Brownstones on the Park (Lansdowne/Davenport)
February 24, 2010 - 8:39am — vic
Although slightly outside of the neighbourhood normally covered on this website, you can use this forum for discussing the Brownstones on the Park townhouse development in the Lansdowne and Davenport area.
Notes:
- There's also a private Facebook group for this development.
- Also, a private Facebook group for Phase 4 owners.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This discussion is closed for further comment. We regret that prior to closing this discussion some posters posted comments did not accord with the spirit and intent of this site’s Code of Conduct, which led to our closing this discussion and removing the comments from the website.
Over Estimated Property Tax Amount
For those not on the Brownstones Facebook page: Attention Phase 4 Homeowners, please ensure that you verify how much you were overcharged for property taxes as it was been determined that everyone was overcharged with their closing costs and would need to make a necessary adjustment once the City of Toronto provides us with a supplmentary tax bill. This may take up to a year in order to process so please take note that if you do not request the adjustment from the builder, you will lose out on those funds. Please consult with your Lawyer, the Builder and/or the City of Toronto for this process.
Thanks for this update...I
Thanks for this update...I had thought this was the case and did talk to my lawyer...he said when I received the assessment the builder would automatically credit me back...this does not sound as such...how have other people gone about letting the builder know? And what time frame do we need to do this within? Is it only when we receive the actual tax assessment?
Thanks for this information
Thanks for this information and I thought so...I did ask my lawyer at my closing and he said the builder would need to reimburse these funds...how far in advance do I need to make this claim with the builder then?
Any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
As soon as you get a
As soon as you get a confirmed supplementary tax bill. You'll need it in order to request the adjustments.
Someone is Parking in my spot
What do you do if you come home and someone is parked in your spot?
What if they are doing this regularly?
How to go about renting out my parking spot
I'd like to rent out my parking spot. What's a fair monthly rate for this area?
I have heard othe phases rent
I have heard othe phases rent for as much as $100.
Parking spots should rent for
Parking spots should rent for a lot more per month - since they're costing you more than that to buy - and you have the hassle of dealing with rent collection. If you bought your unit for $375,000 plus $25,000 for a parking spot, and your mortgage payment is $1600 per month, then $100 only covers your mortgage - not your maintenance fees for it or your taxes. Why people subsidize someone else who can't or won't buy their own spot is more than I can understand.
Since it is your parking
Since it is your parking spot, you have the legal right to get it towed but you need to make sure that you are there to sign for some paperwork. Although not sure if this applies to Phase 4 right now since officially, you guys still do not own your properties with the pending closing.
Our phase had the same problem and for some, it was just a mix up. The owner of the car thought it was his parking spot. Leave a nice note first and express the next step will be towing. Good luck.
Hey guys, seeing how Phase 4
Hey guys, seeing how Phase 4 is about to be registered I was wondering if anyone had any information on when the builder will be releasing the units for Phase 5 or if they're going to be building any new units at all. I had my realtor register for me about 3-4 months ago but I still haven't heard anything. I've passed by the site a few times and it looks like they're preparing the land for construction.
I'm holding off buying a place until I know what's going on with the brownstone Phase 5 development.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
The only current phase we are
The only current phase we are aware of are the highrises Fuse 1 and 2. The first one I believe was released over a year ago which is pretty much sold out. The 2nd was released last year. This phase also included townhouses. I checked out the townhouses when Fuse 1 was first released. I loved the loft townhouses but the price point was out of my reach but if I could, I would have bought one.
Instead of waiting, may I suggest that you actually make a trip to the sales office and find out what else they have available. This is the project that is attached to the Metro Grocery and Shoppers Drug Mart and a bank yet to be identified.
Thanks for the tip. I'll make
Thanks for the tip. I'll make sure to check out the Fuse sales office or I might just end up looking to purchase one of the existing phase 4 brownstone towns if they become available.
Go on MLS to check out units
Go on MLS to check out units for sale at Davenport Village.
If you work downtown, this is a great affordable area to live in because the TTC is in every corner. You've got the Lansdowne bus which is a 5 minute ride to the subway and its about every 10 minutes. You could continue your ride all the way south to Queen and take the Queen streetcar.
At Symington, about one block east of Lansdowne, the bus is even more frequent and will take you to Dundas West subway station. From there you have a choice of continuing on via subway or taking the streetcar.
The 3rd way is to walk up to St. Clair and take the streetcar with option to continue on via subway.
