8 Blue Flag Gate Townhouses: 30 Homes, One Small 1974 Corporation

With only 30 homes, 8 Blue Flag Gate is one of the smallest townhouse corporations I look at in North York. It dates from 1974, it sits on a handful of short lanes called carseways near Bathurst and Finch, and condos.ca lists a parking garage. Small has real advantages here, and one real risk. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

Thirty homes on five short lanes

The addresses tell you the layout. Blue Flag Gate leads in, and four short lanes, Silvan, Wooded, Vale and Glade Carseway, each hold a small group of homes. Thirty homes in total makes this a corporation where most owners know each other by sight.

Small complexes like this tend to be quiet, with little through traffic and few people coming and going. Owner meetings are small enough that one or two engaged owners can shape decisions, for better or worse.

The flip side is turnover. When I checked there was one home for sale and none for rent. In a 30-home corporation, a year can pass with only a handful of sales, so a buyer who wants this complex needs to be ready when a home comes up.

Ask how often the board changes and how many owners attend the annual meeting. In a corporation this size, an engaged board and a manager who keeps good records are worth more than any amenity. The minutes from the last two or three years will tell you quickly whether that is the case here.

The parking garage is the big line item

Condos.ca lists a parking garage and visitor parking here. In a 1970s complex, a shared garage is usually the most expensive thing the corporation owns. The waterproofing over and around it, the concrete, drainage and ventilation all wear out, and repairs are costly.

Spread over only 30 homes, a major garage repair is a large bill per owner. That is the one real risk of a small corporation. Ask how the garage is built, when it was last repaired and what the reserve fund study plans for it over the next ten to fifteen years.

Also confirm what parking comes with the home you want. Ask whether the space is owned or exclusive-use, how many spaces the home has, and where guests park. Write the answers into your offer conditions if anything is unclear.

Garage costs also show up in insurance. The corporation’s policy covers the common elements, including the garage, and it carries a deductible that can sometimes be charged back to an owner. Ask for the deductibles on the status certificate and make sure your own condo insurance covers them.

Living with a 50-year-old townhouse

Condos.ca does not name the original builder, and I could not find one from another source. What I can tell you is what homes of this age usually need: roofs, windows, doors, exterior walls and paving have likely been replaced at least once or are due.

The declaration decides who pays for what. In some townhouse corporations the corporation replaces windows and roofs for everyone; in others, owners pay for parts of the exterior themselves. Read the declaration with the reserve fund study, and ask the manager for a list of major work done in the last decade.

Inside, ask about the basement, the age of the furnace and air conditioner, the electrical panel and any work done without permits. A good home inspection matters more in a 50-year-old home than in any new condo.

Condos.ca lists BBQs as permitted. Confirm the exact rules on the status certificate, since many corporations limit fuel type or placement. Ask the same about fences, decks and exterior changes.

Bathurst and Finch, day to day

This is an established, practical part of North York. Bathurst Street is the main spine, with towers and plazas along it and lower-rise streets behind. Westminster-Branson is known as one of Toronto’s main Russian-speaking and Jewish neighbourhoods, and its neighbourhood history notes that Russian is the most widely spoken language among residents.

The neighbourhood’s larger green spaces include G. Ross Lord Park, the West Don Parklands and the Finch Avenue Hydro Corridor. The data panel on this page shows the nearest transit, schools and walkability, so I will leave those details to it.

Most households here drive, and the indoor parking is part of the appeal in winter. Bathurst and Finch are both busy at rush hour, so homes set back on the carseways, away from the main roads, are usually the quieter ones.

Pricing with almost no comparables

There was a single home on the market when I checked, which is too few to quote a range, and condos.ca does not publish a price-per-square-foot figure for this complex. With 30 homes and slow turnover, the market here is thin.

That means comparables have to come from wider. I would look at recent sales here, at other 1970s condo townhouse complexes nearby, and at small freehold homes, and adjust for parking, basements, renovation and the fee.

I could not find what the fee includes. Ask whether water, building insurance, exterior maintenance, snow removal and the garage costs are covered, and how each home is heated. For aggregate sale figures, use the data panel above or my sold report.

Building specifications

Amenities at 8 Blue Flag Gate Townhouses

There are no shared recreation facilities listed, which is normal for a 1970s townhouse complex. The amenity that matters here is the parking garage, because it is useful every day and it is also the corporation’s biggest long-term cost.

Jatin’s honest take on 8 Blue Flag Gate Townhouses

8 Blue Flag Gate Townhouses — frequently asked questions

Looking at York Mills, Don Mills, Lawrence Park, Bathurst Manor and midtown-north Toronto more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.