House for sale in Brampton - $270K

Detached house for sale (bungalow) in Brampton.

Location
Address: 69 Crawford Dr, Brampton, Ontario
Main intersection - Queen St. East / Hwy 410, Brampton, ON.
MLS area - W23.


Price
$269,969.
House for sale for this price at least has to bring our attention.
It is hard to find anything where it's possible to live that costs less than $300,000 in Toronto and suburbs.

Footage
Approx. 1200 sq.feet (120 sq.metres), plus finished basement.


House Age
34 years.
The roof has been replaced in 2006.
Full basement renovation in 2008, everything is new and shining.

Property Type
Detached one-storey house.
One car garage.


Lot size
60 x 100 feet (18 х 30 metres).
Wide enough.


Kitchen and Appliances
Some appliances are almost new,
some may require replacement.
There is a central air conditioned in the house.


Main Rooms
Because of bungalow all the rooms as you understand are located on the same floor. We'll talk about basement a bit later.

So we have two bedrooms, kitchen and one spacious living room - here we are, and that's pretty much it. I wouldn't say it is much room at the house.


Bedrooms
Two bedrooms on the first (main) floor,

Two more bedrooms are in basement.


Basement
Basement is dry and almost light,
it's definitely something the owner may be proud of.

Completely renovated at 2008.

Painting looks like "yesterday-was-wet",
all woods are fresh, nothing tells about the house age.
Brand new basement is always nice you know...

The house is slightly elevated (actually it is called Raised Bungalow), so the basement includes light windows, and there is an optimistic impression of airy rooms.


Driveway and Garage
Four cars driveway.
There is also one car garage however it looks very antique, the garage door is close to be disintegrated if you decide to open/close it every day. No surprise the garage is not daily used - it works as a garden shed where are lawn-mower, old children toys, garden/home tools and other kind of rusty metal junk conveniently stored.


Backyard
The backyard of course cannot be compared to those included into brand new houses builders offer thee days. This backyard is large, faces to some neighbors however the neighbors are somewhere reasonably far.

Very cool as a children or pet playground.


Area
Brampton is a bit unusual city in Greater Toronto Area.
It is different because it is visually one of the most one-nationality dominated areas in GTA.
Brampton is actually a center of Indian community.

But these blocks look multicultural - you can see different countries-born Canadians here, and I like it.


Schools
There are few schools in walking distance (10-15 minutes).

Parks
As selling agent affirms Brampton is one of the greenest-n-parkest cities in Canada.
So the number of parks squares is the highest as per sq.km.


Shopping
Walking to Queen St East (5 minutes) you'll find a big plaza with a number of different shops.

Public Transit
Highway 410 is within 3 minutes of driving.
Local Brampton buses are on Queen St. East (few hundred metres).

Property Tax
$3000 for 2008.


Pros
Light and just renovated basement.
Very cozy family neighborhood.


Cons
The house is not so spacious.
The garage actually cannot be used.
You are ok to commute if you work in Brampton / Mississauga / Etobicoke / Concord. Could be problems with commuting to let's say Markham or Scarborough.


Resume
If you are not scared by "Brampton" word then it makes sense to take a look at this property. On my opinion this is one of the nicest places in Brampton. And of course a house for $270K attracts attention of potential buyers.
My personal opinion - 7 out of 10.

Dimensions
Living room: 3.98 m x 4.38 m
Kitchen: 3.25 m x 5.87 m
Master bedroom: 3.67 m x 3.11 m
Bedroom 2: 3.26 m x 3.16 m
Bedroom 3: 3.28 m x 3.45 m
Bedroom 4: 2.95 m x 3.27 m
Recreational, Games room: 5.14 m x 6.40 m

Detached house in Newmarket for sale ($353K)

Detached two storey house for sale in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.

Location
Address: 132 Lowe Blvd, Newmarket, Ontario
The major intersection - Davis Dr / Leslie St, Newmarket, ON.
MLS area - N07.


Price
$353,000.

Footage
Approximately 2200 sq.feet (220 sq.metres), plus finished basement.

The House Age
Near 15-20 years I guess.

Property Type
Detached 2 storey house in residential area.
2 cars Garage.
Central vacuum and central air conditioner, so everything is ready for a comfortable living.


Lot Size
50 x 100 feet (15 х 30 metres).
Slightly bigger than average (I would even say wider than average)

Kitchen and Appliances
The kitchen is spacious,
walls here are covered by brick fake but the colors are a bit heavy as for me...


But anyway the kitchen looks better than an average one.
There is a central air conditioner in the house.

Main Rooms
The rooms are big enough,
not sure if they are light and sunny enough but my claustrophobia was sleeping there.
Besides the kitchen there was a big dining/living room.

