Building Applications:
The City of Toronto’s building application centre is a great resource for real estate enthusiasts. It offers a wealth of information for those involved in community planning, adjustments, and appeals in Toronto. The centre is more than a data repository; it provides insights into Toronto’s future urban development.
For buyers curious about local developments, the website link is invaluable. It allows users to explore current and upcoming projects by application number or address, offering a broad view of the city’s developmental changes.
The City of Toronto offers detailed information on urban development, including community meeting details, architectural plans, and artistic renderings. It’s a critical tool for understanding the city’s architectural and social dynamics and for those wanting to engage with their community’s future.
Homebuyers find this resource crucial, as it helps anticipate changes that may impact their investment, good or bad! It provides foresight into the potential future of neighbourhoods, aiding in making informed decisions. It helps buyers balance various factors to align their decisions with long-term living goals.
RESOURCES:
The City of Toronto Building Application Centre:
Building Permit Status:
An often overlooked yet critical detail is the status of building permits. More common than expected, open building permits can be missed in regular real estate due diligence due to a lack of awareness or the complex nature of transactions.
Open permits arise when homeowners either fail to get a final inspection after renovations or obtain a permit but never complete the work. Uncovering such permits is crucial for buyers and can be done through the City of Toronto’s resources, which provide detailed permit information.
Before property acquisition, addressing open permits is essential, yet agents, buyers, and lawyers frequently overlook it. For example, a homeowner might obtain permits for an extension but abandon the project due to costs, leaving the permit open. This issue, discovered only during the sale, can delay closings. Most open permits are resolved through inspection and paperwork, but deviations from original plans can complicate matters.
While legal professionals sometimes miss this aspect, buyers and their agents can proactively check through additional resources. This extra due diligence offers peace of mind, ensuring properties are free from unresolved permit issues. Clear records of all permit-related activities are vital in a market where properties frequently change hands. Real estate professionals must educate clients about open permits and guide them in resolving these issues, ensuring legally compliant and secure transactions from start to finish!
RESOURCES:
Building Permit Status – Last 5 Years
Older Building Permit Status – Open Data Portal
Legal Front Yard Parking:
A legal front yard parking spot in Toronto’s real estate market can significantly impact a property’s value, especially where street parking is scarce. Prospective homeowners must understand the legalities and implications of front yard parking. To determine if a parking spot is legal, homeowners can consult an online directory listing addresses with legal parking. Another indicator of legal parking is a bronze or black & white plaque on the property with a license number. These plaques, varying in appearance, signify a sanctioned parking space.
However, a legal parking license doesn’t automatically transfer with the property sale. New owners must apply to transfer the license, an often-overlooked step that can affect property value if ignored. The City of Toronto offers resources for parking-related inquiries, often responding promptly to emails and phone calls. This responsiveness helps buyers and their agents clarify parking availability and legality.
The city’s approach to reducing parking spots in residential areas impacts the feasibility of adding new parking pads post-purchase. In Toronto’s harsh winters, the absence of a legal parking spot can be particularly challenging, making a dedicated space highly desirable.
Buyers should also be cautious with real estate listings, as agents may advertise parking inaccurately. The information in MLS listings isn’t legally binding, and discrepancies are common. Verification beyond face-value information is crucial. So buyers should thoroughly research and verify parking legality, understand city policies, and use available resources to ensure their investment includes this valuable asset.
RESOURCES
Legal Front Yard Parking
Street Parking & Mutual Drives:
Street parking, a topic often relegated to the margins of urban planning discussions, warrants a closer examination, particularly in residential areas where driveways and garages are a rarity rather than the norm. These permits, issued within designated areas and during specific hours, empower residents to park their vehicles on the street, alleviating some of the pressures of limited off-street parking options.
However, obtaining a street parking permit is challenging due to the limited number available, often leading to waiting lists. Residents must contact the city directly to check permit availability, costs, and issuance times, ensuring they’re well-informed and prepared.