Lastly, you could take the Davenport bus which takes you to Dupont subway station first with last stop at Spadina.
Another option is just
Another option is just walking to or from Lansdowne subway station. Its not that far - less than 15 minutes. I've walked home from there a few times when the bus was taking too long and the weather wasn't bad.
There's also the Minto
There's also the Minto townhouses. These row of townhouses are located on Caledonia and goes along from Davenport to St. Clair. I believe these are freehold.
I've seen the Minto towns and
I've seen the Minto towns and I wasn't really impressed with them. I'm not really crazy about that stretch of Caledonia and they're being built right in front of railway tracks.
Just going to wait it out for the new phase 5 Brownstones
Thanks anyways for the info
Isn't the entire brownstone
Isn't the entire brownstone development being built next to railway tracks on two sides?
An advantage of the Minto development is that it is right next to the St. Clair streetcar ROW.
Davenport Village is still
Davenport Village is still nicely situated in terms of where the tracks are and how it affects the residents on a daily basis. For some units, they do not hear anything and for some closer, it's pretty much also non-existent sound for as long as you have all your windows close. I personally like to open my windows every now and then so I do it when I am doing chores and even then, the sounds of the trains are also still minimal. Once all chores are done and I am ready to relax, I simply close all my windows.
I'm on an upper end
I'm on an upper end immediately beside them and I NEVER hear them when my windows are closed. Oddly enough, I never grew up beside train tracks but since living here, I keep my windows open and have just become accustomed to the rhythmic sounds of one passing by. The only time I notice it really is when the larger/louder VIA trains drive by, firing their horns and such.
Also, I ride the TTC and its less than a 5 minute walk. With the new development, I'd imagine that would be cut down in half because of cutting through the new development!
I do have a car, so being
I do have a car, so being reletively close to the TTC is of no concern to me. The Minto development just looks odd in my opinion. I own a condo in Liberty Village but I really like the layout, price and up and coming neighbourhood that the Brownstones towns are located in. That's why I'm really interested in seeing if the builder will be going ahead in the near future with the Phase 5 units.
I registered 3-4 months ago. I've tried calling the sales office numerous times but I alwas get the voicemail and it's always full. I've tried passing by the sales office but they're always closed.
Not Freehold
The Minto townhouses are not freehold.
hooray!!!! phase 4 is coming
hooray!!!! phase 4 is coming to an end, closing February 20, it will be nice to have the monthly rent become monthly mortgage...does anyone know what closing cost to expect?
Congratulations to us all
Congratulations to us all owners of Phase 4. So happy that our phantom mortgage will be over this month. Closing is good time. Let the games begin with home ownership. Word of advice to all: home ownership is not just inside your unit so be proactive in keeping everybody in line to follow all condo rules. It's hard to get violators to stop once they realize they can get away with things. Also, we must immediately educate the do's and don'ts. You'd be surprised that there are more owners who have no idea what they can and cannot do. People will more likely not read the condo rules page per page, line per line so we must work together to highlight the most important rules that will affect our daily lives.
The general rule of thumb is
The general rule of thumb is to budget about 2% - 3% of your purchase price. Plus, if you want to add more to your downpayment to further bring down the amount of mortgage to take out.
I heard Rob Falus has stepped
I heard Rob Falus has stepped down from his role as builder for the Brownstones and the new Fuse buildings. Can anyone confirm this? I was wondering why I haven't heard much from him lately...?
This is true. No idea why
This is true. No idea why though. Although personally has caused a lot of problems with closing as the office seems very disorganized and I had multiple problems on my closing adjustments.
Best news ever... if it's
Best news ever... if it's true...
Your Local Realtor
Hello everyone,
My name is Alexandro, I have lived on 20 Foundry Ave from day one as I bought pre-contrsution. I understand the neighbourhood as well as the local market.
I am a Realtor with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage and you can always give me a call or email me for questions! I would be glad to assist you.
If you are thinking of selling your home please feel free to contact me at 647-274-8565 or email me at alexandrosclavi@royallepage.ca
Cheers,
Alexandro Sclavi
Real Estate Representative
Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage
55 St Clair Ave West,
Toronto, ON M4V 2Y7
Mobile: 647-274-8565
http://www.alexandrosclavi.com
Final Closing?
Hello Everyone,
Anybody heard anything about the date for final closing yet?
Thanks!
additional closing date payment calculatio
The the closing date is for FEB 20 with a payment of more than 10,000.00 CAD addtional cost. Can any one got the same issue?
