Yup

Depends on the townhouse. Some are better than antique bungalows.

Last week I went to see a friend of mine just bought a 60 year old $1.4 M bungalow. Single car detached garage, 1400 sq ft. Not close to anything. Some suburb in Etobicoke. It looks like crap and they've budgeted over $100k for renovations. Basically ripping apart the whole interior.

On the way home my "wife" commented that our brand new $760k, now worth close to a Mil, double car attached garage, 2000 sqft "executive" end-unit townhouse is a much better deal. It's much more liveable that's for sure.

So your wife said that a property bought 2-3 years ago at much lower prices is a better deal than a property bought today? She must be very analytical.

I want to live in a townhouse instead of a detached home...is something no one ever said in the history of humans.

Nothing wrong with townhouses or living in one, but gtfo out with this executive townhome is better than an old detached home. How executive do you feel when you hear your neighbours parties through the wall? /in before executive not a straight street sound insulation.

I'll take an executive townhouse over an old house, no lies.

I prefer 10' ceilings, open concept and large windows over privacy.

I would actually swap my 40 year old house for my old town manor if it wasn't temporary.

I was looking to lease a townhouse for $3,500 and rent out my own house $2,500, yes... take a hit, but the wife didn't want to re-pack/un-pack after 2 months of settling in (and the landlord didn't care to discount and being Chinese, I need a discount to seal the deal).

On the topic of rent, the cashflow of a condo investment property >>> of a detached... did anyone buy one of the cool Nobu units?

No you wouldn't, you are only saying that because of your current situation.

Long term, almost no one would do that.

Secondly, have you lived in a townhome before?

I don't want to turn this into a pissing match because facts are facts, nothing wrong with townhouse living, but let's not make into something that it's not.

Gotcha. Not gonna lie I have a total of 4 floors now with the basement finished and damn that's a lot of fricken stairs.

Yup, this happened a lot for us

Put kids down for bed then went to basement to watch tv.
-Did you bring the baby monitor down with you?
-No, fuck it's in our room (3rd floor)
-You going to get it?
-No just got here.
-Ok, just turn the volume down on the tv and listen out for them.

I'd take any of these townhomes over a 40 year old detached any day:



3500 sq ft, 2+4 car garage, and ... elevator!



The garage is weird. You have 4 parking spots in the common area garage which you park in front of your 2 car garage. A garage within a garage.


I have a friend who lives there. Puts many detached homes to shame.

Well, if a detached home were up to the standards of my townhome, yes... I would get the detached.

But compared to those tiny, badly laid out, one garage detached shitholes built back in the '50s? Nah! I'll take my modern Townhouse!

It just seems to me that for $1.4M, you're not getting good value in a 50 year old detached.

Don't forget the build quality on older homes are a lot more solid than the current built homes. I was helping my friend to demolish his 1960s built bungalow in Halton Hills area. The materials were legit the real deal, solid wood, thicker drywall, etc.

As for the room layout, you realize it can be knockdown and re-model right?

If your neighbour is quiet type then it's not too bad. I have heard my next door neighbour partying on occasional weekends, loud music here and there, and their kids crying, and I can hear my neighbours running up and down the stairs. If you say you can't hear your neighbours living in a townhouse/semi-detached, you are lying to yourself.

Well, if a detached home were up to the standards of my townhome, yes... I would get the detached.

But compared to those tiny, badly laid out, one garage detached shitholes built back in the '50s? Nah! I'll take my modern Townhouse!

It just seems to me that for $1.4M, you're not getting good value in a 50 year old detached.

Would anyone downsize to keep their mortgage similar if the rates continue to rise? I know this is CSI where everyone's house is paid off, but is everyone happy with their current home & have no plans to move in the next 10 years? Does current house need a major renovation to keep you? Would people rather throw that extra money into the cottage or investments. Or do people not really watch the market that hard and as long as mortgage & bills are paid life's good?

Risky, those town home lovers are probably the same people who would hate to have to maintain a yard of any size. They'd rather have a solid concrete patio and a couple planters. The things you like about a detached are things they don't care for. They prefer turn-key simplicity over 'potential', and the hassle associated with it. Personally, I'm with you, but hey, different folks, different strokes.

Would anyone downsize to keep their mortgage similar if the rates continue to rise? I know this is CSI where everyone's house is paid off, but is everyone happy with their current home & have no plans to move in the next 10 years? Does current house need a major renovation to keep you? Would people rather throw that extra money into the cottage or investments. Or do people not really watch the market that hard and as long as mortgage & bills are paid life's good?

Risky, those town home lovers are probably the same people who would hate to have to maintain a yard of any size. They'd rather have a solid concrete patio and a couple planters. The things you like about a detached are things they don't care for. They prefer turn-key simplicity over 'potential', and the hassle associated with it. Personally, I'm with you, but hey, different folks, different strokes.

Risky, those town home lovers are probably the same people who would hate to have to maintain a yard of any size. They'd rather have a solid concrete patio and a couple planters. The things you like about a detached are things they don't care for. They prefer turn-key simplicity over 'potential', and the hassle associated with it. Personally, I'm with you, but hey, different folks, different strokes.