Another key aspect in urban areas is the mutual drive, a shared driveway offering access to multiple properties. These driveways are common in space-constrained downtown neighbourhoods but come with challenges. Their width may not accommodate larger vehicles, and shared usage requires cooperation between neighbours to avoid conflicts.
Homeowners also face decisions about using their backyard as parking space, which, while practical, sacrifices valuable outdoor or recreational space. This choice is crucial when evaluating a property’s long-term livability, particularly in high-pressure situations like multiple offers. Overall, the issue of street parking and mutual drives highlights the complex challenges in a city that is growing year after year, balancing individual needs with communal resources and the interplay between modern infrastructure and century-old neighbourhoods.
RESOURCES
Street Parking
The New Ontario Line:
Introducing the Ontario Line is a significant development for potential property buyers, offering opportunities and challenges. Key considerations include the location of upcoming stations and the impact on property values. Properties within a 600-meter radius of a transit hub typically see a surge in market value, making them attractive long-term investments. However, proximity to the line can have drawbacks, such as disturbances from train noise and vibrations. Buyers must balance the benefits of being near a transit hub with these potential inconveniences.
The construction phase of the Ontario Line is another critical factor. Those living near the construction zones must prepare for extended periods of noise, dust, and disruption, impacting the quality of life. Buyers must weigh the short-term challenges against the long-term benefits.
Additionally, buyers should be aware of development applications in the surrounding areas, as these can range from minor upgrades to major commercial projects, each affecting the location differently.
Buyers need to conduct their own due diligence. Information about the Ontario Line and related developments considered public knowledge, is not the responsibility of the seller or selling agent to disclose. Buyers and their agents must thoroughly investigate and understand the potential impacts on their desired property. The Ontario Line is more than a new transit option; it’s a significant factor in real estate decisions, requiring buyers to consider current and future conditions.
RESOURCES
The New Ontario Line – Metrolinx
Ward Demographic & Crime Data:
A drive through Toronto’s neighbourhoods can reveal real-time insights into their evolving character, often more telling than outdated census data. Observing the cars in driveways and the permits in windows provides a glimpse into communities experiencing gentrification. For instance, modest houses with luxury cars and well-kept lawns indicate neighbourhoods on the brink of gentrification, suggesting potential growth and market outperformance.
Prospective buyers are advised to visit these areas multiple times to observe changes in character and daily life patterns. The difference in atmosphere from a quiet Sunday to a busy Thursday rush hour can be significant. Such observations help paint a complete picture of what living in these changing areas could be like.
Additionally, crime statistics from the Toronto Police Services offer an empirical perspective on a neighbourhood’s safety. This data and demographic information are crucial for deciding where to live. As Toronto grows, concerns about safety, public transportation, and neighbourhood surveillance have become more prominent among buyers across all city areas.
Today’s homebuyers and real estate professionals are moving beyond just data. They integrate empirical information with firsthand observations to understand a neighbourhood’s true essence, recognizing that its heart and soul extend beyond mere numbers. This comprehensive approach to neighbourhood analysis reflects a broader trend in urban living, emphasizing the importance of a well-rounded understanding of community dynamics.
RESOURCES
Ward Demographic Profiles
Neighbourhood Crime Data
Importance of Surveys:
Surveys are a critical yet often overlooked tool in real estate transactions, serving as the definitive guide to a property’s boundaries, essential for buyers and sellers. When sellers lack a current or legible survey, resources like “Protect your Boundaries” offer access to existing surveys, preventing potential disputes over elements like fence lines or property demarcations.
Surveys are crucial for assessing and maintaining property value. Websites like “Protect your Boundaries,” or Geo Warehouse provide alternatives for obtaining this vital information in cases where a survey is missing. For more intricate issues like boundary disputes or building permits, commissioning a new survey from a licensed land surveyor is necessary.
