As we roll into 2014, we thought we'd share our Top Five Most Popular Posts of 2013!
Number 1 – Each year Toronto Life, the magazine of choice for our city's upwardly mobile and cultural elite, publishes their top ten list of 'up and coming' neighbourhoods deemed to be the 'next hot areas'. This year we piggy backed on their article and shared our own experiences – with examples of past sales in 7 of the 10 locations – showcasing how urbaneer is definitely tapped into what's hot, and what's not. Here's Toronto Life’s ‘Where to Buy Now 2013: The City’s Top 10 Neighbourhoods for High-Return Real Estate’
Number 2 – After four and a half years and several hundreds of thousands of dollars invested, this year team member James Ormston and I approached the finish line of a substantial top to bottom reno/restoration of an 1880s shingle manse Charlottetown, PEI. After tackling the third floor 'Attic Atelier' and our second floor 'Captain's Quarters' (now undergoing further improvements), our most significant makeover was this main level 'Garden Suite'. Featuring loads of 'Before' and “After' photos, this post called The Garden Suite Reveal generated a lot of interest.
Number 3 – There's no doubt our 'Home of The Month' Feature, which showcases a Toronto property recently purchased by one of Urbaneer's Buyers, is one of our more popular posts. Featuring sales ranging from the low $300s to near $2million, this $400,000 two bedroom condominium located in the Minto Skyy at Broadview and Danforth was the most viewed of the series. Was it this specific suite, or the tale of how our prudent down-scaling Zoomers swooped in to pick something up for less than list for their retirement, that garnered so many clicks? We wonder.
Number 4 – Have you heard of Ikea Hacking? Ikea Hackers are creative folk who take ubiquitous Ikea products and modify them to suit their own particular needs or aesthetic. So when our clients with an enormous collection of books purchased a house that offered all the space they required, but with zero shelving and a now limited renovation budget, we took it upon ourselves to execute our first Ikea hack. The result was spectacular if we do say so ourselves, plus we improved the property's resale value. Because, well, that's what we can do for our clients at Urbaneer.com. Here's the post called Ikea Hacking For Ikea Hackers.
Number 5 – There's no doubt having a multi-disciplinary education on housing – including a History Degree that examined the migration patterns of different cultural groups as it influenced the housing market in Toronto from 1860-1970; an Urban Studies Degree with a forte on 'Gentrification In South Riverdale' from 1970-1987 funded by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs; and a Graduate Degree called 'Planning House Environments' that focused on Toronto's Loft Conversion Market in the early 1990s (which analyzed the processes of urban planning, finance, construction, design, and the psychology of housing and home of loft conversions and their residents as their popularity grew in the new post-industrial economy) – comes in handy when your passion is real estate < see About Steve >. So when one of our Buyers asked – in our monthly 'Dear Urbaneer' post – why comparable houses on the east side are typically less expensive than the west, it was a fantastic opportunity to share both my 10 years of theoretical knowledge and 24 years of practical experience in 'Why Toronto’s East Side Real Estate Has Historically Been Cheaper'.
At Urbaneer.com, we LOVE what we do, and consider ourselves most fortunate, both to be in the business that we are and to have the amazing clients that we do. I, and the Urbaneer team, make it our mission to guide you from your first to final purchase, plus any property in between. Along with educating, advising and gently steering you, our mandate is to identify the best locations and properties within your budget, identify dwellings you can easily upgrade and build equity over the long term, and counsel you on which final improvements can help you realize top dollar when it comes to sell.
Thinking of selling? At Urbaneer.com, we take great pride in offering you our insight and guidance to make your property the most saleable it can be. Offering a comprehensive sales and marketing program including print ads, direct mail flyers, and a multi-faceted social media program, we also offer a design service, access to contractors, and a warehouse of home furnishings available as part of our competitive listing commission. With designer discounts, sterling trades, and connections to several of the city’s best purveyors of home furnishing product and fittings, we are your one stop real estate boutique that will pull out all the stops to enhance your property and attain top dollar,
It's why I'm consistently one of Bosley's Top Ten Realtors, out of over 225 associates.
If you, or someone you love, is looking for real estate expertise with a commitment to service, please know we’re here to help!
Steven Fudge, Sales Representative
& The Urbaneer Team
Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage
(416) 322-8000
we're here to earn your trust, then your business