Closing costs were FAR MORE
Closing costs were FAR MORE than I had originally anticipated that's for sure!!!
Closing costs were more than
Closing costs were more than I expected also but I believe they include first year property taxes.
does anyone know if there is
does anyone know if there is any way to avoid paying those cash deposits for utilities and if there isnt...then when do we get the deposit back? the gas company wants 250 for a desposit plus 25 to open a new account...what a rip!!!
When we signed up for gas
When we signed up for gas (almost two years ago) the deposit requirement was waived if we set-up automatic payments for amounts owing. Not certain if the policy has changed... just sharing our experience.
thank you! I will give them a
thank you! I will give them a call and try my luck...
We had the same thing happen
We had the same thing happen in phase 3. On the bright side when it came to Enbridge and their deposit we were given the option almost a year later to have a cheque written out to us for our deposit amount or be given credit. I took the latter option and haven't paid a gas bill for nearly 8 months. So yes, a rip because it happens in the beginning all at once but felt pretty good to not pay for that amount of time. Be prepared for the same big lump sum bill for your electrical. We weren't charged for like the first 6 months and then got a pretty large bill.
ooohh....the electrical bill,
ooohh....the electrical bill, why do they take so long to send it, its going be huge!!!!!!!!!! I did call the gas company and they gave me an option of not paying the deposit and giving them direct payment instead...that' great, is the electrical deposit 250 also?
Happy to hear the deposit
Happy to hear the deposit requirement can still be waived with by simply signing up for automatic pre-authorized payments for Gas. Our first gas bill was MASSIVE also as we were not instructed to contact the gas company to set-up an account. We incorrectly assumed the gas bill would just start arriving. Were here for about 7 months before our first bill arrived.... after we contacted the gas company.
Electricity also took some time before we got our first bill. Eventually it just started coming after a few months and it too was large. In phase 2 part of the closing required setting up pre-authorized with the electric company. We did not have any deposit requirement with them.
World of advice if you have not received gas or electricity bills yet.... contact the companies ASAP. Also start putting money aside as when the bills come, they will be from day one. You'll need to pay for them anyway so might as well get that sorted as quickly as possible to help avoid massive bills.
Gas Meters
Does anyone in Phase 4 know where our gas meters are located?
Parking Garage...
Parking Garage...
Mortgage
Hello my friends,
If you would like to get a second opinion about your new MORTGAGE please contact:
Sergio Vasques (unit 204)
cell: 647 618 3355
me@mortgagesbysergio.com
svasques@mortgagealliance.com
5 year fixed at 2.90%
heyi'm in phase 2 since may
hey
i'm in phase 2 since may 2012. TAFT is absolutly awful. and older owners are all ok with this statement.
good luck
does anyone find it weird
does anyone find it weird that none of the windows (or sliding doors) have any wood frames around them? it looks like something is missing let alone that it creates more draft and loss of heat... is this a way for the builder to save money? I think there all doors and windows should be framed
Sliding doors do not have to
Sliding doors do not have to be framed on the interior side of the unit. That's just cosmetic and has nothing to do with cause of draft and loss of heat. I have seen other houses, old and new with that clean finish. As for doors, all my doors, main and doors of bedrooms and washrooms are framed, inside and outside. Contact the developer if your doors are not framed.
why wouldn't they frame the
why wouldn't they frame the doors and windows?
I was talking about sliding
I was talking about sliding doors and the windows, the rest are framed, I guess you are right its just cosmetics, it just looks better when all doors and all windows are framed, I wonder if it would be expensive to do hire someone to do it...
Blinds
Can someone give me a phone # to good & unexpensive company who install blinds or shades.
Thanks in advance.
Phase 4 buyers beware: do not
Phase 4 buyers beware: do not use Tim Makuch from Imagine Custom Window Coverings. The guy is a SCAMMER, will take your deposit and you will never see him again. He has been actively dropping off his promotional materials in our area, advertising himself as a design-consultant. His business details:
Tim Makuch
Design Consultant
Imagine Custom Window Coverings
2583 Dundas St. W. Unit 2
Toronto, Ontario M6P 1X7
416 476 5262
makuchtim@yahoo.ca
When we went through this
When we went through this process we went to Blinds To Go. To get an accurate quote you will need pay for someone to come and take the required measurements (approx 35.00). We ended up using those measurements and going to Bouclair to get the blinds cut to size (widths only) and adjusted the lengths ourselves. We installed them ourselves too. Which was relatively easy to do. Ended up being 1/3 the cost compared to Blinds to Go
Thank you for the
Thank you for the information.