You can find another room (with a TV set and gas fireplace) at the opposite side of the house.

I must say 2200 sq.feet house is much better than let's say 1500.


Bedrooms
There are 4 bedrooms on the second floor.

Non-for-Lilliputians.
That's enough even for children,
much more space and comfort comparing to some average house.

Basement
The basement is walkout and partially finished.

A dog lives here (a huge cage is located in the basement), that might be not a problem but wooden stairs are a bit gnawed away.


Driveway and Garage
Standard 4 car driveway ends with a standard 2 car garage.

Backyard
Backyard has disappointed a bit.
Not so big as expected taking a look at the house.

Don't be fooled by the picture taken probably by a professional using a fisheye lenses :)

Area
Comparing to Toronto we can talk about Newmarket as a balance between being close enough to all amenities (including jobs) and being far enough from noise and dirt of a big city. Most of the people living here are born in Canada and civilization (I mean immigrants from around the world :) ) is not here yet.
This particular house is situated in "old Newmarket" area.
10 minutes of walking to one of the biggest hospitals in York region (Southlake Health Centre), 20-30 minutes of walking (5 minutes drive) to historic center of Newmarket (Main Street).

Schools
Very near by (few minutes of walking).

Parks
Charles Van Vant Park within few minutes of walking.
The neighborhood is very quiet and family-oriented.

Shopping
Busy plaza with supermarkets, restaurants and small shops is located on Davis Dr / Leslie St (5 minutes of driving, or 10-15 minutes walking).
Yonge St is withing 2-3 kilometers, and everything is there - Canadian Tire, Wal*mart, Costco, Brick and big Upper Canada Mall.

Public Transit
YRT (York Region Transit) buses - on Davis Dr (5 minutes of walking).
Newmarket GO Train station - in approximately one kilometer, it may take up to an hour to be on Toronto downtown, however there are 5 trains southbound (to Toronto) every morning (weekday), and all of them return back on evening, no trains on weekend.

Property Tax
Near $3500 per year.


Pros
Quiet area,
relatively big house (definitely bigger than average),
the house in good condition.


Cons
A bit far from Toronto (if you are going to commute every day).

Resume
If you are tired about multiculturalism then consider small remote towns like Oakville, Oshawa, Newmarket where the situation is still close to that being here before mass immigration of the last decades. GO train however can bring you back to life.
Real estate prices are noticeably lower than in Toronto, or you can afford definitely bigger/newer/better house for the same price.
So you can consider that if you are not scared by distance from Toronto.
My personal opinion - 7 out of 10.


Technical Details / Dimensions
Kitchen: 4.20 m x 3.70 m
Living/Dining room: 7.80 m x 3.50 m
Family room: 5.80 m x 3.50 m
Master bedroom: 5.80 m x 3.60 m
Bedroom 2: 3.90 m x 3.20 m
Bedroom 3: 4.10 m x 3.20 m
Bedroom 4: 4.30 m x 3 m

Detached house for sale in Mount Albert ($400K)

Detached two-storey house for sale in Mt.Albert, Ontario.

Location
Address: 5832 Davis Dr, Mt.Albert, Ontario
Major intersection: Davis Dr / 9th Line, Mt.Albert, ON.
MLS area - N15.


Price
$399,900.

House Footage
Approx. 1000 sq.feet (100 sq.metres), the information is really approximate.

House Age
Don't be negative, don't tell me about this.
Persons with mental and psychical disorder, please don't read this.
Ready?
The house was built in 1870.
140 years old.


Property Type
"2-storey" house but really the second floor contains just a master bedroom and some strange lumber-room where you can hide something you prefer nobody would see.
Please be serious and don't ask me about CAC (central air conditioned), vacuum and other products of civilization.
There is a ceptic here.
Water comes from a personal well. The pump is in the basement.
I'm very impressed by the house, it looks like Black Creek Pioneer Village - I'm not sure how to live there but as an exhibition place it's very nice.


Lot Size
60 х 52 metres.

Kitchen and Appliances
There were something on the kitchen.

For sure it was something newer than a house but not so much.


Main Rooms
Kitchen and few other rooms are in grandma style.
The common impression is "this is our cottage for a while and when we are finally going home?"


Bedrooms
There are two bedrooms on the first floor and one more (which is actually master bedroom) on the second floor.
So you'll be able to spend a night somehow.


Basement
Basement looks like a screenshot taken from Doom2 computer game.
Mould dangling on the walls, smell of decay, rotten wood frame... wow...
Almost new water pipes look alien at this underground.

Driveway and Backyard
The yard (I cannot see a difference between a backyard and driveway - it's the same yard with the house in a corner) - so the yard is big enough.
There were a pool and a hot-tub with a heating... almost new...

