Agent: Bruno Soares, Re/Max Hallmark Realty Ltd., Brokerage
Price: $2,795,000
A pristine two-level penthouse with Casa Loma views. The living area on the main floor has 11-foot-high ceilings and a balcony just above a tree canopy. The second level has a huge bedroom suite and a 1,200-square-foot terrace.
The owner has never actually lived here. The condo hasn’t registered yet, so this unit is being sold on assignment.
Here’s the kitchen and dining area:
A closer look at the kitchen:
The living room has a wall of wrap-around windows:
The main-floor bedroom:
And the balcony:
Both bedrooms are luxurious enough to be considered the master. Each has an ensuite bathroom, a walk-in closet and heated floors.
Here’s the upstairs bedroom, with its wall of windows:
The upstairs bathroom:
And the rooftop terrace:
There’s no separate office or den, which could make this place impractical for someone who works from home.
• $2,795,000
• 2,350 square feet
• $1,455 in monthly maintenance fees
• 1,200-square-foot rooftop terrace
• 270-square-foot balcony
• 3 bathrooms
• 2 bedrooms
• 2 parking spaces
• 1 wine fridge
• 1 locker
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Article source: http://torontolife.com/real-estate/condos/toronto-condo-for-sale-377-madison-avenue/
The buyers: Amanda Moskowitz, a 34-year-old stay-at-home mom; her husband, Adam, a 39-year-old auctioneer; and their three young children.
The story: Adam grew up vacationing on Lake Muskoka and wanted to continue the tradition with his wife and kids, but their existing cottage was too small for their growing family. It was time to trade up. Amanda was concerned about the kids’ safety: she wanted a place located on a bay, with minimal boat traffic and calm water. Their budget of $1.5 million needed to cover the purchase price as well as any renovations.
Lake Muskoka, Gravenhurst
This one-and-a-half-storey cottage had been vacant for about four years. The previous owners had started a reno but never followed through, leaving the interior gutted and ready for construction. Amanda and Adam loved the idea of having a blank canvas to renovate as they pleased, and the bay location meant tranquil water for the kids. They crunched the numbers and figured they could afford to finish the reno if they got the place for a little less than list price. There were no other bidders, so they were able to win out for $49,000 under asking. A year later, their renovation is almost complete.
Size: 2,800 square feet
Listed at: $949,000
Purchase price: $900,000
Lake frontage: 300 feet
Bedrooms: None
Bathrooms: None
Features: Renovation-ready
Here’s the view from the lake:
And the view of the lake:
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Article source: http://torontolife.com/real-estate/family-five-took-cottage-reno-project-gravenhurst/
Anthony Munk, senior managing director at investment giant Onex (and the son of Barrick Gold founder Peter Munk), appears to have had a change of heart about his palatial Rosedale pad.
After buying his modern home at 361 Inglewood Drive for $4.25 million in 2007 and fixing it up with a partial third-storey addition, Munk purchased the property next door, at 359 Inglewood—an older house, with a brick exterior. Munk evidently had no intention of living in it. Before closing on the home, he applied to the city for a permit to demolish it. In a letter to the city’s building department, Munk’s architect explained that Munk intended to use the spare land to build a two-storey extension on the west side of the house at 361 Inglewood, “in order to address the needs of his family.” The new wing would have given Munk an additional 3,300 square feet of floor area.
But the city never issued a demolition permit, and Munk’s application was cancelled in 2014. He sold the house at 359 Inglewood for $2.845 million in 2016. Now, 361 Inglewood is up for sale, too, with an asking price of $8.38 million.
Even without a west wing, 361 Inglewood is impressive. It sits on a ravine lot, and the living room has floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the lush tree canopy. The master bathroom has the same view, and the treetops serve as a natural privacy screen.
The house has four bedrooms, plus a chic office space on the third floor with a wood-burning fireplace and access to a rooftop deck. There’s a spa with a hot tub and sauna, and an in-ground pool in the backyard.
Munk’s real estate agent, Corinne Kalles, couldn’t be reached for comment.
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Article source: http://torontolife.com/real-estate/houses/anthony-munk-selling-modern-rosedale-mansion/
Address: 1587 Dupont Street
Neighbourhood: Junction Triangle
Agent: Matt Manuel and Paul Johnston, Right at Home Realty Inc., Brokerage
Price: $2,395,000
Previously sold for: $425,000, in 2009, prior to a major renovation
A newly built home in the Junction Triangle, close to the Union Pearson Express and the West Toronto Railpath.
