Astoral Court, 2-6 Dowry St: Big Low-Rise Units From 1990 in Agincourt

Astoral Court is the opposite of the towers that now dominate Kennedy and Sheppard. It is a 44-unit low-rise complex from 1990 on Dowry Street, every unit close to 1,790 square feet, at a price per foot far below the new buildings nearby. You are buying space and a quiet street, and you are also buying a 35-year-old building, so the paperwork matters more than the paint. I’m Jatin Dua, RE/MAX Quantum Realty.

A small complex with one size of home

Astoral Court has 44 units across two addresses, 2 and 6 Dowry Street, and condos.ca classifies it as a low-rise condominium. What makes it unusual is the size range: units run from about 1,789 to 1,799 square feet. In other words, almost every home here is the same size, and it is roughly double a typical new two-bedroom tower suite nearby.

I could not find published floor plans, architect details or developer history for Astoral Court. Condos.ca lists one storey and names the builder only as Astoral Court, which tells me little. A low-rise complex of this era with units this size is often a townhouse-style layout over more than one level, but I would not assume that. Walk through a unit before you decide what you are buying.

Size this consistent has one practical benefit: when a unit does come up, it is easy to compare with past sales in the complex, because you are comparing like with like.

Living small-scale near Kennedy and Sheppard

Dowry Street sits in the Agincourt pocket around Kennedy and Sheppard, a short distance from Gemterra’s Love and JOY towers on Bonis Avenue. In the last decade that area has filled with high-rise buildings, but a 44-unit complex on a side street lives very differently: fewer neighbours, no elevator waits, and visitor parking at your door.

For buyers coming from a house, that difference matters. You get space for furniture, a quieter setting and a small community of 44 owners, without taking on a freehold roof and driveway alone.

The data panel on this page shows transit, schools, Walk Score and nearby food and parks. Check the commute that matters to you; in this part of Scarborough, most daily errands still involve the car.

The trade-off is that a small corporation has fewer owners to share each cost. A major roofing or paving project divided among 44 units lands very differently than the same bill spread across a 300-suite tower, which is another reason the reserve fund matters so much here.

Thirty-five years of wear

Astoral Court was registered in January 1990, which puts it well into the stage of life when major components are replaced, often more than once. Roofs, windows and doors, exterior cladding and caulking, paving, garage or parking surfaces, and plumbing are the usual big items in a complex of this age.

I have no published information on what has already been done here, so I would not guess. The reserve fund study will show what the corporation expects to replace and when, and the board minutes will show what has actually been happening. Read both before you make an offer, not after.

Also check which components are the corporation’s responsibility and which are yours. In low-rise condominiums, the declaration sometimes makes owners responsible for items like windows, doors, furnaces or air conditioners. That split changes your real cost of ownership as much as the fee does.

Rare listings

When I reviewed the complex there were no active listings. In a building of 44 units, that is not unusual, and it is part of the appeal: owners tend to stay. It also means you may wait months for the right unit and should be ready to move quickly when one comes up.

If Astoral Court is on your list, set an alert and get your financing and status certificate review lined up in advance. With no tower-style inventory to pick from, the buyer who is prepared usually wins.

When a unit does list, look at how long it takes to sell and how close it trades to its asking price; the data panel on this page tracks the building’s recent activity. In a small complex, one or two sales can move the averages a lot, so I would look at several years of history rather than the last few months.

Price per foot and what the fee covers

Condos.ca puts the complex’s average at about $472 per square foot. That is far below the newer towers around Kennedy and Sheppard, several of which average $690 to $760 per foot on condos.ca. Applied to a unit of about 1,790 square feet, that average works out to a total in the mid $800,000s, though actual prices will vary with condition and updates.

The low price per foot reflects the age of the complex and the larger size of every unit; bigger homes almost always sell for less per foot. It also means that a well-renovated unit can stand out, and an unrenovated one may need a budget for kitchens, bathrooms and flooring.

The fee includes common elements, building insurance, parking and water. With no active listings, I do not have a current fee level to report. Ask for the current budget and fee in the status certificate, and compare it on a per-square-foot basis with other low-rise complexes nearby rather than with towers.

Heat and hydro are not on the inclusion list, so in a unit this size expect a winter heating bill that is meaningful. Ask a seller for recent utility bills.

Building specifications

Amenities at Astoral Court

There are no shared amenity rooms to speak of, only visitor parking and permission for barbecues. That keeps the operating budget simple, and for many buyers the outdoor barbecue counts for more than a party room would.

Jatin’s honest take on Astoral Court

Astoral Court — 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.