74 KEYSTONE AVE., TORONTO
ASKING PRICE $579,000
SELLING PRICE $672,074
PREVIOUS SELLING PRICE $189,000 (1999)
TAXES $2,836 (2015)
DAYS ON THE MARKET Six
LISTING AGENT Kitt Ritchie, Real Estate Homeward
The Action: Along the Danforth, between Woodbine and Main Street stations, a proposed mixed-use, mid-rise development directly behind this semi-detached house hardly fazed buyers who flocked there in droves early March. A bully offer at the open house was refused in favour of waiting for the presentation date, which saw eight visitors jockeying to make the best bid.
What They Got: To keep up with modern conveniences, this nearly century-old house has undergone some changes since 2009, such as the replacement of the roof and electrical panel, reconfiguration of three original bedrooms into two and the restoration of the bathroom's cast iron tub.
What stayed the same are original oak hardwood floors in a living room with a brick wood-burning fireplace, adjacent dining room and kitchen with granite counters, stainless steel appliances and access to an unfinished basement and rear mudroom with an exit to the deck, patio, shed and laneway parking behind the 19-by-96-foot lot.
The Agent's Take: "It is a small, 100-year-old, 900-square-foot, semi-detached home near Woodbine and Danforth with just two bedrooms and one bathroom and all the original charm," agent Kitt Ritchie says. "It has very few new updates, but it has been extremely well maintained."
Buyers also liked that this house's small stature had a price tag to match. "There were hundreds of people clambering through this little house over the weekend at the open houses – mostly first-time home buyers on their fifth or sixth try to get into the housing market," Ms. Ritchie states. "Homes in this area are repeatedly selling $100,000 and more over asking."