I used the guy from blinds to go...
His name is Matthew, I have his phone number at home so I will post it later tonight, but he is good at what he does. $35.00 for measurements and $80.00 for the install (did my sliding doors, the window beside it, and the windows in the main/2nd bedrooms). That included pickup and delivery of blinds from the store as well. I put in roller linen blinds throughout, he mounted them flush into the frame, they look awesome.
Nabil
Matthew Salerno, Mega City Interiors, 416-888-2878
I spoke to him today and confirmed that he is okay with me posting his info on this blog. Hope this helps.
Nabil
Anyone heard any updates on
Anyone heard any updates on when to expect that the properties will be registered? I provided cheques until February so Im wondering if anyone has provided for longer than that?
I provided cheques till
I provided cheques till april, I think no matter what month you move in they ask for six months worth of cheques...no idea when they will register, ...keeping my fingers crossed for as soon as possible...
No new news yet, but its looking good!
I gave post dated cheques up to May 2013. They have finished putting soil into the planters on my block (8) and have installed the lights on the paths and today are completing the sidewalk running along the garage ramp. I hope this is all indication of registration coming soon!
Nabil
What's the deal with the
What's the deal with the garbage bins in the park? Poop and scoop was an area of contention for dog owners and non dog owners but one day the garbages were turned inside out. People are obviously still using them since the park is opened and being used but this is incredibly frustrating for both dog owners and non dog owners!
Taft Property Management
Can anyone from previous phases comment on Taft Property Management? If their reputation isn't as stellar as I anticipate, we should look to replace them ASAP immediately following the Handover meeting once we are assumed.
Taft has been far from
Taft has been far from stellar. They improved after we registered but I have not been overly impressed with them. The other thing that concerns me is Taft seems to be closely tied with the builder as they are the property management company for at least a few of the builders projects.
Well first run of business is
Well first run of business is to give Taft their 60 days. This is my third condo Corporation and the Property Management assigned after registration is never a good Property Management company. They tend to be more expensive offering mediocre service. Lets ensure this is a first priority for Board business.
Phase 4 Board of Directors
I was under the impression that the Phase 4 units were to be sold individually but I kept hearing that more and more of the units are rented. I thought it was a coincidence until I did more digging.
The builder sold more than a 1/3 of the units to ONE person despite telling buyers that this was not possible. Having said that, the builder has effectively SCREWED Phase 4 residents as now the Board processes will be impossible to run. In order for things to be passed, they must be voted on. 66.6% have to approve. That said, there is already a large % of delinquent residents that just doing vote. However, with this new dynamic, even if the each and every resident of the remaining 2/3's of the community votes yes, the scales will not be tipped into a unanimous vote because of the one person that has purchased 1/3 of the units.
Furthermore, I've also come to learn that the Owner of these units will not even over see the properties. There is a Property Management compnay that manages these properties of whom, under Board rules, are not allowed to vote for anything because they are not unit owners. Depending on how much or how little this Owner is proactive or interested in Board proceedings will dictate EVERYTHING.
Thank you Rob Falus for screwing us even further, just when we thought the completion of the community would see the end of our frustrations, delays and poor customer service, we are left with your immortalized mark with an impossible Condo Board to run. I"m sure there are reasons why purchases like this are not permitted in a Condo type environment but this seemingly small oversight has just made the Condo Board processes impossible. I hope there is some language in our Declaration that gives equal power to all Owners and NOT BY counts per unit. If this is the case, this Condo Board is doomed even before its inception. Thanks a bunch!
While it may not be ideal to
While it may not be ideal to have one owner control 1/3 of the units it's far from the situation you describe. A quorum will more than likely only require the presence of 25% or owners, either in person or via proxy. Virtually all votes are based on a simple majority of those present. The only times when 2/3 of owners must vote in favour of something are for changes to the charter and for major (>10% of the annual budget) upgrades to the complex, note that high cost maintenance does not require any approval from the owners.
This is good to know...
Thanks for the insight.
Nabil
How did you find out about
How did you find out about this information? Wouldn't there be some kind of provision somewhere to cap the percentage of units to be sold by the builder to his family and friends?
Rob Falus and Neudorfer
Rob Falus and Neudorfer Corp... no integrity, no concern for customers, no quality!
