Michael Peart Photography/Michael Peart Photography
637 Lake Shore Blvd. W., No. 407, Toronto
Asking price: $1,198,000 (January, 2024)
Previous asking price: $1,225,000 (November, 2023)
Selling price: $1.15-million (January, 2024)
Previous selling prices: $524,000 (July, 2013); $520,000 (February, 2012); $465,000 (May, 2007)
Taxes: $4,077 (2023)
Property days on market: 71
Listing agent: Christopher Bibby, Re/Max Hallmark Bibby Group Realty
The loft in the retrofitted 94-year-old former menswear warehouse has 14-foot concrete ceilings and multiple windows in the den and living room.Michael Peart Photography/Michael Peart Photography
The action
The sellers of this one-bedroom plus den unit at Tip Top Lofts found buyers paralyzed by high mortgage rates going into the winter holidays. It didn’t help that a near-identical loft was also for sale and at an asking price $106,000 below theirs. In January, they trimmed their price by $27,000, a move that jumpstarted negotiations with one interested buyer. Finally, with another $48,000 climb down, a deal was struck.
“People who visited it in the past saw the price drop and came back to bid on it,” said agent Christopher Bibby.
“The unit next door was available at the exact same time,” said Mr. Bibby. “The last time I checked, it was still available.”
This loft’s advantage was the owner’s redesign of its bathroom and the addition of a second one. “The unit next door had one washroom and we had two,” Mr. Bibby said. “That gave us the upper hand.
“Typically, the washroom is a walk-through that could be accessed from the living room, but they closed it to make a proper ensuite. But they also added a powder room, which isn’t something you see too often.”
The remodeled kitchen has quartz countertops and upscale appliances.Michael Peart Photography/Michael Peart Photography
What they got
This loft is in a retrofitted 94-year-old former menswear warehouse and has 14-foot concrete ceilings and multiple windows across the den and living room.
The remodeled kitchen has quartz countertops and upscale appliances.
The parking spot is underground. Monthly fees of $794 cover water, heating, concierge and use of a rooftop terrace.
The seller had redesigned the bathroom and added of a second one.Michael Peart Photography/Michael Peart Photography
The agent’s take
“Tip Top Lofts has always been a very sought-after and iconic property,” Mr. Bibby said.
“If you want to be in a loft conversion on the waterfront, that’s really the only option.”
This unit also faces west. “It is the most sought-after exposure with the view overlooking [Coronation Park] and the water,” said Mr. Bibby.
Coldwell Banker R.M.R. Real Estate
530 Downs Rd., Quinte West, Ont.
Asking price: $829,900 (October, 2023)
Previous asking price: $849,900 (September, 2023)
Selling price: $820,000 (November, 2023)
Previous selling prices: $859,900 (July, 2023); $317,000 (August, 2013); $298,000 (June, 2009); $143,568 (November, 1996)
Taxes: $4,125 (2023)
Property days on market: 42
Listing agent: Paul Lang, Coldwell Banker RMR Real Estate
This side-split house is designed across three different levels.Coldwell Banker R.M.R. Real Estate
The action
City dwellers bought this three-bedroom house on a 2.6-acre property just north of Trenton, Ont., in July, 2023. But they soon changed their minds, finding it too far from family. In September, they put it back on the market, priced at $10,000 less than what they had paid two months prior. When buyer interest petered out and competition from other nearby homes increased, the sellers shaved another $20,000 off the asking price.
“They didn’t automatically expect they would sell it for the same as what they got it for,” said agent Paul Lang. “They knew they were going to have to sell it for less.
“Two homes came up on the same street within a week, so it was dicey. But my sellers were on top of things, and we stayed under the other guys’ price.”
The sellers landed a $820,000 deal, on condition that the buyers sold their property within 45 days, which they pulled off. “It was a long condition because they literally just listed their house the day before,” Mr. Lang said.
“We’re starting to see a lot more of this. Like the last four [properties] I’ve put offers on in the last week and a half, three of them had a condition of sale of property.”
The main floor has an updated eat-in kitchen, a living room and a dining room.Coldwell Banker R.M.R. Real Estate
What they got
This side-split house was built about 20 years ago. It is designed across three levels, with three bedrooms on the upper floor and a guest bedroom and recreation room directly below.
The main floor has an updated eat-in kitchen, a living room and a dining room addition with cathedral ceilings and access to a deck and gazebo.
The three bathrooms are on a septic system. The laundry room has access to the garage.
The deck and gazebo can be accessed from the main floor.Coldwell Banker R.M.R. Real Estate
The agent’s take
“It’s quite a common lot for the area,” Mr. Lang said.
“The house was well maintained, so that really helped us when buyers were doing comparisons.”
Jordan Prussky Photography
35 Church St., No. 703, Toronto
Asking price: $1,495,000 (November, 2023)
Previous asking price: $1,495,000 (September, 2023)
Selling price: $1,460,000 (November, 2023)
Previous selling price: $300,000 (March, 1994)
Taxes: $5,363 (2023)
Property days on market: 68
Listing agent: Christopher Bibby, Re/Max Hallmark Bibby Group Realty
The action
A solarium is accessible from one bedroom and the living room.Jordan Prussky Photography
In a roughly 40-year-old condo building at Church and Front streets, this 1,723-square-foot corner suite has a prime spot on the seventh floor overlooking the iconic Gooderham Building, also known as the Flatiron Building. The owners failed to find a buyer in their first few weeks on the market, so they tried a common strategy; cancel the listing and relist immediately at the same asking price, a move that puts the property back at the top of the list of online property search results. About a week later, they landed a deal $35,000 short of their list price.
“What made this unit very distinct is it was in the southwest corner of the building, so in the solarium and on the south side and west side of this unit, you had a completely unobstructed and protected view of the Flatiron Building/Gooderham Building,” said agent Christopher Bibby.
“If we were unsuccessful, we’d have that spring market to target. But the fact there was no competition and there was nothing quite like this listed for some time, we had some optimism.”
What they got
The unit has windows in every room other than the eat-in kitchen and the two bathrooms.Jordan Prussky Photography
This two-bedroom suite has windows in every room other than the eat-in kitchen and the two bathrooms. A solarium is accessible from one bedroom and the living room.
The unit includes a storage locker and parking. A monthly fee of $1,563 covers water, cable, concierge and use of common amenities, such as the indoor pool and squash/racquet court.
The agent’s take
Jordan Prussky Photography
“Everybody coming in just loved the fact the bedrooms were separated, and it had a proper solarium, dining room, living room and enclosed kitchen,” said Mr. Bibby. “So it really felt like a home.”
“A lot of [interested] buyers in there love to get out, walk and take advantage of the local amenities, be it Berczy Park or be it St. Lawrence Market. And you have quick access to the harbourfront, Financial District and Entertainment District.”