Once a storefront with a residence on top, the home was converted to a single-family dwelling by Soma Studio in 2010.
Here’s the entrance:
The dining area and kitchen:
A view into the living room and atrium:
The library:
There are two bedrooms on the second floor. This is the master:
The master ensuite. Don’t ask us what’s up with the bird (keep looking if you haven’t spotted it). We have no idea:
A rear view of the atrium:
The courtyard’s tall fences and newly planted trees create privacy while allowing light to stream into the two-storey living room and atrium:
Also, out back, a studio space atop the two-car garage has a bathroom and a roughed in kitchenette. It could be used as a gym space, home office, or in-law suite.
The home is a semi, which might be a deal breaker for anyone who expects a detached home in exchange for their $2.4-million outlay. But the property is, at least, on a 24.42-foot-wide lot, making this one of the wider semis in the west end.
• $2,395,000
• $6,130.16 in taxes (2017)
• 3,200 square feet
• 4 bathrooms
• 3 bedrooms
• 3 parking spots
• 1 fireplace
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Article source: http://torontolife.com/real-estate/houses/toronto-house-for-sale-1587-dupont-street/
“An estimated 2% to 3% of the general population suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that seems to be related to the amount of sunlight that you are exposed to. An extreme form of the “winter blues,” SAD is worst for most people in the fall and winter.” – Body and Health Canada
1. Host a backyard bonfire
Just because summer is over doesn’t mean that bonfire season is done! Put on your big sweaters, bring out the blankets and have a cozy fall bonfire. Hot apple cider anyone?
2. Have a movie night
Let’s be real, this is the time to cruise through all the must-see movies and catch up on the summer blockbusters. Plus, it’s November so we wouldn’t judge you if threw in the occasional holiday movie in there.
3. Learn a new skill
Have you always wanted to play guitar but could never find the time? Schedule a few nights a week to practice—even if it’s just for an hour. By next summer, your skills will be much better and you’ll be campfire sing-along ready.
4. Go hiking
With the cooler weather, you can hit the trails that were too hard to hike on those hot summer days. Look at the hikes in your area and get out there before the snow comes!
5. Make your own candles
Warm your house and feel like a craft pro by making homemade candles. These also double as great holiday gifts because although it might seem crazy, winter holidays are just around the corner.
Greenwood, BC (October 10, 2018) – CENTURY 21Premier Properties Ltd. has another location in the Okanagan. Their second office is in Greenwood, British Columbia follows an office in Osoyoos earlier this year. Owners, Ken Davreux, Wendy Brisebois and Payam Sanai have already recruited a new team of agents.
Davreux and his team have more than 20 years experience in the real estate industry. “We have been able to grow quickly thanks to our phenomenal staff and the support that CENTURY 21 provides. The company constantly implements new tools and training resources for sales representatives and brokers that make our jobs easier,” he says.
This CENTURY 21 office was previously a RE/MAX location and was acquired earlier this year by the Premier Properties team. As fall begins, the company has already surpassed their goal for 2018. They had initially targeted to have five more sales representatives working out of one office. Since January 1st, they have added five new sales reps but also a brand-new office which also has several agents. Their new goal for the end of the year is that they will have 12 realtors and possibly open another branch office in Grand Forks.
In addition to an established name in the Osoyoos, this management team is committed to their community and they are deeply involved with many local charities. This summer they held a Blues concert to raise funds for Easter Seals and hope to make it an annual event.
“We are very proud to see Premier Properties Ltd. expanding so quickly,” says Brian Rushton, Executive Vice President of CENTURY 21 Canada. “They are a force to be reckoned with and are passionate about their agents. This energy and enthusiasm is infectious, and we can’t wait to watch them continue to grow!”
Drop by the new CENTURY 21 Premier Properties Ltd. office at 101 S. Government Avenue in Greenwood or here to discover the CENTURY 21 difference.
# # #
Media contact
Leigh Kjekstad
Director of Brand Engagement
CENTURY 21 Canada
Leigh.kjekstad@century21.ca
604-606-2139
About CENTURY 21 Canada™
Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership (century21.ca) is a real estate master franchisor with complete rights to the CENTURY 21® brand in Canada.
The CENTURY 21 System is one of the world’s largest residential real estate brokerage franchisors, CENTURY 21 has approximately 8,300 franchise offices and more than 119,000 independent sales associates located in 80 countries and territories.
Independently Owned and Operated. ®/™ trademarks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC used under license or authorized sub-license. ©2018 Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership.