If the board can somehow get quorum without that one owner present, then it may be possible to get some things done. It all depends on how involved that single owner is. Best case: 1 owner, 1 vote, regardless of # of units.
To the builder...Thanks for screwing everyone yet again!
In the absence of a
In the absence of a Declaration and Property Management company, we should do our own investigation at this point. Having been on Condo Boards for many years, I know all too well the challenges getting quorum. If the Condo Act and/or Declaration requires that each unit supply their positions, then we are pretty much SOL. The one Owner will be the deciding factor in ALL of our Condo Corp's decisions, even amending the Declaration with language that speaks to 1 Owner, 1 vote. If he doesn't vote for the amendment, Phase 4 can pretty much assume the Condo Corp a TOTAL failure where absolutely no Board efforts can be delivered. At which time, we will need to seek legal advice on how to proceed, perhaps shelling out a lot of money to get this resolved because of a stupid decision to break the tradition of not allowing one owner purchase so many units in a Condo Corporation. I mean really... is this guy new?? If that one Owner is off site and from what I've even heard, out of the country, then how in the world does this Board get his involvement?
HOW IN THE WORLD DID THIS BUILDER NOT KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING WHEN HE DID THIS OR DID HE KNOW AND NOT CARE?!! SLOPPY, SLOPPY, SLOPPY!!! Seriously, I've dealt with A LOT of BS at Phase 4 but this one takes the cake. The Builder forever leaving his mark on Phase 4 residents to screw us with Board practices, AGM's and trying to make any types of amendments. Total and utter BS!!! Thanks Rob!
Oh bummer...!
So this is my first home, and condo at that, so I have no idea how the board structure works. If what is stated above is true, this does not sound like it will be a good experience.
Newbies such as myself will really be looking to the expertise of experienced board member owners. Please post on the Facebook page of this group (if you already done so, I apologize as I have not checked it yet, don't facebook much at work and do not have internet hooked up at home yet) about what we need to be aware of and do to have an efficient and cost effective condo management system (thanks in advance).
I also need to read through my agreement and information packages provided by the builder, my lawyer and Tarion to learn as much as I can about how this all works so I hope to be productive contributor at the meetings when they are organized.
On a side note: does anyone know if Rogers is still running the 6 months free cable and internet? If so, does anyone have the contact info for the local rep who is setting up the promo? That info would be real helpful as well.
Thanks,
Nabil
If no one provides you with
If no one provides you with the contact, just call Rogers and say your looking for services in your new Development. We did this (earlier phase) and was offered the same promotion as everyone else was getting.
Capital idea.
I shall do that tomorrow. No cable and no internet makes nabil go something something!
Actually I could do without cable but life without the internet machine is hopeless!
Nabil
Nabil... I guess you moved in
Nabil... I guess you moved in now... How are things in your unit?
That's correct!
Moved in on the 16th and actually, everything is great. There were little things from the PDI such as broken tiles, scuffs on the walls and doors but everything is getting fixed quite promptly. People have been over to do work and they have been doing a good job. I too had a problem with the hot water but just for the tub, called Jenna at the customer service office and someone was over in 5 minutes, fixed the problem in 6 minutes and was on their way.
I love my place. I think the fit and finish is exceptional for a mass produced unit in the city. It is actually better than I thought it would have been. It is a HUGE space for 1 person but I am not complaining about that. I have never been happier to just get home from work before, nor have I ever longed to go home the way I have all week this week, lol. Thank you for asking.
I got the number for Rogers for anyone else that might need it: 1-866-902-9534. This is the department specifically for promotional offers for new builds. They just made me an incredible offer, having the tech come by tomorrow for the install.
Nabil
With the last unit occupied,
With the last unit occupied, how long do we think it will take before the city assumes us? Its so weird though, the workers are scarce and don't really seem to be doing a hell of a lot of work. What gives? Why wouldn't the builder want to accerlate the completion so they can get their money and we can aquire our mortgages? Something is amiss...
It is hard to say exactly how
It is hard to say exactly how long the registration process will take. There are a series of inspections that must be passed before the complex can be registered. If anything fails the issue needs to be resolved and then another re-inspection completed. I suspect the city is very busy with inspections as there are so many projects in Toronto. I believe phase 3 was registered within 2-3 months after all the units were essentially occupied. But Phase 3 was also a much smaller project. I live in phase 2 (about the size of yours) and we were registered within 7 months of all units being occupied... Or able to be occupied. Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later as I know this can be frustrating.