Besides the house, the property includes three big sheds/barns where you can store some hardware, tractors, heavy tanks and elements of small aviation (just kidding... not enough room for an airplane).
The yard 60х60 metres is not a children playground.


Area
Country side.
The neighbors are those who live on country side as well.
The next house to West is a good farm where you can pick up your own strawberry.

Schools
The nearest school in Mount Albert, it's near 5 kilometres away.
School bus helps you to reach your goals.

Parks
We cannot talk about parks on the country side.
The closest neighbor is in a half a kilometer away.


Shopping
10-15 minutes of driving to Newmarket where you can find everything you may need - grocery stores, hospital, movie theatres, etc.

Public Transit
Not at all.
Transportation is yours.


Property Tax
~$2400.00 in 2007.
I guess government has to pay for this house instead.
I suppose the house can be included into the list of ancient objects by UNESCO.

Pros
The neighbors are far away.
The large yard can be nice for those who need to store/fix/maintain something (landscape contractors, cars/bikes parts, some agricultural hardware).


Cons
The house is relatively small.
The house is relatively old. "Old" is not correct word. The house is ancient and shabby. However you can consider demolition and raising a brand new building on the lot.

Life on Davis Drive is a life on highway. It's noisy, the cars are passin by every 15 seconds. Speed limit is 80 km/h here that means everyone drives 100-120 km/h that means you cannot leave your children alone for even a second.
A cemetery across the road.

Resume
If you are in construction/landscaping business you can consider this property.

The rest can see despondency in each detail.
The price (400K) on my opinion must be reduced twice because of the house is not supposed to shelter anyone. I would consider it as a cottage to spend a few nights at as a fun.
My personal opinion - 2 out of 10.

Dimensions
Family room: 4.90 m x 4.60 m
Living room: 5.20 m x 4 m
Kitchen: 4.20 m x 2.20 m
Dining room: 4.70 m x 4.70 m
Bedroom 2: 2.80 m x 2.64 m
Bedroom 3: 2.85 m x 2.55 m
Office: 5.84 m x 2.90 m
Master bedroom: 5.20 m x 4 m

Townhouse for sale in Toronto, Beaches area ($700K)

Almost new townhouse in Toronto, Beaches area.

Location
Address: 1898 Lake Shore Blvd East, Toronto, Ontario
Major intersection: Queen St East/ Woodbine.
MLS area - E02.


Price
$698,000.
So townhouse still doesn't cost a million dollars... so world is not crashed completely yet :)

Size
Approximately 2300 sq.ft. (230 sq.m.) together with finished basement.


House Age
8-10 years.

Property Type
3-storey townhouse.
You can see Ontario Lake from a bedroom at the third floor.


Lot size
15 x 117 feet (4.5 х 35 metres).
Townhouse like a typical townhouse.
Pretty regular size - high'n'narrow.

Kitchen and appliances
The kitchen is beautiful and I have no question to it.
Fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave oven.
No air conditioned though.


Main rooms
The rooms are scattered on the floors.
The wall colors are pleasant.
The common feeling of a new house.
There is a hardwood on the first floor, carpet on the second and third ones.


Bedrooms
Master bedroom is on the second floor.
There are two smaller bedroom on the third floor.


Basement
The basement is finished and looks livable.

I'm sure it's been decorated by a professional designer so even details look stylish.


Driveway
What driveway you are talking about? The new construction doesn't care about those details.
The house front faced directly to Lakeshore so entrance to the house is from a walkway.

Backyard
The backyard is located between the house and its garage.
The garage is for two cars.

There is some landscaping on the backyard but honestly I wasn't impressed by it.

Area
The heart of the Beaches. The beach is located across the street.
I think it is the major advantage of this townhouse.

Schools
Everything is near by.
There are few children playgrounds withing 5-10 minutes of walking.

Park
The main park is located across the street.

Shopping
Everything required for a life can be found near-by.
For all the rest feel free to drive to the nearest Walmart or Loblaws.

Public Transit
No problems with public transit so you can live here even without a car.
Because after purchasing this townhouse you may have no money for a car :)


Property Tax
$4500.00 for year of 2008.

Pros
Location.

Cons
All the rest.

Resume and Conclusion
I still cannot understand who is the target audience for this property.

The most of young families cannot afford it because of its price.
It can be not so attractive for a serious businessman/executive because of neighbors behind the walls.
And lack of some matter-of-course features like an air conditioner honestly a bit depresses.
My personal mark - 3 out of 10.