The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS® and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license.
Somehow, day in and day out we feel like we are racing against the clock to get everything accomplished. We get home feeling tired and ready to just collapse in front of Netflix and then do it all over again the next day. Finding the perfect work/life balance is doable but it takes a small amount of planning, organizing and prioritizing ahead of time. The reward of extra hours at home to hang out with friends and family will make the effort worth it! Here are some time management tricks to get the clock working for you!
Track time wasters/ distractions
Phones: Phones are one of the biggest time wasters and distractors. Time spent scrolling on Instagram and Facebook can quickly turn from minutes to hours in a day if you aren’t careful. Although it might sound counterintuitive, you can use your phone to help decrease phone usage. There are apps such as “Break Free” which will track how much you are on your phone and will lock your phone for you when you are trying to be productive.
TV: We are all guilty of falling into the habit of crashing in front of the tv as soon as we get home. Instead, decide a certain amount of television to watch per day and stick to it. This will help you from falling into the “I’ll just watch one more episode” trap and end up watching an entire season of The Office (let’s be real, we are all guilty of this).
Sharpen your focus: Close other tabs and browsers on your computer and put your phone on silent so that you won’t be distracted and can focus on the task at hand.
Be productive during travel time: If you take transit, see what work you can do– answer emails, listen to voicemails or just schedule your week. If you need more privacy for those tasks, commit to a brief meditation practice or make sure you’re carrying a book with you for even five minutes of downtime.
Delegate: Delegate other tasks around the house either with your partner or your kids. Even a five-minute task like unloading the dishwasher can save you much more over the course of a week.
Identify top priorities
Work smart, not hard: Look at where you are investing your energy and make sure you are not wasting time on things that don’t deliver results.
Lists: Making a to-do list will be your best friend when it comes to prioritizing your time. Seeing your to-do’s makes them more real– plus it is so satisfying crossing them off!
Schedule: Manage your time first by the week then by the day. Look at your most pressing deadlines and then schedule your time accordingly. Follow the adage of “eat a frog for breakfast” — do the most important/ hardest tasks early in the day to get them completed.
Measure and Calculate:
No one has the same schedule or the same habits, so find out what works best for you. If you are a morning person try waking up 15 minutes earlier and use this time to get two tasks done. Calculate how much time you have saved each week and decide where you can make cutbacks the next week.
Reward yourself for all your scheduling and list making by planning fun events in the evening: plan a board games night or host a dinner party. Plus having these events will help you prioritize your schedule to ensure that you have the free time to do the things you want to be doing!
Having pets can make a house become a home, but they can also turn a home into a zoo if they start to rule the roost. After time, the damage pets cause can reduce the value of your home. There are many ways to “pet proof” your home to create a space where you and your pets can live cohesively. Here are some of the biggest issues (and how to solve them) that homeowners run into when having pets.
1. Shedding
Whether you have a cat or a dog, shedding will likely be the bane of your existence. It can sometimes feel like you will forever be following your pet around with a vacuum cleaner. There are some preventative measures you can take when it comes to your pet’s shedding. Natural pet shampoos help to release your pet’s undercoat which is where most of the shedding comes from. Brushing your pet helps shedding as the fur is collected on the brush instead of all over your floors!
2. Chewing
The best way to protect your home and your pet is to baby proof your home. Here are the biggest problems and solutions for chewing:
– Chewing on electrical cords- This can be dangerous for animals (especially cats) so it’s a good idea to have a containment system for all your electrical cords.
– Getting into cupboards- Put safety locks on your kitchen and bathroom cabinets so cheeky little pets can’t get their paws in there.
– Destroying property (shoes, furniture, etc.)- The “KONG” toy is the most durable toy on the market– your sneakers will thank you!
3. Scratching
Nothing worse than having your beautiful hardwood floors scratched to shreds by not so angelic fur babies. Try to keep claws as short as possible to avoid deep scratches. But, if your pet bolts across your hardwood at the first sight of a squirrel and leaves pesky scratches behind, try this:
1. Vacuum the floor to remove all dirt and debris.
2. Then spray the area with a cleaner and use a microfiber cleaning pad to scrub the scratches.
3. Apply an oil refresher (depending on the type of floor that you have). If the scratches are still visible, sand the area with very fine sandpaper and then apply oil.
1. Use paint to make a big splash
Paint can be used in many ways and can drastically change the design of a room depending on how it is used. Instead of repainting an entire room think of using paint to create an accent wall. This will cut down on the cost of buying paint and primer to cover all four walls. Choose the smallest wall in the room and use that wall as your focal point.