The presence of a survey in the purchase and sales agreement is also significant. While many dimensions and boundary lines are often clear and surveys can be optional, they reveal important details like easements and third-party involvements. For instance, a survey might uncover utility easements or restrictions on property modifications, significantly impacting a buyer’s decision. Surveys are not permanent and typically have a validity of six months to a year. Over time, their accuracy may decrease, necessitating a new survey for current information.
In real estate disputes, minor details like a slightly misplaced fence can escalate into major conflicts, highlighting the importance of having an accurate survey. Additionally, for properties adjacent to natural features like ravines or rivers, surveys are crucial to understanding exact boundaries due to strict regulations by conservation authorities.
Surveys are a vital part of the real estate process, providing crucial information that helps prevent disputes and ensures compliance with regulations. They are key to making informed decisions and protecting investments in Toronto’s marketplace.
RESOURCES:
Check My Boundaries
Termite Inspections:
Termites pose a significant risk in Toronto and Greater Toronto, especially in eastern neighbourhoods like Leslieville and the Beaches. Despite their importance, termite inspections are often not included in standard pre-list home inspections, leaving potential buyers at risk.
In termite-prone areas, additional diligence is necessary. While companies like Aetna offer termite inspections, they provide general area information to potential homebuyers. Buyers suspecting termite activity should request a termite inspection either before making an offer or include it as a condition!
Often undetectable through barriers like drywall, termites tend to cause internal structural damage. Professional inspections are crucial for uncovering hidden termite activity, assessing damage, and evaluating the likelihood of infestation based on the area’s termite history.
The risk of termites varies by neighbourhood. More thorough inspections are advisable in known hotspots, whereas the level of concern may be lower in areas with less history of termite activity.
Prospective homeowners should know the risks, understand when expert inspections are necessary, and incorporate this step to avoid future stress and financial burdens.
RESOURCES:
Termite Inspection
Simply “Googling”:
The rise of technology, particularly search engines like Google, has transformed the property buying process. Buyers no longer rely solely on seller disclosures but use online resources to research a property’s history. ‘Googling’ an address is now a critical step, offering access to news articles, historical records, and even tools like Google Street View for virtual neighbourhood exploration.
Specialized websites like housecreep.com reveal properties’ darker histories, such as notorious pasts or rumoured hauntings. While the accuracy of such sites varies, they provide a basis for deeper investigation into a property’s background.
However, buyers should note that sellers aren’t legally obligated to disclose certain events like deaths or crimes that occurred on the property. This lack of mandatory disclosure means buyers must proactively inquire about a property’s history and ask specific questions to understand its past fully. Engaging directly with sellers or their agents for additional information and warranties is crucial. Real estate agents emphasize the importance of transparency, especially when dealing with properties with tragic histories, to build trust and manage the emotional aspects of the transaction.
RESOURCES:
House Creep
Conclusion:
Navigating the complexities of Toronto’s real estate market requires a blend of astute research, awareness of potential developmental changes and an understanding of the subtle factors that influence property value and livability. From the critical role of school districts and building permits to the impact of urban infrastructure projects like the Ontario Line, this article has provided an insightful exploration of the myriad factors that should shape real estate decisions. It’s our hope that this guide emphasizes the need for potential buyers and investors to look beyond surface-level information and engage in comprehensive due diligence. By understanding the importance of surveys, the implications of legal yard parking, and the risks like termite infestations, individuals can make well-informed decisions, ensuring their investments are sound today and continue to be valuable long-term!
Contact Fox Marin, Toronto’s downtown luxury real estate brokerage, today to learn more about the advantages of hiring a quality team!
Contact Us (We’re Nice).
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Kori Marin is a Toronto Broker & Managing Partner at Fox Marin Associates. For high-energy real estate aficionado Kori Marin, a well-lived life is achieved by maintaining an “all-in” attitude that realizes every last ounce of one’s full potential. This mindset has driven successful results in every aspect of her life – from her corporate sales and account management experience to her international travels to her years of fitness training and leadership – and is the hallmark of the exceptional work that she does on behalf of her clients in the residential real estate sector in downtown Toronto.
