I occasionally review web logs to see which searches bring visitors to this blog. Sometimes these take the form of a question, a few of which are answered below:
"Are Claridge condos any good?" Well, good is a relative term, isn't it? I have several clients who have been very happy with their Claridge purchases while others have told me that they don't care for their projects. Evaluating a builder is a very subjective exercise that starts with your expectations, but the Tarion website does provide a limited summary of builders' track records:
"Is it better to buy a condo or a freehold townhouse?" I cover the pros and cons of condos versus freehold ownership pretty thoroughly on my website—click here. Again, any clear answer would depend on your own wants and needs but most townhomes do offer more space for your money, along with more maintenance and sometimes more expense.
"How secure is EcoCité Ottawa?" Well secure is a subjective term, isn't it? But almost a third of the project's 25 units were still unsold after 5 years... the project became insolvent in August 2009 and all original purchase contracts were cancelled... buyers who paid up front for upgrades to their units have not been reimbursed... all units were relisted on MLS in October 2009 for up to $150K more than their original price... a number of the buyers retained legal counsel and requested that Tarion investigate the builder... and when I drove by last week the building's front doors remained barricaded and no units have been resold on MLS. But as I said, 'secure' is a subjective term.
