House Hunting – the search begins

Househunting, Toronto, ,

Having met with our mortgage advisor on Saturday, we wandered back down from Danforth to Queen through the back streets and, by chance, came on three open houses in a particularly lovely area known as the triangle. Although none suited us perfectly, it was a positive and reassuring start to our search. Indeed, we went back to all three with our realtor as part of a more focussed effort the following day.

21glenmorea 21glenmoreb 35kingsmount

(click on a photo to page through larger versions of all the photos in this post)

mainWe also saw a great investment opportunity triplex further north – not a very pretty house and we decided that, whilst we are willing to do upgrades and a small amount of work, we are doing too much else to want to take on a project of this size. to be honest, I think I’m also pretty hooked on the idea of being at least on the edges of Beach, in a home that I love rather than one that has the greatest income potential!

Later today, after we pick up our new car (I will write about this tomorrow!), we are going to see another batch of houses, including one that, from the pictures, really appeals to us even though it is slightly further from the beach than some, though with the advantage of being really close to the subway on Danforth.

east-lynna east-lynnb east-lynnc east-lynnd

[See a multimedia presentation on this property]

The Beach – our neighbourhood

arrival, Toronto, , ,

We had already established before we arrived that we want to live in or close to the Beach, a popular area in East Toronto.

There’s just something about the neighbourhood; the constant glimpses of the lake as you walk down Queen Street; the shore itself, wide sands curled by rocky breakwaters into a chain of lagoons – a vast expanse of water merges with the horizon to the south, whilst to the west the CN Tower gives graceful focus to the downtown skyline; the beautiful leafy streets lined mostly with heritage homes, from the relatively humble to huge mansions; the lazy bustle of Queen Street, with its streetcars to Downtown, its eclectic selection of shops and eateries; the strong sense of community and identity.

They say that people who come to the Beach to live rarely want to leave.

A visitor

wild things,

As I came into the office this morning, I noticed the twitch of a big, fuzzy shape in the window above the back door . . .

Raccoon
Raccoon

(click on the images for a larger version!)

Raccoons look so amazingly cuddly, with their soft fur and big, dark ringed eyes! Actually most people here recognize them as disease ridden pests that chew the roofing shingles (and most everything else), raid unsecured bins, are almost fearless and pose a number of health risks.

14 Balsam Avenue

arrival, Toronto,

The house is around 100 years old, a classic old-style Beech home about 100 meters from Lake Ontario in a tree lined street, currently aglow with every shade of fall.

We have a good-sized living room with an open fireplace, an area we are using as our office with ample room for both of us to work (there’s even a piano!) and a large and well equipped kitchen with breakfast bar.

Our bedroom has a window onto the porch, giving views down the street to the water – the morning sun shatters on lake-ripples and glints through the trees; on a windy evening like tonight waves pound the rocky breakwaters (strange how I know that the Great Lakes experience great storms yet somehow do not associate these kind of waves with a lake!). We also have second, smaller library/bedroom that serves us well as a dressing room and, of course, a bathroom, with a claw-foot tub and shower.

Despite limited clothing and possessions, this is, for now, very much home!

(The movie slide show below gives you a guided tour – our first effort with new software)
[flv]http://canada.bearne.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Balsam.flv[/flv]