5 d. ago Toronto house rumoured to have almost been bought by David Bowie selling for $14M

There are plenty of nice houses in Toronto, but rarely is one so unique and beautiful that it once caught the eye of the late British rock star David Bowie. Rumor has it that back in 2012, when 87 Highland Cres. was on the market, Bowie made a special trip just to see this house. Now, they're just rumours, but if any house is worth flying from London to Toronto to look at, this one is. The living room has a wood-burning fireplace. 87 Highland Cres, also known as the Weathering Steel House, is a four-bedroom, six-bathroom architectural beauty designed by acclaimed architectural firm Shim-Sutcliffe. The upstairs landing with views of the treetops. The home was built in 2001 and was celebrated with the Governor General's Architecture Award in 2004. A bedroom. Shim-Sutcliffe designed the home with a rich material palette of weathered steel, wood and water, with a focus on harmonizing the home with the natural elements of the ravine....

Economics

9 d. ago Newly renovated Toronto bungalow is poised to start a bidding war at only $600,000

If you haven't gotten the memo, real estate bidding wars are back because, of course, they are! It's Toronto.Seriously, what would this city be without its overpriced housing market? And likely, the next house that's about to sell for way more than it's listed is 85 Sharpe St. The living room. This two-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow is definitely a flip, but not a bad one.  The main floor bathroom and a bedroom. 85 Sharpe St. sold in 2023 for $700,000 in "as is" condition, but over the last two years, the owners have renovated a lot. The kitchen. According to the listing, everything from the floors to the kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, basement, and more has gotten an update. From the pictures, it looks good. The view from the front entryway. It's clearly been staged, but the living room is bright and airy with engineered hardwood floors.New appliances and cabinets in the kitchen. The kitche...

Economics

1 week ago $2.5 million Toronto house has a bathroom covered in dog portraits

There's something about a fully restored and renovated old Victorian house that just hits. They have the charm, the character, but also those modern design elements that create that juxtaposition that is hard to resist.And if one house is hard to resist, it's 14 Delaware Ave. The wood-burning fireplace in the living room. This detached home in Little Italy is the perfect mix of architectural detail and great modern design. The main floor. The main floor is open-concept, making it great for entertaining and family living. The foyer. The living room has soaring ceilings, a wood-burning fireplace with exposed brick and stained glass windows to boot. The dining room. The dining room flows from that.The kitchen. And then you get to the kitchen with high-end appliances and a large island. The family room. The family room, which looks out over the backyard, has a gas fireplace but is a bit on the small side. The pow...

Economics

2 w. ago Airline known for providing staff free housing is hiring in Toronto

It's a particularly tough time to secure a job in Toronto right now, especially one that can cover the high costs of rent, food and other rising expenses of living in the city.But, one international airline that's looking for Toronto talent right now boasts some pretty great work perks, the most attractive of which is free company-provided accommodation.Emirates, which is regularly rated one of the world's best carriers, has been hosting career fairs across Canada to fill a number of cabin crew roles.It held one such event at the Novotel Toronto in January, and is back with yet another hiring spree at the same location this month.Candidates interested taking advantage of a tax-free salary plus medical benefits, a number of travel and lifestyle discounts, and the aforementioned free rent in Emirates' home base of Dubai, can head to Novotel at 45 The Esplanade at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 25 for the event, which will take place all day.Staff will be on-site to ...

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2 w. ago These identical house designs could soon appear all over Ontario

After more than a year of planning and consultation, the Government of Canada has released today the final details of its Housing Design Catalogue — dozens of standardized templates to help achieve housing affordability for low-density infill developments.In preparation for the full rollout of the catalogue, the federal government is providing final renderings, floor plan layouts, and key building design details to provide builders with a head start to consider using these templates and begin planning.The intention is to reduce design and construction costs and simplify and accelerate housing approvals and construction for builders who choose to use these templates. As well, these templates help estimate construction costs."These standardized designs will help smaller homebuilders cut through the complexity, speeding up the time between concept and construction and lowering costs of building," said Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, the federal minister of housing, infrastruct...

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3 w. ago A dozen Toronto houses could be torn down for two huge towers

A quiet block of houses on a low-density Toronto street could be in for a major shakeup.Gairloch Developments and Fairway Developments have filed plans with the City of Toronto to redevelop a group of properties spanning 59 – 81 Lawton Boulevard, a block home to a dozen house-form buildings.All homes currently on site would be torn down to make way for the new residential complex.The developers have signed on local firm architects—Alliance, known for its minimalist landmarks like the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences, to design a pair of high-rise residential buildings standing 38 and 43 storeys tall.The towers are slated to rise to approximate heights of 143 and 130 metres, orders of magnitude taller than the surrounding low- and mid-rise urban fabric.Despite a massive disparity between the proposal size and the existing built form on Lawton Boulevard, the proposal site's position a short distance north of St. Clair subway station puts it within a Major Transit Station ...

Other

3 w. ago Bidding wars back on the rise in Toronto despite prolonged market downturn

It's been over a year of extraordinarily meagre activity in the Toronto area housing market, but despite the prolonged sales slump, a torrent of people looking to sell, and now a trade war with the U.S. that is set to worsen Canada's economic recession, bidding wars are somehow on the rise.While having to offer more than a home's listing price was once the norm for would-be homeowners in the region, the market downturn that dominated last year has provided them with more options and negotiating power, leading to progressively more buyers landing houses and condos for less than their listed price.By the end of 2024, properties in 93 per cent of GTA neighbourhoods were selling for less than sellers had hoped to get.But, the tides have started to turn after multiple months of the underbidding trend.Toronto seeing most new home listings in Canada but hardly anyone is buying https://t.co/zwVWkjWtUV— blogTO (@blogTO) February 23, 2025According to W...

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last month Toronto house built in 1858 has survived 150 years of change around it

If you live or work in Toronto's King-Spadina neighbourhood, you've most likely passed by this Toronto house numerous times without giving it a second thought.However, you might not know that the H.S. Strathy House at 342 Adelaide St. W. is a property that has weathered more than 150 years of change around it.Originally built in 1858, the two-storey home has endured well over a century of urban transformation, and somehow, against all odds, has resisted the wave of high-rises and entertainment venues that now surround it.The house, which was constructed in the Second Empire architectural style, has undergone a few alterations over the years. In 1876, a mansard roof was added, and the front store addition was added in 1912.H.S. Strathy House in 1950. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.Originally, the house was nestled in a modest residential and commercial area with buildings of a similar height, but now, it's dominated by the towering high-rises around it.In the 1920s, the propert...

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last month Eclectic Toronto house with views of the lake on sale for $5 million

Tucked away in The Beaches, 2 Park Avenue isn't just another luxury home — it's a slice of Toronto history wrapped in modern elegance.Originally built in 1911, this house has seen it all, explains listing agent Roxane Bryce. From its early days as an investment property in the late 19th century to housing prominent members of Toronto's Jewish community in the 1920s and 1930s, 2 Park Ave. has more stories than your average history book.The living room. It was once home to David Abramowitz, a businessman and key figure in the Toronto Zionist Organization, who, along with his wife Sarah, actively helped Jewish immigrants settle in Canada.Tons of windows make for a bright space. Over the years, the four-bedroom, five-bathroom home has played host to teachers, lawyers, and even a professor of plumbing who took his expertise to Malaysia.The breakfast area. Fast forward to today, and this 4,600-square-foot home has been completely reimagined, but ha...

Economics