Purple Dusk Trail and Military Trail Townhouses: 43 Homes in Morningside

This complex has one of the longest names in Scarborough and one of the simplest propositions: 43 townhouses from 1996, spread across two streets in Morningside, at a price well below a freehold house. It sits on Military Trail, the same road that leads to the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. The two addresses and the 30-year age are what you need to get right before you buy. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

One corporation, two streets, many addresses

The complex is split between Military Trail and Purpledusk Trail, and the address ranges do not quite match its own name. Condos.ca titles it 108 to 128 Purple Dusk Trail and 357 to 397 Military Trail, while the full address range runs to 401 Military Trail and 146 Purpledusk Trail, and the street itself is spelled as one word.

This is more than a typo. Military Trail and Purpledusk Trail are lined with several townhouse complexes, and condos.ca lists separate corporations at 351 Military Trail and at 431 to 451 Military Trail. Before you offer, confirm that the listing’s corporation number is MTCC-1123 and that the status certificate, budget and reserve fund study you are reading belong to it.

It also matters for comparable sales. A neighbouring complex of the same age can have a very different fee, reserve fund and repair history, so compare within this corporation first.

Thirty years old: the second repair cycle

A 1996 complex has been through one full set of roofs and is likely on its second set of windows, doors and paving, or about to be. How the corporation has funded that work is the key question for any buyer.

Ask for the reserve fund study and the last two years of budgets and minutes. Look at when the roofs, windows, exterior doors and paving were last replaced, what is scheduled in the next five years, and whether the fund balance matches the plan. If it does not, expect higher fees or a special contribution.

Inside the home, check the furnace, air conditioner and water heater, and whether any of them are rented. Rental contracts transfer to the buyer in Ontario, so they are part of your monthly cost. A home inspection is worth it even in a condominium, especially for electrical, plumbing and the basement.

Read the declaration too. Older townhouse corporations differ on who looks after roofs, windows, doors, decks and private yards, and in some complexes owners are responsible for more of the exterior than buyers expect. That split changes the true cost of ownership, so know where the line falls before you compare this fee with a neighbouring complex.

Professional management at 43 homes

At 43 homes, this corporation is big enough to spread costs sensibly and to pay a professional manager, which it does in Shiu Pong Management. That usually means regular financial statements and someone to call about repairs.

It is still small enough that the board is made up of a handful of neighbours. Read the minutes to see how decisions are made and how quickly repairs get approved, and ask how many owners live in their homes rather than renting them out.

Insurance belongs on the same list. The corporation insures the buildings and owners insure their contents, improvements and liability. Ask what deductible the corporation carries, since owners are often charged it when a claim starts in their home.

Condos.ca does not list any amenities or fee inclusions for this complex. Ask about parking, whether each home has a garage or a driveway, and how much visitor parking there is, because on interior streets like Purpledusk Trail that can be the most common source of neighbour disputes.

Living on Military Trail

Military Trail is the road that runs to the University of Toronto Scarborough campus, home of the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre at 875 Morningside Avenue. The centre was built for the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games and is run by the university and the City, with two Olympic-sized pools, a diving tank, a track and fitness areas.

Having a university campus as a neighbour shapes an area: a large employer, a student population and a public sports facility that owners can use. The panel on this page lists the nearest transit, schools, shops and parks, so use it to judge the daily commute.

Morningside is a largely residential part of Scarborough, and this complex sits on its own short interior street as well as on Military Trail. Homes facing Military Trail will hear more traffic than those on Purpledusk Trail, so check which side a home faces and visit at rush hour.

What this complex costs

With 43 homes, sales come up a few times a year. When I checked, there was a single home for sale and none for lease, which is not enough to quote a range without pointing to one owner’s listing.

Condos.ca does not publish a fee inclusion list. In most townhouse condominiums, the fee covers the common elements, exterior maintenance, building insurance and snow clearing, while owners pay their own utilities. Confirm the split in the status certificate.

Do not judge the fee in isolation. A low fee with a thin reserve fund is not cheap, and a higher fee backed by a well-funded plan can be the safer buy. Look at the fee, the reserve fund balance and the next five years of planned work together.

The fair comparisons are the other townhouse complexes along Military Trail and Purpledusk Trail, and freehold townhouses in Morningside. Condition will move the price more than anything: updated kitchens and bathrooms, newer windows and recent mechanical systems can separate two otherwise identical homes. Use the panel for recent sales, or ask me for a building sold report before you offer.

Building specifications

Jatin’s honest take on 108-128 Purple Dusk Trail and 357-397 Military Trail Condos

108-128 Purple Dusk Trail and 357-397 Military Trail Condos — frequently asked questions

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