Hope this helps!
What are you talking about?
I usually sleep like the dead but I am woken up every day at 8 am (NOT COMPLAINING - I need to get into the habit of waking up earlier because I work afternoons) by workers hammering and drilling away. When I look outside there are at least 10-15 different workers running around getting things done. This has been the case every week day since I've moved in and there were painters painting the units above mine as late as 9pm last Saturday. I talk to a lot of these guys, they are all seemingly good guys and they work hard.
I don't know where a lot of people who post on this blog make their observations but as a phase 4 resident of 8 Foundry Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I can confirm that there is no conspiracy afoot here. Everything that was promised to me was delivered and what work needs to be done is getting done. The builder is doing, in my opinion, what they can, to get all the work that needs to be done to give ALL purchasers what they agreed to purchase. I assume at that point thereafter the inspections will start by the city and as soon as everything is cleared we will have registration.
To set your confusion straight, take a look to see what you are actually paying for your occupancy fees, aside from the condo fees and taxes, which is defined in writing in your purchase agreement for the fees and you can Google property tax assessments for the city of Toronto, you will notice that you are paying 10 basis points over prime on what you owe the builder for occupying your unit and that this can in no way be beneficial to the developer. They are either breaking even in the best case scenario or even taking a loss.
Today I lost power to my 2 bedrooms while I was vacuuming. I peeped my head outside my front door and asked a worker what gives? He suggested that it must have been something from the workers upstairs and he will pass along a message. Half an hour passed so I called Jenna. In 5 minutes Tony, the site supervisor was over. He spent 35 minutes at my place not only fixing the problem and explaining what could have caused it but also answering about 25 different questions I had about maintenance and upkeep of my place and just chirping.
These guys are WAY more customer service oriented in my personal experience than this blog has given them credit for. Of course not everything was as streamlined as could have been but I do not live in Utopia where everything is perfect all the time, every time. I suggest others stop assuming they do as well; you will notice that what you find problematic is not as bad as you might think it is.
This is a great neighbourhood and it seems like there are a lot of great people residing here as per the face book page; I have yet to meet anyone and hold a conversation for longer than 30 seconds as I have been real busy moving in and maintaining my regular schedule. I understand this is the same for everyone else residing in Phase 4 as well. The construction seems to be solid and the workmanship of everything inside the unit seems quite good. I did not pay $1.5MM for a custom built home so I am not expecting the quality of one, but for the price I paid for my unit the quality of the fittings and finish are MORE than suitable. Whatever problem has occurred has been addressed and attended to almost instantly.
I do hope that the rest of you enjoy your home as much as I am so far and that we have as speedy a registration as possible.
I encourage people who have problems to take it up with the builder directly as they have been nothing but helpful to me, I do not know why they wouldn't show you the same courtesy and professionalism they have been showing me.
I want to congratulate all of my neighbours on their great investment and I look forward to spending many years in this neighbourhood.
Nabil
Are you serious about posting
Are you serious about posting this after only 1 WEEK of living here Nabil??
Have you experienced unannounced or very last minute delays that impact your or your family's life? Have you been in the shower when the water was turned off, not to be turned on for another hour as one resident complained about? Have you had empty promise upon empty promise upon empty promise? Have you had damage hidden from Mark, the PDI guy so that the builder didn't have to address these issues as another resident complained about? Have you been given incorret mailing information so that you could not get your important documents delivered to you for SEVERAL WEEKS?? Have you had your PDI's said they were addressed when they're not or even told not going to be done as another resident complained about? Have you packed up your house and prepared for a move on a specified date, only to be told last minute that, oh sorry, your delayed for another few weeks?? What's your opinon about having a logistically impossible Condo Board due strictly to the fact that the builder sold 1/3 of the units to ONE person which isn't usually done because 66% is required for quorum. Have you even thought about asking ppl about the legitimacy of their complaints before posting such an assinine post?
Here's some advice Nabil. Stick arond for a while and experience more phantom power outages, broken appliances, delays, noise, dust, debris and keep your ear to the ground, THEN let's see if you maintain your position. I'll tell you this much, I held the EXACT SAME position as you when I moved in about the builder and the project plan; however, I am wiser by experience and insights that I attribute to living here. Stick around a while and let's see if you don't feel any impacts to this development. The projects not over yet and we're not out of the woods so stay tuned buddy!
