Why I want a condo in Toronto

I love Toronto.

But I guess I am not much of a traditionalist because I don't really want a house right away. Later, when I have multiple children to worry about, then I can start thinking house.

But right now I am a young male bachelor and I like a nice view. I like apartments. Love them. My first view wasn't even in an apartment, it was a dorm room at York University on the 11th floor and I got a nice view of the campus.

I also lived off campus and later I lived in South Korea. Somewhere on my computer is the view from my apartment in Seoul (Suyudong district) but I can't seem to find the photo.

My current apartment is on the 4th floor. No need for the elevator, but I can still see the trees below and the horizon skyline. Maybe its the artist in me that craves a view.

Not that the artist wouldn't enjoy gardening (ooo... I could make a Korean style rock garden...) but for a variety of other reasons I prefer condos.

Some new condos however have problems. Despite their ultra modern designs they're not that energy efficient. The architects designed them for a southern climate and Canadian winters can see the temperatures drop below -40. When that happens the seals around the glass break, the inert gases between the glass panels leak out and the building loses its insulation. Wham! Suddenly the maintenance fees skyrocket because the cost of keeping the building warm in the winter and cool in the summer skyrocket. They skyrocket even more when the building is repaired every couple years due to a faulty design.

For this reason I prefer OLD condos. Tried and tested. Brick. Concrete. They may not look fancy or energy efficient, but they are more energy efficient than a building that wasn't made to withstand Canadian winters.

Which brings me to the topic of MY QUEST FOR A CONDO.

My theory is that if I keep trading up for something more valuable from something relatively cheap (in this case a Hot Wheels car) that I will eventually get a condo. (Yes, some people do trade real estate if the price is right.)

Basically when it gets really going I will be trading furniture, motorcycles, trucks, boats, unique valuable items and so forth until I eventually get to some big ticket items.

And if I am lucky the Toronto condo market will collapse and some people will be looking to get rid of their property anyway. ie. Investors from overseas who lost their shirts and would be willing to trade for a houseboat.

I like houseboats. I would totally live in one of those too. My Quest for a Houseboat??? Whatever.

So far I have 1 trade under my belt.

On April 17th 2012 I traded my Hot Wheels 2008 Dodge Challenger for a Mastercraft Digital Multimeter Kit with Ryan Anderson, a real estate agent from Brampton.

Included in the trade is a link to your website (or a charity website of your choice).

What will be my next trade? I wonder.

It could be anything... a samurai sword, a guitar, a bicycle, tools, espresso maker, archery equipment, a laptop... anything desirable that is easily trade-able due to its rarity, value or usefulness.

IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO TRADE ME PLEASE CONTACT ME at charlesmoffat@charlesmoffat.com!

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