Detached house in Keswick ($332K)

Detached 2 storey house in Keswick, town of Georgina.

Location
Address: 37 Joe Dales Dr, Keswick, Ontario.
Major intersection - The Queensways South / Ravenshow Ave, Keswick, Ontario.
MLS area - N17.

Price
$332,000.


Footage
Near 2350 sq.feet (235 sq.meters).


House Age
Almost new house,
approximately 5 years old.


Property Type
A detached two-storey house with a half of finished walkout basement.
Two cars garage.


Lot Size
52 x 100 feet (16 х 30 meters).


Kitchen and Appliances
Everything is new and nice.

There is a central air conditioner.


Main Rooms
Carpet is everywhere - can be good and safe for children but dusty comparing to hardwood floors.
8 feet ceiling in the house.

The owners looked a bit strange because of heavy colors of walls and chandelier in washroom.


Bedrooms
There are 4 bedrooms upstairs.


Basement
As already mentioned the basement is walkout which is nice, and that's the reason it is bright and light.
Half of the basement is finished (there is a room that can be used as an office) but the major part of the basement remains untouched.

Driveway
Four cars driveway which is pretty usual in new houses these days.

Backyard
Backyard is very average and has no special features.

Neighbors are occupied all the sides so it doesn't look private.

Kind of nestling box.


Area
The are and neighborhood are brand new and very fresh.

The houses faces new construction development lot,
the construction supposed to be finished within a year or two.
That means you have to live on construction site with all the advantages like dust, dirt and noise.
To learn more about Keswick which is a part of town of Georgina please visit the municipality website.


Schools
Lake Simcoe Public School is within 5 minutes of walking.


Park
Tornelogde Park starts right behind the school,
and I have to say that Keswick is very nice and very green place.
Nature seems everywhere,
and Simcoe Lake is withing walking distance.


Shopping
Price Chopper and Zehrs are in 10 minutes of driving.
Big stores like Walmart or Canadian Tire - in Newmarket (20 minutes of driving).

Public Transit
Go and YRT (York Region Transit) buses are here.
Also there are some local Georgina buses.
For more information please visit Georgina website.

Property Tax
Near $4000 in 2008.
Comparing to other cities it's pretty high percent of property value.
That can be explained by not that much businesses here who can pay most of the taxes required for the town, so residents pay more.


Pros
Lake Simcoe is right here.
The property is not overpriced, much lower even comparing to Newmarket.
The town is small and nice.
The house is new.
The house is spacious.
Very bright walkout basement.

Cons
Far far away of civilization.


Resume
This real estate property looks almost ok but the main problem I see that it is too usual, there is no any salt in it.
I cannot find any particular fault in it but don't know why I didn't like it.
But I liked Keswick itself.
My personal mark - 5 out of 10.


Technical Details
Living room: 3.47 m x 6.40 m
Kitchen: 3.10 m x 3.35 m
Eating area: 3.90 m x 3.35 m

Family room: 4.16 m x 4.75 m

Laundry room: 2 m x 2 m
Master bedroom: 6.25 m x 3.73 m

Bedroom 2: 2.77 m x 2.77 m

Bedroom 3: 3.15 m x 3.22 m

Bedroom 4: 5.31 m x 3.18 m
Basement room: 4.44 m x 3.30 m

Bungalow in Keswick ($325K) for sale

A detached bungalow in Keswick (town of Georgina).

Location
Adress: 435 Lake Dr. South, Keswick, Ontario.
Major intersection - Queensways South / Glenwoods Ave, Keswick, Ontario.
MLS area - N17.


Price
$324,900.

Footage
Approx. 1500 sq.feet (150 sq.m) within several levels.

House Age
Strictly protected information, hasn't been disclosed even after direct question.

Answered "too many upgrades for the last year".
By feeling, the house is very old.
I wouldn't guarantee 100 years but easy 70 or 80.
Internal decorating is almost modern (if you consider 10-20 years old as a modern).


Property Type
Detached bungalow, backsplit.
Half a level up you can see 3 bedrooms and almost luxurious bath.
Half a level down you'll find a separate apartment including a separate entrance (possible can be rented out).
No garage.


Lot Size
63 x 115 feet (19 х 34 metres).


Kitchen and Appliances
Tried to look nice but we can see their age as well.

There is a central air conditioner.

Main Rooms
One big room (logically presented as two rooms) at the main floor, near kitchen.

So the whole main floor looks like one big room.


Bedrooms

There are three bedrooms on high level, one more is on low level.


Basement
I would say not basement but low (ground) level.
It contains a separate apartment.

The entrance is right from the ground and it is supposed it had to be light and bright here.
Surprisingly it is not.
There are so many mature trees near the house that not much light in the ground level (be honest also not much light on high level too).


Driveway
One car track, not even paved used here as a driveway.
3 cars can be parked here (but since the driveway is one car wide only one car can move when parked).
No garage as already mentioned above.

Backyard
Backyard is not so huge but I would say cozy and nice.

There is a hot tab on backyard.
Looks nice.


Area and Neighborhood
The area looks not so good being honest.
View to Simcoe is very nice but neighbors seemed a bit gloomy, and the neighborhood itself looks... hmmm... slightly slovenly.

However I must say Keswick is nice place to live. I really liked it.
More about it you can find on Georgina municipality website.
And real estate property is still not overpriced here, especially comparing to Toronto closest suburbs.


Schools
What we can find withing a walking distance here? I would mention Brock High School and Our Lady of the Lake Catholic College School.


Parks
There is Simcoe Lake across the road. Here you'll see our private beach (the owner pays $45/year now)


Shopping
On Queensway (10-15 minutes walk) you can see may small shops plus large grocery store Price Chopper. One more grocery store (Zehrs) you'll find on Woodbine (10 minutes drive).

Public Transit
Go and YRT (York Region Transit) buses are here.
Also local Georgina buses that make public transit in Keswick surprisingly wide and divaricate. For more information please visit Municipality website.


Property Tax
$3400 in 2008.


Pros
Simcoe Lake is just across the road.

The price is not skyscraper's.
There is sewer system, not septic as you may expect from such house.
Two families can live here not interfering to each other.

Cons
A bit far from everything (however it's a question to Keswick but not to this particular house).
The house is a bit old.
Installed alarm system ($35/month) also tells you about something.


Resume
The house is old but at the first look is in a good condition (for the second look ask for your home inspector's opinion).

Dark colors of walls and ceilings are too hard to accept.
I guess the whole house will be much brighter if repaint everything in light colors.
A bit far from amenities however if you work from home (or don't work) then you can consider this property.
My personal opinion - 6 out of 10.


Technical Details
Living room: 5.79 m x 5 m
Dining room: 3.05 m x 3.05 m
Kitchen: 2.74 m x 2.62 m
Master bedroom: 3.99 m x 3.99 m
Bedroom 2: 3.35 m x 3.37 m
Bedroom 3: 3.07 m x 2.70 m
Recreational room in basement: 2.62 m x 2.70 m
Family room in basement: 3.99 m x 7.80 m
Bedroom in basement: 2.76 m x 2.71 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 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