Reading an Ajax condo listing
Two things decide whether a two-bedroom suite is a good buy: the building's finances and the layout. Ask for the status certificate as soon as you are serious, and let a lawyer read it, from the budget and reserve fund study to any special assessment or lawsuit it discloses; the older Harwood Avenue buildings have had decades to build reserves, while a newer mid-rise may still be settling its first big repairs. Then look at the plan. A true two-bedroom has a window in each bedroom, and a listing that says two plus den may be counting a windowless room. Find out whether parking and locker are owned units, exclusive-use elements or rentals, because that changes resale. Note the heating type, since electric baseboard suites cost more to run than buildings with heat in the fee. For the lakeside buildings, ask about the Waterfront Trail crowds on summer weekends and which way the balcony faces.