101 Locke Condos | ? | 6 fl | Complete

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

The great thing about this is you don't need to choose for others where they live! My father for example has no interest in maintaining a yard or house, so this is great. Same cost as a house yes, but far less time. He would be able to go downstairs and walk along Locke or visit a coffee shop nearby or catch a bus to a friend's.

I personally am quite young, so I'd like a small yard and slightly more room for inevitable children, but it's not living for everyone. Many people also underestimate the cost of maintenance on a house. Living near Locke means a century home with expensive repair and maintenance costs.

Yea, I understand the advantages of condo living. If a condo is someone's preferred choice of dwelling, you could get a pretty good one at a less inflated price. I used a house just as a comparison.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by Berklon

Yea, I understand the advantages of condo living. If a condo is someone's preferred choice of dwelling, you could get a pretty good one at a less inflated price. I used a house just as a comparison.

Hamilton isn't Toronto or even Burlington or Oakville where great condo buildings are everywhere. Many hamilton condos are old, and not well maintained. There are some good ones, but if you've got the money, a new build of quality is going to beat those out, especially when it comes to maintenance fees. I've heard the Olympia has upward of $700-$800/ month maintenance fees which is insane.

[StEC]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

I've heard the Olympia has upward of $700-$800/ month maintenance fees which is insane.

WHOA!?!? My rent in the Olympia is $1415 a month all inclusive includes underground parking. If the condo fees are that much my landlord would be losing money. She bought our unit 2+ yrs ago, gutted it and did a full reno, we were her first tenants. Rent when we first moved in was $1380. It's none of my business so I never asked what condo fees are.... I can't believe they would be that much???

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by StEC

WHOA!?!? My rent in the Olympia is $1415 a month all inclusive includes underground parking. If the condo fees are that much my landlord would be losing money. She bought our unit 2+ yrs ago, gutted it and did a full reno, we were her first tenants. Rent when we first moved in was $1380. It's none of my business so I never asked what condo fees are.... I can't believe they would be that much???

To be fair I've heard this from some rando I met in a park at a bike fair.

[StEC]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

To be fair I've heard this from some rando I met in a park at a bike fair.

lol well I hope it's not true because I would feel really bad for my landlord! I know they are doing extensive renovations to the outside of my building and our first winter here was a disaster with pipes freezing exploding and destroying our entire lobby not once but twice! They been replacing the pipes little by little. And the pool was replaced shortly before we moved in. I believe the interior hallways are next up for replacing. So all in that's a LOT OF DOUGH, can't be cheap so I'm sure condo fees must be going up I just hope not to that extent?

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by StEC

lol well I hope it's not true because I would feel really bad for my landlord! I know they are doing extensive renovations to the outside of my building and our first winter here was a disaster with pipes freezing exploding and destroying our entire lobby not once but twice! They been replacing the pipes little by little. And the pool was replaced shortly before we moved in. I believe the interior hallways are next up for replacing. So all in that's a LOT OF DOUGH, can't be cheap so I'm sure condo fees must be going up I just hope not to that extent?

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...ilton-corktown

A 2 bedroom listing right now has maintenance fees for $691. pretty typical for a larger unit.

I gotta say that's a pretty nice condo for $300k and maintenance fees that aren't through the roof.

[StEC]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...ilton-corktown

A 2 bedroom listing right now has maintenance fees for $691. pretty typical for a larger unit.

I gotta say that's a pretty nice condo for $300k and maintenance fees that aren't through the roof.

Yeah that is a very nice unit. Wow I'm officially shocked at the condo fees! That's as much as a small 1 bedroom apartment in my birth city Welland lol.

[timach]

I’m in vista. My fees are 340 a month. That includes water, heat and ac tho

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by StEC

Yeah that is a very nice unit. Wow I'm officially shocked at the condo fees! That's as much as a small 1 bedroom apartment in my birth city Welland lol.

I often see condo fees at $500+. One plus for this condo is the property tax is only $1,890 - whereas the Locke street condo is $6,300 ... and they look to be similarly sized.

[Markus83]

Originally Posted by StEC

WHOA!?!? My rent in the Olympia is $1415 a month all inclusive includes underground parking. If the condo fees are that much my landlord would be losing money. She bought our unit 2+ yrs ago, gutted it and did a full reno, we were her first tenants. Rent when we first moved in was $1380. It's none of my business so I never asked what condo fees are.... I can't believe they would be that much???

120 Duke Street has upwards of $900+ condo fees per month.

[Chronamut]

crazy.. I am glad I live in an apartment and am grandfathered in.. my rates are some of the lowest in the city - but all the other units in my place play an astronomical amt cuz they have been renovated..

I can't afford to move.. ever lol

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

crazy.. I am glad I live in an apartment and am grandfathered in.. my rates are some of the lowest in the city - but all the other units in my place play an astronomical amt cuz they have been renovated..

I can't afford to move.. ever lol

What a shame.

I feel very badly for the younger generations - the prospect of ever buying a home is very much out of reach for most.

When I was starting out, the job market was poor and housing prices, while relatively affordable by today's standards, stretched me beyond my limits. It's perversely funny to think that 20 years ago $200,000 was a bridge too far.

I'm not an expert in affordable housing, nor am I up to speed on the latest updates to our zoning by-laws, etc., but what I know for sure is if I wanted to build a granny flat at the back of my property there would be so much red tape that it probably wouldn't be worth the effort.

Anyway, we need to start getting creative and the solutions likely include some sort of combination of a loosening of zoning laws that would allow for smaller dwelling units and the government generally just getting out of the way...

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce

What a shame.

I feel very badly for the younger generations - the prospect of ever buying a home is very much out of reach for most.

When I was starting out, the job market was poor and housing prices, while relatively affordable by today's standards, stretched me beyond my limits. It's perversely funny to think that 20 years ago $200,000 was a bridge too far.

I'm not an expert in affordable housing, nor am I up to speed on the latest updates to our zoning by-laws, etc., but what I know for sure is if I wanted to build a granny flat at the back of my property there would be so much red tape that it probably wouldn't be worth the effort.

Anyway, we need to start getting creative and the solutions likely include some sort of combination of a loosening of zoning laws that would allow for smaller dwelling units and the government generally just getting out of the way...

Check out what Portland (and soon Vancouver potentially, and one day maybe Toronto) is doing: https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2020/08/...ousing-Crisis/

This is how you fix the housing crisis. You cut red tape regarding single detached housing property which allows owners to build multiple units while forcing them to build affordable units.

[StEC]

Originally Posted by Markus83

120 Duke Street has upwards of $900+ condo fees per month.

JEEZUS... that's disgusting. That would be like paying two mortgages!