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Home Staging before and after Transformations

Three Part video series on buying a Condo

About Sue Anfang

Want to check out some homes in Swan Lake Village?  Call me at 416-562-5002

I have met a lot of people interested in buying a bungalow when they downsize.  Since Swan Lake Village offers some excellent options, I thought I'd do a little Q&A here with the 10 most frequently asked questions I get! 

Q:  How is owning in Swan Lake Village different than owning a bungalow in other popular adult active lifestyle communities - for example Wilmot Creek?

A:  In Swan Lake Village, all the properties are condominiums.  You own the property, and are free to buy and sell on the open market.  As an owner, you share a percentage of what's called the 'common elements' (this varies depending on the condo development) but it generally means any property or amenities that are shared by all owners.  

Wilmot Creek bungalows are land lease properties, where the land is owned by the development and the individual properties are freehold.   So you pay a rental fee for your land & pay for upkeep and improvements on the house just like you would a freehold home.  While not all land lease communities are structured equally, in Wilmot Creek you are free to sell on an open market, buying requires approval by the board. 

Q: I don't know much about condos, but I do know there are monthly condo fees.  How do they work?

A: Every condo development has different things covered in the monthly fees (called condo fees & maintenance fees interchangeably).  In Swan Lake Village, the monthly fees cover your portion of maintenance & insurance of all the common elements like the roads, 24H security, green spaces, cable TV, internet, water and recreational facilities.  For the bungalows the maintenance fees also cover things like landscaping, snow removal & salting to your door.  Garbage removal & recycling as well as exterior home maintenance (doors, windows, roofs & decks) are also included. 

Q: I am worried the monthly fees will go up, how does that work?

A: There are 4 different condo corporations in Swan Lake Village.  Each condo corporation has a board of directors made up of the owners.  As an owner you have voting rights each year at the annual meeting where the board discusses things like budgets.  Provincial legislation through the condominium act regulates how the boards are run.  

Q: In some communities like this snow shoveling and lawn maintenance are included.  What about Swan Lake Village?

A: Yes, Swan Lake provides landscaping services including snow shovelling and salting up to your door.   If you want to maintain your own garden, it's up to you to look after your own flowers, etc. 

Q: How do I know if Swan Lake Village is being managed properly?

A: The benefit of buying a condo property is the low maintenance lifestyle - did you know that you have an opportunity for your real estate lawyer to review the financials of any condo complex before you agree to the purchase?  The financials are called a Status Certificate.   A lawyer review of the Status Certificate should be included in any condo purchase, along with other conditions such as a property inspection.

Q: Is Swan Lake Village only for seniors?

A: As with all condos, there is no age restriction.  While the community was designed as an "Adult Lifestyle" village, most owners are retirees.  The most common follow-up is about the occupancy rule, which generally limits homes to a maximum of two permanent residents.

Q: Is Swan Lake Village pet friendly?

A:  Yes, Swan Lake Village is pet-friendly, which is a relief for many seniors moving from detached homes. There are usually standard condo bylaws regarding the number and size of pets, but generally, furry companions are welcome

Q:  What amenities are included in the Swan Club? 

A:  You'll see the homes for sale being advertised with "resort style" amenities.  What exactly does this mean?  The Swan Club is the main recreation complex, featuring an indoor pool, gym, library, and billiards.  There's a large hall for social gatherings.   There are also three "satellite" clubhouses with outdoor pools and tennis/pickleball courts.   

Q: Is Swan Lake Markham a gated community?

A: Yes, Swan Lake Village features a gatehouse with 24H security.  There's a main entry & back entry that's accessable only to owners with passes.

Q: Are my grandchildren allowed to visit and use the pools or other recreation facilities at Swan Lake Village?

A: Yes, children are allowed to use the facilities as guests of a resident, but they must follow specific rules designed to maintain the community's quiet, adult-oriented atmosphere.  Children and guests must be accompanied by a resident at all times when using the clubhouses, pools, or courts.  Pool Times: It is common in adult lifestyle communities like Swan Lake for the indoor and outdoor pools to have designated "Family Swim" or "Guest Hours." Outside of these specific times, the facilities are typically reserved for residents only to ensure a tranquil environment.  If this is important to you, make sure you review the bylaws and rules of the condo corportation. 

Interested in properties for sale in Swan Lake Village?

Homes for sale in Swan Lake Village

Low rise condos for sale in Swan Lake Village

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Why retire at Swan Lake Village?

About Sue Anfang

Working with Sue Anfang - Testimonials

As a homeowner living in a 1970's built home in Toronto, when we purchased it it had electric baseboard heat.  Why were so many Scarborough homes built with electric heat?  

In the 1970's electricity was cheaper than natural gas. If you are a certain age you will remember shortages and line-ups for gas. In the suburbs, developers were looking for alternatives and there are quite a few subdivisions that were built with electric heat. In fact (at least in Scarborough) there was one builder that built homes with radiant ceiling heat as the main heat source! 

As both a homeowner that bought a house with electric baseboards, as someone who has friends with electric baseboard heating & as a realtor with a house currently for sale heated with electric baseboard heating, here's my experience and my clients experience, too.  And in rural communities electric baseboard heating is very common! 

1. You can control the heat room by room.  This makes them incredibly efficient. Generally theres a wall mount thermostat that controls them, but sometimes you'll run into a supplimental baseboard heater with a control dial mounted right on the baseboard. This gives you great control over your energy use. 
2. They are very mechanically efficient. Since the heat is radiant and not generally relying on any parts that will wear out, like a fan - they last for years. So a house built in 1978 would likely have had the furnace replaced 3 or 4 times in that period. In the house I have for sale all the baseboards are original & both the baseboards and thermostat switches are all working just fine. To replace a single baseboard is about $150 or so for the baseboard itself from Home Depot right now. 
3. They are quiet - because they have no fans
4. They are clean - because they don't blow air around, there is very little dust. This is great for people with allergies.
5. Houses with electric baseboard heat generally have 200A service. Planning a remodel? If you ever convert, you'll have lots of juice!
6. You may not have an additional monthly natural gas bill - if you're are not using a gas fireplace, stove or heating a swimming pool. 
7.  You can still have air conditioning in a home with electric baseboard heating

Air conditioning in a home with baseboard heating

If you have baseboards (this is the same for radiators) there are several ways to get air conditioning in the house. You can add a 'split' or 'ductless' unit which air conditions generally one floor. These units are mounted on an exterior wall with a blower mounted inside. While it does not have ducts leading into a specific room, they are powerful and generally cool down a top floor. 

You can install an air conditioner in your attic with ducts leading to the bedrooms. Cool air sinks, so will also cool a lower floor to some degree, here's a photo of an attic air conditioner:

Or you can cool just one room with a portable AC unit:

Converting to a forced air system

Of course, if you're planning on a major renovation, many opt to convert to a conventional forced air heating and cooling system with ducts, whether it's a heat pump or furnace. If you're planning on doing that:

• first step is to call your natural gas provider to see if there is gas available to run into the house
• remember you need to plan where the furnace will be installed. In our case it displaced our laundry & we relocated the laundry to the main floor
• you will need to plan where to run the ductwork
• you will need a contractor to do the finish work (enclosing the new ducts) 

How to tell if baseboards are electric or radiant heat:

In the city of Toronto there are many homes that don't have ducts that are heated with radiant baseboards.  Although they are typically the 'accordian' style shown on the left, some homes also have baseboard style heating shown in the bottom two photos.  The very bottom one looks very similar to the electric baseboards doesn't it?  So how do you tell whether it's a radiator or electric baseboard?