Sick Kids Tower - Construction Update

Hospital For Sick Children Reserach Institue

Hospital For Sick Children. Research Institute (Bay Street)

Here is the awesome Sick Kids Tower and its curvy glass atrium. I took this photograph over the weekend. Kind of hard for me to figure out why quasi-government agencies are able to put together really decent buildings while those built by 100% free enterprise companies are often lack luster.

Toronto is Becoming a Compact and Sustainable City


Because of the Condo Boom, Toronto has become a more compact and intesively developed compact City. We have done this by the increased development of both condo and office space near subway lines, as has happened in North York Centre, Yonge and Eglinton, the Downtown Core and to a lesser extent, Consumers Road on the Sheppard Line and Scarborough, with Scarborough Town Centre. 

10 Tallest Buildings Under Construction in Toronto


Number 1 - A-u-ra Condo 273 Meters (Construction Updates)

Number 2 - One B-lo-or East 260 Meters (Construction Updates)

Number 3 - I-C-E Condo - Tower 2 Construction - 234 meters - 202 meters

Number 4 - L T-ow-er Construction Updates - 205 meters

Number 5 - I-C-E C-on-do - Tower 1 - Construction Update - 202 meters

Number 7 - Hu-llmark Co-rpo-rate Centre Construction Updates - 168 meters

Number 8 - Kar-ma Cond-os - (Shoring and Site Prep) - 165 meters

Number 9 - Wes-tlake Village Condos ( Under Construction) - 163

Number 10 - FI-VE C-ondos ( Construction Updates) - 161 meters

Getting a Mortgage and Mortgage Insurance through Empire Life for financing a loan to purchase at FIVE Condos is actually a relatively easy process, and new rules from the federal government has required that company include new regulations, which have made the home loan and mortgage process a bit more difficult. Those changes at Empire Life include shortening the amortization period for which the loan can be held by the consumer, and the degree to which the property is financed by the mortgage. They have also increased deposit requirements to lift the loan insurance amount. Mortgage insurance from Empire Life is actually one of the major financing costs on home loans.

Investment Trusts have no taken to looking to purchase rental properties and acquiring mortgages through financing auctions by the banks looking to shore up their balances sheets in light of stricter government regulation. These regulations have actually made holding residential mortgages by the large financial institutions harder to hold. Currently investors are looking to increase their position in rental properties in Toronto, at the same time the federal government in co-operation with the financial institutions are making getting and qualifying for loans and mortgages more difficult

Empire Life : What is Condo Insurance?
Condo Insurance is required to protect your personal contents from theft or fire damage in your condo if these unforeseen events should happen you should make sure that you have adequate protection. Some items in your condo are will also be protected by your condo association insurance policy which covers the general building. The events that are covered by condo insurance include Fire, as well as Lighting. Other weather related causes such as Windstorms, and Hail are also covered. The major one that most people worry about is theft which is covered by condo contents insurance policies.

Toronto Condo Market Report – February 26, 2014

Toronto Condo Prices continue to trend upwards, as sales also move up with general improvement not only in the Toronto economy, but the nation as a whole. Condo sale prices have not increased to the same degree as detached family housing, due to new supply coming onstream. However fears of a condo bubble, have not proved accurate, as trends move to the upside. Average Home prices are still up in Toronto, and look like they will continue to rise for the remainder of 2014. Year over year, detached housing prices increased by over 14%. Just amazing.

What to Expect for Home and Condo Prices in 2015 in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area

The latest reports on the Toronto Real Estate market predict that the condo prices if left unsupported will fall, due to oversupply. However, this prediction has been the case for over 10 years now, and nothing has come to pass with regard to any major price drop even with predictions of a correction coming from the world’s largest and most respected financial institutions.

Toronto is on the verge of becoming a high end retailing mecca, and this will force up home prices as well as condo prices in the central core. Word that big US retailers like Saks, Nordstorms and Target are moving into the Canadian Space, and primarily within the downtown Toronto core is likely to increase the desirability of those areas with the best access to high end shopping experiences.

New Trends in Condo Buying Emerging in the Toronto Area

A few new trends to watch out for in the Toronto area when it comes to buying homes as well as buying condos. When it comes to buying homes, the latest tactic is to put a property which had previously been listed on the MLS system, on a bidding site, or list through an auction house to get buyers, sending the price of single detached homes soaring. As for condos the latest buying technique is the new trend with regards to micro housing, or micro condo living. And we’re seeing now, specifically designed condos to meet that purpose. Another new trend to look out for is the lack of supply in the purpose built rental housing market in Toronto. Even as new condos come online there remains a shortage of apartments built specific to that purpose, so condo rentals have increased even as vacancy climbs, rentals rates do as well.