BuzzBuzzHomeMay 31, 2011 Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 24-hours, then you would have heard that the Four Season’s penthouse in Toronto was confirmed SOLD for $28 million bucks. We wrote about it here, and have a forum conversation on it here. But, we thought it would be fun to put the Four Season’s virtual tour side by side with Aura’s $17.5m penthouse.Check out the videos (Four Seasons above Aura) below:

Kiyoko FujimuraBuzzBuzzHome Corp.May 31, 2011 Normally, a double dip refers to a light-medium social faux-pas. But today when you overhear the phrase, it’s likely to mean something much more dire. The US housing market has been fearing it, and now it’s finally official: a double dip in the housing market. So what the heck is a double dip anyway? It’s pretty simple, really: if a market falls, rebounds, and then falls again – then that’s a double dip. It appears … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Corp.May 31, 2011 The New York Times reported this morning that in the United States housing prices fell in March to their lowest point since the downturn. According to Standard and Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index, prices are now down 33.1 percent from the July 2006 peak. And, frighteningly, David Blitzer, chairman of the S.& P. index committee told the Times that “Home prices continue on their downward spiral with no relief in sight.” What has become increasingly obvious, … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Corp.May 31, 2011 Eleven Superior, the elegant 9-storey condominium and townhouse project in the heart of Mimico-by-the-Lake, is hosting an awesome series of ‘Local Kitchen Parties’ throughout the summer for those involved – or just interested – in the project. Thursday, June 2nd will be the first of three get-togethers at the Eleven Superior Presentation Centre located at 2398 Lake Shore Blvd. West, in Etobicoke. Each evening will combine a neighbourhood eatery showing off their finest hors d’oeuvres with … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Corp.May 30, 2011 According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s second quarter Housing Market Outlook, released today, housing starts are “forecast to stabilize at levels consistent with demographic fundamentals in 2011 and 2012.” This translates to a forecast of about 179,500 units nation-wide for 2011 – down from 189,930 units in 2010. The forecast for 2012 is approximately 185,300 units. The mild decline is expected to affect both single-detached homes as well as multi-family housing, including row houses, … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Corp.May 30, 2011 As the heat seems finally to have been ‘brought on’ here in Toronto, those who live at The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton will soon be thankful to be reaping the benefits of the glitzy new building’s innovative cooling system. Yep, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences smartly took advantage of an alternative to conventional air conditioning and a supplement to traditional heating offered by Enwave Energy Corp. and the City of Toronto. As some of you science … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Corp.May 30, 2011 According to the project’s developers, an international buyer has reportedly purchased the West Penthouse at the new Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences for $28 million (CAD), making it the most expensive condominium residence ever sold in Canada. The West Penthouse will soon occupy the top floor of the 55-storey West Residence building. It will encompass a head-spinning 9,038 square feet of living space (get out your calculators, that’s a whopping $3,098 per square foot) and will … Read More

Kiyoko FujimuraBuzzBuzzHome Corp.May 30, 2011 The Bank of Canada has eight opportunities to raise rates throughout the year. So far this year, and since September 2010, Mark Carney has left interest rates unchanged. And there’s a very slim chance the Bank will raise rates tomorrow according to 22 economists surveyed. And rates aren’t expected to go up anytime soon. In fact, economists predict that the central bank will hold off on rate hikes until autumn. The reason being not Canada’s … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Corp.May 29, 2011 Ah, the garage! Symbol of car-dependent mid and late-20th century North America, or awesome home for your cars, sports equipment, Christmas lights, collection of snow shovels, and generally forgotten-about detritus? Either way, they’re one feature of our homes that are often under-used both in terms of architectural opportunity and self-expression. Here are seven good examples of what a garage could be. . . Circus garage! Courtesy of http://www.home-designing.com/2009/07/garage-design-contest-by-maserati The hidden, pop-up garage! Courtesy http://baratin-deboradant.blogspot.com/ It’s all about the … Read More

BuzzBuzzHome Corp.May 28, 2011 OK, fine, this hyper-modern house doesn’t suit the traditional definition – stereotype, some would say – of a cottage but that’s technically what it is. Known as the Elenko Residence, the home was built to be a recreational retreat (it sits on Osoyoos Lake in British Columbia’s south Okanagan). CEI Architecture drew up the plans in accordance with the peculiar context (the climate is semi-desert but the property is lakefront) and demanding spacial constraints (thus the … Read More