CARPE DI-BRICK

You better be nimble...you better be quick...before its FRESHLY picked.

I can remember the first house we lost out on. It was a gorgeous centre hall Victorian on Aberdeen Avenue with plaster medallions, pocket doors, marble fireplaces, 3 sun rooms, original tub with fixtures...the list goes on. Sadly it was scooped from us. It was sitting on the market for quiet some time with several price drops and something finally compelled us to take a look and make our move.

Tom Vogel, www.vogel-creative.com

ADVERTISEMENT: CLICK TO LEARN MORE

We booked a viewing and it was even more gorgeous in person. We were in LOVE. We put in an offer, conditional on the sale of our house, and they accepted. It was truly a whirlwind of emotions. This was our dream home, on an amazing street, full of character and within our budget! It was too good to be true and we were one step closer to reality with our conditional offer buying us time. All we had to do was sell our home and it was ours.

Unfortunately the weeks went by and we did not have any serious interest in our house. I wished we did not need to sell our house to firm up, but we didn't have the luxury of carrying two mortgages. We were held captive by our existing home and the dream was diminishing. Then one night it was extinguished. I walked by 'the house'...the lights were on...a Lexus SUV was parked out front (shit they have money was all I thought)...all signs pointed to OFFER. And my intuition was right. Our dream was FRESHLY PICKED. It was like having the rug pulled out from beneath us.

Of course, we got over it. But even today I wonder, "What if we had found a better way to sell our house?"...A better way to move on and move out.

Being nimble and being quick are key to securing a hot property these days. You never know when they are going to pop-up, and when they do you can almost guarantee you are not the only one with your eyes on it. Especially with increasing interest from out of town buyers who see the incredible value our city has to offer. And conditional offers are rare. You may get lucky but even then, there are no guarantees -- a cash deal will trump yours.

Essentially you have to be ready to go in conditions free if you want a fighting chance - meaning your house is sold, you are a first time buyer or you have the capital to carry two properties. Most of us fall in the first category and if you are like me, you have very particular wants in a home - namely character - and would never risk selling and hoping you find 'it'. You need to be enticed by a tangible, FRESH on the market, offering. Sounds risky...almost impossible. Good news, there are options that give you the autonomy to score that FRESH piece of BRICK, keeping your dream alive. Consider the following:

MOVE ON and MOVE OUT. FRESH BRICK FANS & FOLLOWERS, Addison Estates and Doug Folsetter at RE/MAX are collaborating to launch a large-scale purchasing initiative in the  greater Hamilton area.The two are looking to procure homes of any price and in any condition.

   Jason Waxman, President and Executive Director of Addison Estates says, "Selling your home is a stressful endeavor. Our goal is to provide sellers with an opportunity for a worry free process. No costly renovations or long days on the market. Simply the ability to sell and move onto a new home."

Doug Folsetter of RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc., Brokerage says, "We strive to make the home selling process as easy and as fair as possible. Don't worry if your home needs work, that's what we are looking for! Rest assured that it will be transformed to its former glory by the skilled craftsmen of the Addison Estates team."

-- Doug Folsetter has been a leader in Hamilton real estate since 2005 --
-- Addison Estates has been refurbishing homes in Hamilton since 2006 --

For more information visit www.addisonestates.com

Addison Estates BEFORE and AFTERS...

ADVERTISEMENT: CLICK TO LEARN MORE



NORTH SHORE (IS) SPECTACULAR: 'GREEN HOUSE' circa1929

682 North Shore Boulevard East , Burlington, Ontario

This 1920s English Manor style estate is an absolute knockout. FRESH on the market as of yesterday, it is the first property in a long time deserving of a HOLY BRICK! There's really not much to say about this one except enjoy the show....

ADVERTISEMENT: CLICK TO LEARN MORE

FRESH FEATURES

Custom woodwork throughout & 4 fireplaces

1.1 acres on the waterfront



Concrete in-ground pool, change rooms & beautifully landscaped grounds



Panoramic waterfront views



10' ceilings



• Original leaded windows

Offered at $2,597,000
View full listing HERE





ADVERTISEMENT: CLICK TO LEARN MORE

HOUSE HUNTERS HAMILTON

I'm not going to lie...I cried when we received an offer on our house because its truly the most amazing building I have ever had the honor of living in and I will miss it very much.

However, we found something else that feels right - like the forever family home (yes we plan on staying put! ). 

I will miss James St but the people we sold it to respect it as much as we do. A big thanks to Colette Cooper for selling our home and enabling the next chapter for The Wilson's. 

Now, it sounds cliche, but we narrowed the house hunt down to three choices. You can almost hear the HGTV theme song in the background, the doorbell, and Susan Wang introducing each one. But honestly, when it came down to it we found three amazing homes - one of which we made an offer on - and two of which still exist (and are pretty AWESOME in my opinion).