Technical Details
Living room: 5.41 m x 4.19 m
Kitchen: 4.50 m x 4.19 m
Family room: 7.54 m x 3.05 m
Office: 3.98 m x 2.18 m
Laundry room: 1.85 m x 1.73 m
Master bedroom on the 2nd floor: 4.19 m x 4.01 m
Bedroom 2 on the 3rd floor: 3.71 m x 3.43 m
Bedroom 3 on the 3rd floor: 3.35 m x 3 m

Detached house for sale on Beaches/Toronto ($985K)

Detached 3-storey house in Toronto, Beaches area.

Location
Address: 97 Sarah Ashbridge Ave, Toronto, Ontario
Main intersection - Queen St East/ Woodbine.
MLS area - E02.

Price
$985,000.
Hmmm... Million dollars houses are coming and coming.
Even few years ago "a million dollars" house for sale looked as something so expensive.
But not now...
And someone buys that...


[UPDATE-Oct26]
The price has been just reduced to 919K!
So if you considered the property to buy then it is more affordable now.
Contact me today to view the property!
[/UPDATE-Oct26]

Size
Near 2600 sq/feet (260 sq.m.), or 3600 sq/feet (360 sq.m.) with finished basement.


House age
8-10 years.
As usually the age is a secret.
Like women who like to coquet.

Property type
Detached 3 storey house.
There are central vacuum and central air conditioner.
Hardwood floors are on kitchen, and broadloom at all other rooms.

Lot size
24 x 117 feet (7 х 35 metres).
The width is not so huge however it is the usual problem for Beaches area. Especially for those new blocks of buildings.
I would say that's a bit claustrophobic.

Kitchen and appliances
Everything is new and pleasant to take a look at.
No negative emotions at all.


Main rooms
Unlikely to the previous million dollar house for sale there are less rooms in this house. And even those ones are placed not so spacy.

Family room and Living room with a kitchen - here is the first floor.

Also natural gas fireplace if that's important for you.
The walls are painted a bit bright however it doesn't spoil them. Usually I am very careful about multiple colors on walls but here nothing is behind the limit of common sense.


Wires for speakers and different kinds of electronics are placed in the walls. So you can find speakers in so unpredictable corners. Gorgeous!


Bedrooms
Bedrooms are on the second and third floors.
There are three of them.

I guess the bedrooms are larger comparing to some average Canadian bedroom but it would be strange to see something very average in the million dollar house.


Basement
As you can expect basement is finished.

To live there is a bit uncomfortable I guess however as a recreational or game room, or maybe home theater room it is good enough.


Driveway
No driveway here.
The road, and just walkway to the house.

2 cars garage is on a backyard.

Backyard
The backyard is surprisingly nice.

Left and right sides are bordered by a fence, the far side of the backyard is backed by a 2-car garage.

It may look a bit inconvenient because of all your shopping must be taken and carried from the garage to house walking through the backyard. And even without shopping - you are coming/driving home and feel free to walk to the house through rain/snow/dirt/watching of your neighbors. No privacy at all. House for million dollar shouldn't have such features...

Area
The area is Beaches.
3-5 minutes walking to the beach on Ontario Lake.
Everything is near-by.
The area is nice but maybe a bit noisy.
You may experience some discomfort living there with children.

Schools
No problems with schools.
Kew Beach Day Care Co-Operative Pre School‎ and The Beach School are within 5-10 minutes of walking.

Parks
There are many parks within walking distance.
Also lake shore beaches are right here - the paradise for dog owners.

Shopping
A required minimum you'll find here,
for serious shopping feel free to drive to less crowded areas.

Transportation
TTC (Toronto public transit, buses and streetcars) are everywhere, you don't need to walk for more than 5 minutes and wait for more than 10 minutes. So the area allows you to live without your own car. However I may suppose the people who buy million dollar houses don't use streetcars. But who knows?

Property tax
$6250.00 for year of 2008.

Pros
The area is nice.
Everything is right here - restaurants, shopping, public transit, schools, exhibitions.


Cons
The price.
The area is new so looks a bit empty (no trees).
Frankly speaking the house is not so spacious.

Resume
I guess it's not the best one million investment.
However the Beaches fans I bet will like the house.
My personal opinion - 5 out of 10.
But honestly I never had a million dollars :) so maybe your opinion will be different? Anyway it is worth to take a look at...


Technical details
Living & dining room: 6.15 m x 4.78 m
Kitchen: 4.67 m x 4.27 m
Family room: 5.97 m x 3.84 m
Master bedroom on the 3-rd floor: 5.84 m х 4.32 m
Bedroom 2 (the second floor): 4.17 m x 3.73 m
Bedroom 3 (the second floor): 3.76 m x 3.71 m
Game room in basement: 6.81 m x 5.54 m
Bedroom 4 in basement: 5.54 m x 4.11 m

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My name is Alex Blinoff.

Here you can see my reviews of some houses/condominiums listed for sale in Toronto and suburbs. Also you can find my personal opinions about some areas of Toronto region.



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