I had heard for years now that Toronto’s wealthy were moving to Oakville and as a downtown condo specialist the thought of commuting from Oakville (a 40 minute drive at good times turning into hours at rush hour) just did not resinate with me.
Now that I am no longer seven days a week any/all hours of the day on call buyers agent (although my phone is always on giving my clients direct contact with me “on demand“) and in light of the blight that is downtown Toronto I’ve had a change of heart.
Today I deal with only high end condos, although I still have an assistant to handle the mass of middle market condos that we receive inquiries on. I personally have always focused solely on downtown core (Church St. on the east to Spadina on the west, from Eglinton down to the lake) and these days, I focus only on “the best that the city has to offer“.
It is here that my superior negotiating skills and knowledge of the market pays the highest dividends to my clients. There are nightmare condos at the highest price points just like in middle market condos! It is really easy to get burned unless you have the unique knowledge and skill-set that I have built over the past almost four decades of in-the-street experience.
I don’t “sell” condos. I am a Buyer’s Agent and I take my responsibilities very seriously! That pays huge dividends to you, my buyer “client“. There are excellent laws to protect you if your buyer’s agent follows them, but even when they do, the temptation of “double-ending” a transaction is so great that you just never know.
With me that’s easy as my broker is not even listed on the local real estate board (“TREB”) so no-one in our brokerage “Lists” properties for sale, therefore there is no incentive so us to try to sway you either way with respect to any properties listed for sale.
I operate the same now that I’ve moved on to Oakville where I’ve purchased a magnificent home at Lakeshore and Bronte, one of the fastest growing lakefront areas in all of the GTA.
I prefer to buy where I can see upside potential from an equity perspective and I’m confident that the home I purchased (my first detached home ever!) we see realistic equity growth of 25% since I purchased it at Christmas last year.
I’ve just grown sick of condo living! The concept was great but the delivered goods is less than thrilling. I’ve got clients who want to sell their brand newly registered condo units because cigarette smoke chokes them continually in their suite with the windows closed!
I just had to tear out walls of my townhouse at College Park to install special sound proof wall material so we don’t have to hear our next door neighbour through the walls!
I take possession of my new home in a couple months and having researched the area so intensively prior to making my buying decision, I felt that an excellent way to continue to deliver and expand my buyer agency services is to re-launch simplymansions.com and bring Oakville to my already massive and expanding clientele around the globe.
I fully intend to continue to maintain and manage simplycondos.com as well as continue my blog simplycharles.com so there is a lot more up-to-date real estate investment information available to you, and I’ve messed all three together to make it easier for you to find.
My initial thoughts on retiring proved senseless to me as I just go board so, thank you to all of you for expressing your opposition to me retiring and setting me straight that I’ve got a lot more work left to do.
I’m Charles
