SOTTO SOTTO HOW A SMALL RESTAURANT BECAME A 'SECOND HOME' FOR A-LISTERS On Christmas night, a still-unexplained fire destroyed the building at 116 Avenue Rd., home to Spuntini restaurant on the top floor an the aptly named Sotto Sotto (Italian for underneath) in the basement.  Many Yorkville residents were tipped off to the three-alarm disaster via the throngs of smoke and screaming sirens. Ninety firefighters worked to put out the blaze, which officials... [read more]

With due respect to the politicians, economists, pundits, journalists, builders, realtors, empty-nesters, first-time buyers, and others who have opined on the fragility of the condo market and whay they perceive will be the cause of its imminent crash... They've got it wrong. But, also a bit right. Let me explain. This market, despite its solid fundamentals, is at a higher degree of risk today than any time in its recent past. If we don't recognize that risk and do something... [read more]

Debbie Ross has the same chance of snagging an affordable apartment in Toronto as she does picking a long-shot at the Kentucky Derby. Ross is hoping to win one of 75 rental apartments in a lottery run by the city's public housing agency. She's up against 3,779 others, so the odds of winning are only about 50:1 but figures it's as good a chance as any of finding a place to live. Long priced out of home ownership, Ross is now being squeezed out of the rental market as the... [read more]

Address: 19 Evergreen Gardens Neighbourhood: Leaside Price: $4,299,000 Previously sold for: $1,050,000 (prior to a rebuild) The Place A modern home with touches of rustic and industrial design - plus skyline views from a rooftop garden. The History The home is just three years old. It was designed by, and custom built for, the current homeowner, an interior designer. The foyer has some wall art made of preserved moss: The dining area has a giant... [read more]

For housing markets in Canada, 2018 has been a year of restraint. But looking ahead to 2019, there are a number of potential outcomes to consider. The mortgage stress test was perhaps the most influential policy change that affected homebuyers in 2018. Under the new rules, which came into effect in January 2018, most homebuyers were required to qualify for a mortgage at a higher rate than the contracted mortgage rate. This was done to determine the borrower's ability to service the... [read more]