What it ultimately came down to was which one felt right in the gut, along with what option offered minimal disruption to our current lifestyle (distance to the GO station, walk ability, same school district, privacy and of course -- CHARACTER!).

Here's a sneak peek of the WINNER:

  

ADVERTISEMENT: CLICK TO LEARN MORE

See below for the low down on the RUNNERS UP. Photography by the incomparable Tom Vogel, www.vogel-creative.com

1. City Views...Room to Improve: 21 Mountain Park Avenue

FRESHEST FEATURE: A bird's eye view with gorgeous panoramas of Hamilton and beyond.All this in your own backyard. Immediate wow factor and the view continues in the Master Bedroom and 3rd floor finished attic space.

                          

• This home has tremendous curb appeal with tons of space between properties
• An upscale, family friendly neighbourhood
• Some updates are required, but mostly cosmetic to really maximize the full potential of this beauty. Easily an $800,000 home with the right improvements and design choices.
• Love the solid wood pocket doors, detailed plaster mouldings in the dining room, gorgeous stairway, inlay hardwood floors throughout, generous sized bedrooms and ample closet space
•  Incredible attic potential (Master Suite calling)

Offered at $624,900

View virtual tour HERE

2. Polished Perfection...Nothing to Do: 330 Caroline Street South 

FRESHEST FEATURE: Turn-key, bling, bling. Everything is done to the highest standard with top of the line finishes that sparkle and are brag worthy. This is a home for those who want to move in and enjoy. I don't feel there is as much potential to add short-term value as over $200,000 has already been put into improvements but I do think this property is a sound investment and will hold its value.

                     

Similar to Mountain Park, this home has tremendous curb appeal and is also within an upscale, family friendly neighbourhood. One unique selling point is the double car garage with parking for up to 7 cars in the driveway - almost unheard of in the city!

And the outdoor space is amazing with a multi-tiered deck, hot tub, and water feature. Not to mention basement walkout and seamless connection/flow to the main floor living space through double french doors off the dining room.

Lastly, the biggest wow factors inside are A) The gigantic main floor bath (you could live in it) remodeled with double pedestal sinks, shower with body jets and rain shower and an extra deep claw foot bathtub and B) The state of the art theatre room on the 3rd floor with 2 piece en suite (Master suite potential) 

Offered at $739,900

View virtual tour HERE



ADVERTISEMENT: CLICK TO LEARN MORE

A CHAMPION FOR OLD HOUSES

ADVERTISEMENT: CLICK TO LEARN MORE

Kathy Renwald
Hamilton Spectator Aug 28, 2014

Hamilton's inventory of beautiful old homes is fuelling a hot blog called Fresh Brick. Adam Wilson's blog is a photo-rich tour of the houses we all want to explore. The stone and brick mansions of Ravenscliffe, Aberdeen Avenue, Markland Street, the Mountain Brow and Delaware Avenue are given glossy treatment on Wilson's ever-changing blog.

"It's a passion project," said Wilson, whose own glamorous home is at 250 James St. S. He grew up in a '70s-era house on the Mountain, and fell in love with grand old houses when he started to make some money. "I never wanted a nice car, I wanted a nice house."

Wilson puts fresh content on freshbrick.blogspot.com while commuting on the Go train to his advertising job at the Globe and Mail. He started the blog in 2012 and posts at least once a week, and often six or seven times a week.

The houses he writes about are all for sale, which gives him access to virtual tours, and photographs from real estate websites. "I always refer back to the original websites. It's just more exposure, and I love to advocate for Hamilton's architecture."

Along with photos and details of the listing, Wilson adds information about the architecture and history of the house using resources from the Hamilton Public Library, the city's listing of houses with heritage designations, and local history websites.

The blog receives about 5,000 to 6,000 page views each month, and has stoked a conversation among lovers of fine homes.

His 1880 house was designed by architect James Balfour, and is designated one of the city's finest examples of Second Empire architecture. It features monster baseboards, 11-foot ceilings, four marble fireplaces, original servant bells, butler's pantry and a grand staircase. It's also for sale.
Call it the lure of the bucket list. Wilson and his wife Irene, a teacher, have owned four homes, making money and moving up the ladder with each sale. There's always another one beckoning.
"It's the thrill of these old treasures; it's like you're staying in a really cool hotel and then you can move on and fall in love again," he says. They're stalking another beauty in the southwest, and hope to sell theirs for $725,000.

"I love to go for a walk at night and see cool things when the houses are lit up, in a non-creepy way of course."

If the For Sale sign is up, you'll see it the next day on Fresh Brick.

http://m.thespec.com/living-story/4800162-a-champion-for-old-houses/



ADVERTISEMENT: CLICK TO LEARN MORE