Can't wait to see a beautiful community, no more workers and no more issues. Until then I say, share your experiences because many common issues have surfaced from this blog if not for the complaining. Use the technology available and let's all talk because life is not what it seems thorugh rose coloured glasses!
Wow.... maybe you shouldn't
Wow.... maybe you shouldn't buy in a new build, you clearly can't handle it.
Thank you for your advice,
I intend to stick around for a long time and hope that I do not have many problems with my home. Like you, I am posting based on MY experience, granted it has been a short one but I was relying on posts on this board long before my occupancy to brace my self for what to expect. Luckily for me the whole process has been relatively easy and I have not had to endure the type of trouble that a lot of you have posted about. I am not suggesting that anyone stop posting on their experience but am I not allowed to share mine from my perspective?
Believe me if I am displeased about something I will voice it as I have done before on this blog. I understand that you are bitter from your experience but do you realize that the way some of these complaints are posted on an open forum such as this could serve to be terrifying for first time buyers such as myself and potential buyers?
Your experience is your experience; you are still living in this development yes? You did buy from this developer right? How about posting about how to avoid the experiences that you have with a follow up of how you handled your problems as they occurred?
My goal was only to let reader’s still awaiting occupancy know of my very recent experience with the process. My intention is not to offend you or to undermine the fact that a lot of you went through a tedious process getting into and living in your homes which I’m sure that like me, you worked very hard to get.
I have been honest about my inexperience with home ownership and I will continue to do so but can I request that experienced owners such as you propose what should be done so that our lives could be made easier in the long run with all of the problems that have come up thus far and await us for the future? This whole “rabble rabble rabble,” has it done anything to improve your situation?
I appreciate all the perspective I have acquired from this blog and as I have posted before, I do hope that none of the other owners have to endure what some have previously and that their delivery be smooth and problem free. But should there be issues, which there always will be with ANY build, in my experience, luckily it seems, they have been addressed promptly and with courtesy.
Good day Anonymous,
Nabil
Not to continue to stir the
Not to continue to stir the pot but after reading the comment trail, I see Nabil's statement is what got so many people's back up: "I don't know where a lot of people who post on this blog make their observations". Everyone's just settling into their homes after a Summer/Fall of regular disappointments and I imagine this statement was a little premature or off base. Let's respect each other's position and not belittle our experiences, positive and negative. Unfortunately you've assigned your name to all your comments so you don't have the relief of anonymity but that's good or bad depending on how you see things. You and others may feel you're personally attacked but that may just be that you've signed your name to your comment. Adding an anonymous reply to a comment tables the complaint but not the unit owner which IMO is a great approach to this blog for fear of retaliation or being targeted by the builder directly (unless of course he's affilated somehow with the site Administor in which case that would be very troublesome). It might be a good idea to follow suit Nabil, just sayin, just to protect identity in some way.
We're almost finished yet I'm wondering if the excessive sounds you hear are from the Fuse2 buildling project and if they're not, why is there still so much major construction with the last units occupied two weeks ago? Just curious. I was imagining the builder was onto completing warranty items and finishing touches, not major construction still at this part of the development but alas, nothing surprises me with this development anymore. I've been to a lot, know a lot from family, friends who are in residential development and real estate. Familiar with a lot of stuff that is going on and although we are not the worst out there, there are many things that could have been done much, much better.
I whole heartedly agree for a quick registration but I too don't see many items that don't appear would take alot of time to complete (ie. path lights/eletrical, putting up the path fence, etc.) in order to have us registered so perhaps something is afoot but I agree with the previous poster, where exactly is everyone?? They turned around the walkway fence in a couple days and was even contracted out to a fencing company so didn't use the Developer's main construction team. The concrete is dry, why wouldn't they have them come back to complete the job so they can also take down the fence? The grass has settled for weeks of being untouched and the path behind the units is complete as well. With winter coming, we will not see this completed until April/May? We'll have to wait that long or longer to be registered? I'm pretty tired of not paying towards my mortgage and paying "rent" that is not tax deductable quite frankly. Let's get -er done Rob!
Far too many questions with no forum or access to solid answers so we bitch and complain on this blog until we piece the pieces TOGETHER with someone hearing one thing and validating that with what someone else has heard. I think its a great way to establish a community, regardless of the complaints. We just can't avoid the complaints when, as another Poster had commented, there's so much to complain about but in the future we can lament on past experiences that bound us TOGETHER!
Good luck everyone. Let's try to get through this unscathed...