Thinking of wallpapering? Consider making your own wallpaper using a stencil and paint. This method is much cheaper and you get more creative freedom than you do with using wallpaper.
2. Re-purpose
Little did you know; your house is full of hidden treasures that just need a little bit of TLC. Before you replace your old couch or dining room chairs, give them a good look over and see if you can freshen them up. To bring a couch back to life consider upholstering it to give it a fresher look.
For dining room furniture that needs a facelift a good paint job should do the trick. Whether it is wood, plastic or metal, paint will give a second life to anything that needs a lift!
3.Recycle/ Up-cycling
Why buy new when there are second-hand stores that are full of great finds in need of a new home. Buying second-hand furniture is more environmentally friendly and cheaper!
For furniture that no longer fits the style of your house there are countless ways you can repurpose it to get the style you desire. Some simple ways are to distress furniture to make it look vintage. Another good method is to repurpose furniture. For example, old, wooden ladders work perfectly as a hanging unit for blankets/ scarves.
The days of having to run to the grocery mid-cake mixing to pick up an ingredient you inevitably forgot are now behind you! We’ve got the tricks of the trade to make sure your cakes are fluffy, your cookies are chewy and you never have to panic about a missing ingredient ever again!
1.Make your own powdered sugar
Powdered sugar is one of those ingredients that we always seem to need but never have in the house. To make your own, add a cup of white sugar plus 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to your blender and pulse a few times until the sugar has same consistency as powdered sugar. Look at you go, you baking genius!
2. Soften up your sugar
One of our baking pet peeves is when you go to use the brown sugar and it is rock solid. Thankfully, we have a hack for that! Put the brown sugar in a baking dish and cover it with a wet paper towel and microwave it for 20 seconds. Keep your brown sugar soft from now on by storing it with a slice of bread. It sounds weird, but it works!
3. Turn milk into buttermilk
Ok, we admit it’s not as cool as turning water into wine but it sure is useful! For every 1 cup of milk, stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. Leave for 5 minutes, and you’ll have buttermilk!
4. Zest for zest!
Get the most out of your lemons by microwaving them for 5-10 seconds before zesting them. This will help release more juice and will make your lemon treats that much more delicious!
5. Ripen Bananas
If you are waiting for your bananas to hit the perfect ripeness for baking, but they’re still a bit too yellow, you’ll need to speed up the process. Simply place your bananas in the oven at 300° until they are dark brown (time will vary depending on how ripe they are).
The dark, dingy laundry room days are over! If you’re like us then your laundry room has likely been neglected and has become one of your least favourite rooms in the house. Time to revamp your laundry room so you might even be excited to do your laundry- ok we know that’s a bit of a stretch, but bear with us!
Lighting: That old fluorescent lighting must be the first thing to go. Find something bright and cheery that makes you want to enter your laundry room! Often laundry rooms have lower ceilings and are a smaller space so you will need adequate lighting to brighten the room.
Change Container: Keep a change container beside the laundry machine to catch any loose change, jewelry, or anything that might get lost in the wash.
Jazz up your hamper: This is a very inexpensive upgrade. Simply replacing your old plastic bin with a stylish hamper will make you happier while doing your laundry.
Change up your detergent: Treat yourself to some nice smelling detergent because life is short so try to enjoy every single minute (we are suckers for lavender detergent)!
Make a washing line outside: Save the world and your wallet by drying your clothes outside on a clothesline. You may be surprised at how good they smell!
Make it loud: Bring a speaker into your laundry room and play music/ listen to the radio as you fold and sort laundry! The time will fly by in no time!
Accent walls are a beautiful way to add interest in a space. An accent wall does not necessarily have to be a big, bold, blue, dark red or green wall. There are many ways to create an accent wall without making a space look small or dark.
Three ways to make an accent wall:
Simple changes at home can make a big impact on not only the environment but also your wallet. For this week, we are focusing on ways you can conserve energy at home. Here are three simple ways to save energy with barely having to lift a finger.
1. Switch Off: Before you leave your house in the morning switch off your appliances, lights and power bars. Although you may not be using them, power bars use a lot of energy just being plugged in.
2. Use energy efficient light bulbs, this is a sample fix and will save you every month on your utilities bill
3. Wash your laundry in cold water, this is better for your clothes plus uses less energy
Hold on to your dryer sheets even after they’ve been used, they can work magic around your house!
Here are some great uses:
