2716 St Clair Ave East Townhouses: 25 East York Homes From 1979

2716 St Clair Avenue East is one of the few condominium townhouse complexes in this part of East York, where most of the housing is bungalows, two-storey houses and rental towers. It is 25 homes from 1979, with a parking garage and permission to barbecue, near St Clair and O’Connor. Small and old means the documents deserve as much attention as the kitchen. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A rare condo townhouse in East York

O’Connor-Parkview is mostly freehold. Its sub-areas include Topham Park, a wartime housing development built between 1944 and 1946, Woodbine Gardens with its bungalows, two-storey houses and apartment towers, and Parkview Hills, where original bungalows have given way to much larger homes.

Against that backdrop, a 25-home condominium townhouse complex is an unusual option. It gives buyers a way into a neighbourhood of houses at a lower price point, with the exterior work handled by the corporation.

That rarity cuts both ways at resale. There are few direct comparables, so pricing relies on judgement, and buyers searching for East York houses may not think to look at a condo townhouse. A well-presented listing has to explain what the complex is.

O’Connor-Parkview was part of the former borough of East York until amalgamation with Toronto in 1998. The housing here is a mix of quiet wartime streets, larger estate homes and apartment towers, and this complex gives you a townhouse option in the middle of it.

Twenty-five homes at 47 years old

YCC-479 registered on 21 June 1979, so the homes are about 47 years old. The complex has almost certainly been through at least one full cycle of roofs and windows, and the reserve fund study will show where it is in the next one.

With 25 homes, this is a very small corporation. Owners tend to know each other and the board is made up of neighbours, which can make for careful management. It also means a large repair, such as a garage or roofing project, is split among very few households.

Ask for the reserve fund study, the latest budget and audited financial statements, and the last year of board minutes. Those documents show whether the fee has kept pace with the age of the buildings, and whether any large project or special assessment is coming.

Ask about the wiring too. Homes built in Ontario in the 1970s sometimes used aluminium branch wiring, and insurers usually ask about it. A home inspector can tell you what is in the walls and whether it has been remediated.

Garage, visitor parking and a barbecue

Condos.ca lists a parking garage, visitor parking and BBQs permitted. In a neighbourhood where many houses have a single driveway or street parking, a garage space is a real advantage.

Confirm what the garage is. In 1970s complexes it can be an attached garage per home or a shared underground structure, and a shared garage’s waterproofing and drainage are among the most expensive items a corporation ever repairs. Look for it in the reserve fund study.

Condos.ca does not publish unit sizes or a reliable storey count here; its single-floor entry is a database convention. Measure the home, ask for the floor plan, and look closely at the basement for any history of water.

Parking also affects resale more here than in many parts of Scarborough. East York buyers who are used to houses with a single driveway, or none, will notice a garage space, so make sure the listing explains exactly what comes with the home.

St Clair and O’Connor day to day

The neighbourhood’s southern edge is the Taylor-Massey Creek ravine, part of Taylor Creek Park, one of the city’s largest ravine parks at about 182 acres. blogTO describes a loop trail of nearly six kilometres with a paved path for cycling and a quieter dirt path, and an overpass at O’Connor Drive about halfway along.

To the west, St Clair Avenue East runs out at the Don Valley in Parkview Hills, the most expensive pocket of the neighbourhood, with large lots surrounded by ravine. Schools, transit routes and distances are in the data panel on this page.

For drivers, the Don Valley Parkway is a short drive away, which is a large part of East York’s appeal for downtown commuters.

Before you buy, map out your weekly errands from this address. The data panel shows what is within walking distance; for anything beyond it, a garage space and visitor parking for guests are worth more here than they would be downtown.

How to price a home here

There were no homes for sale or lease when I checked, and condos.ca publishes no average price per square foot for this complex. The data panel on this page shows the aggregate sales and lease record.

Because there are so few condo townhouses in O’Connor-Parkview, the best comparables are often other 1970s condo townhouse complexes in East York and nearby, plus freehold houses on surrounding streets as an upper bound. Adjust for size, condition, parking and the monthly fee.

Remember that a townhouse fee mostly pays for the exterior, grounds, insurance and reserve, while utilities are usually on the owner. Budget heat and hydro separately before you compare the monthly cost with a house or an apartment.

If you are selling, the small number of comparable homes is an opportunity as much as a problem. Buyers who want this kind of home in this area have few choices in any given month, so a clean, updated home with clear documents tends to stand out.

When you compare this complex with others, compare what each fee includes as well as the dollar amount. A lower fee that leaves windows, doors or the driveway to the owner can cost more over ten years than a higher fee that covers them.

Building specifications

Amenities at 2716 St Clair Ave East Townhouses

There is no pool, gym or party room, which keeps the fee focused on the buildings. The garage, guest parking and the ravine park nearby do most of the work an amenity package would. If you want a pool or gym, a community centre membership is usually cheaper than funding shared facilities through the fee.

Jatin’s honest take on 2716 St Clair Ave East Townhouses

2716 St Clair Ave East Townhouses — frequently asked questions

Looking at Agincourt, L’Amoreaux, Milliken, Dorset Park and Wexford in Scarborough more broadly? Start with my Toronto community guide — the neighbourhoods, what each pocket is like, and how they compare.