Hi, just an FYI, block 8 is
Hi, just an FYI, block 8 is not fully occupied. We should get our keys by tomorrow or Friday but the sounds Nabil was hearing were very likely from the upper units that they were finishing off.
Yeah...
I guess I didn't mention this before either but the unit on top of mine and on either side of it are yet to be occupied.
Have a good move buddy! If I see you I'll come out and say hello and introduce myself. I will be home in the morning/early afternoon both tomorrow and Friday, I'm happy to help get your things in if needed, before I have to leave for work of course!
Nabil
Nice!
This was very well said.
Nabil
you've lived here for one
you've lived here for one week Nabil at the tail end of the project. Try being here for log experiencing what countless others have and then share your opinions. Your perspective is not one based on extensive experience so can you really suggest that these complaints are unwarranted? Think about it....
You're right.
The complaints are not unwarranted, I suppose I have been put off by the negativity on this blog relative to my personal experience with occupancy and my living experience thus far. I was on edge up until I moved into my place and realized, wait a minute, this has not been bad at all!
Anyway, I hope the problems you've faced cease for all and that you enjoy your home the way that you had wanted to before having to deal with what you have had to deal with.
Have a great weekend,
Nabil
Well said Nabil..........
Well said Nabil..........
Once you've experienced
Once you've experienced cooking food and having your stove break while also doing laundry and having the washer break during a cycle to have to do laundry off site just so your clothes don't get musty and you throw out your food cuz you can't finish cooking it so have to spend money to eat out for your husband and kids only to have the builder tell you to contact your appliance manufacturer and refuse to help you, you will change your tune.
I know this place has a lot of potential and believe me, my family and I are counting the days but don't think living here since November 16 make you an expert on what we've experienced or how the builder has treated us. It very disheartening to have to read these posts but where exactly does the liability lie?
Us for bitching or for the Builder for giving us something to bitch about?
Do I HAVE to go through that experience???
Because I really don't want to. And I am sorry to hear that you had to. Hopefully it gets better for you and your family!
Best,
Nabil
Jesus people, leave Nabil
Jesus people, leave Nabil alone. He's had a great experience, let him. I've had a bunch of issues and a lot have been taken care of some not, but realise it's a new build. We all have different opinions and should be allowed to. Both this blog and FB page have people bitch constantly, complain, present non-facts and get people fired up WITHOUT cause. Just stop.
I believe his post upset ppl
I believe his post upset ppl because he criticized ppl for complaining without being here long enough to realize they are founded and often are very serious complaints. No one can stop ppl from sharing their experiences in this blog, good or bad. If someone asserts themselves as being a source of knowledge, implying ppl are complaining about insignificant things or to grow a thicker skin then he should be prepared for he backlash of months if frustration.
Your fellow Bloggers are not he culprit here, not even Nabil. The builder is responsible for all this negativity so we all should realize that he is the reason why ppl complain. Even Nabil is realizing that his track record is not pristine.
I guess this is what you get when you have a community full of very intelligent people, with many different personality types, with loved ones living with them, of whom have invested a lot of money, hearing complaints from previous phases of whom now experience their own plights is a blog full of negativity. The end result is ppl will complain but will change once there's more sense to be thankful for.
Here's to hoping the people
Here's to hoping the people that complain about everything are very few... I don't recommend a new build to any of you. Why can't we all just enjoy our new community?
Bottom line...it's a new
Bottom line...it's a new development in an area that is undergoing massive development based on the projects that were slated to go up when you bought. As Nabil mentioned these are not custom homes, nor did anyone pay anywhere near a million dollars for them. And therein lies the issue. Why are people buying Nissans and expecting a Lexus? True many of the complaints may be legit, but if you didn't want to be part of a new build in a newly built, ongoing development why buy here? This project will take years. Those who have patience will reap the benefits. Those who complain will sell and perhaps regret they left. Either way, everything is one person's opinion. But the fact remains, if you don't like it, get out. And there are two sides to every story. I've spoken to workers who've complained to them of deficiencies that were pretty bogus. So just as much as people say the builder is what he is, why are all residents painted in a positive light? Everyone's perspective is different, glad that people like Nabil and others had positive experiences. The law of averages would suggest some won't be as positive. C'est la vie!
Cleaning?
Hi everyone,
We are looking for a reliable and trustworthy cleaning person to clean our place every few weeks. Does anyone know someone in the area? We prefer not to go through an agency because it is too expensive! Thanks!!!