A view of Central Park, however, is not included

Erica Alini – Macleans

Imagine you had $4 million to spend on a new downtown home. In New York, one of the world’s great cities, you could buy a three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom apartment on the edge of Central Park. If you were feeling more frugal you could move a couple of blocks away and snatch up a penthouse with a full view of the park for less than half the price, $1.5 million.

Or you could spend the money on a three-bedroom, four-bathroom suite at the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton with a full view of… Toronto. A two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite in the same building costs as much as that New York penthouse, and a survey of the Multiple Listing Service shows over 100 condos in Toronto selling for $1.5 million or more (134 to be exact, I checked).

Comment: And what are the sizes of the units? How current are the finishings? How about averages? Or are you just cherry-picking a couple to make a point that is not quite right? You need to compare apples to apples, cost per square foot and similar aged buildings. Then you know how they stack up. This comparison is flawed to begin with.

The multi-million-dollar New York price tags for some condos in Canada’s biggest city speak to a dangerously overheated market, say some observers. In Ontario, construction of multiple urban units (which mostly means condo buildings) was up a staggering 50% in March from the previous month. In Toronto alone, there are nearly 48,000 units under construction. In 2011, the city counted 132 residential high-rises under construction—more than New York, Chicago, Miami, Boston and Dallas combined. Later this year, that number is expected to reach 189, according to housing market analyst Ben Rabidoux.

Comment: Because we have 4,000sf condos with prices over $1.5 million, that makes us over heated? How does the cost of 100 condos related in any way to the number of units in total being built? You are just throwing random numbers around trying to scare pe0ple.

For some, the cranes that have taken over parts of the city skyline are a sign of a large unmet demand for housing, driven by a growing population and urban policies meant to constrain the city’s horizontal development in favour of building upward. Others, though, see a bubble market that is headed for a bust.

Comment: Yeah, because 4% per year is INSANE. After inflation, resale condos are going up 1.5%. How is that even remotely like a bubble?

In the first three months of this year, resale prices for condominium apartments have fallen for the first time since 2009, says Rabidoux, adding: “It’s potentially a disaster waiting to unfold.” If that happens, a few buyers will no doubt regret spending New York prices for a Toronto condo. But at least they’ll have the bragging rights of a Ritz-Carlton address—and plenty of bathrooms.

Comment: Uh, no, condo prices did not fall. In April they were 4% higher than 2011. Not sure where they got that from…

—————————————————————————————————–
Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960

Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
—————————————————————————————————–

1 5 million dollar condo toronto

Related posts:

1. Luxury Toronto Condo Living From Lake Ontario to tony Yorkville and out to the...
2. Luxury Living: Cool with condo As Toronto condo prices march steadily upward, luxury suites are...
3. Toronto Condo Profile — C-Condos in North York New Dream Homes and Con­dos The land­mark com­mu­nity of C–Con­dos...
4. Luxury Toronto Condos $20-million for an apart­ment? Today, Toronto’s wealthy are aim­ing high By...
5. Giant condo project for North York 20 or more tow­ers on draw­ing board after site bought...