Just Listed! Ville Emard Triplex. An Antique Beauty with the Engine of a Much Newer Model.

This classic 1920s triplex features a very large ground-floor apartment with three bedrooms, an elegant central dining room, recently renovated kitchen, front parlor, as well as a huge, partially finished full basement with laundry room, powder room and teenager's bedroom.

It has all the lovely decorative elements of a bourgeois triplex of its time. There's ornate stained-glass in the front windows and leaded glass lights both in the heavystately front door and the lights that flank it.

Inside the main unit you'll find original woodwork, oak pillars on either side of the dining room, topped with globe lights. There are two built-in glass china cabinets and lovely embossed wall coverings. The original hardwood floor has border running around it.

The master bedroom is a double parlor divided with articulated French doors. A perfect set-up for bedroom and office, bedroom and boudoir or bedroom and nursery.

The second bedroom is currently decked out in the bleu-blanc-rouge of the Montreal Canadiens. Go Habs, go!

The partially finished basement is HUGE! There's a teenager's bedroom, a familly room waiting to be created and enough space to play floor hockey. The subfloor is raised several inches above the concrete floor and there's still more than 7 feet of height. The basement also has a full laundry room,powder room and a craft room. Oh yes and there's a cedar-lined sauna that is currently being used for storage.

Upstairs, there are two apartments, a one-bedroom and two-bedroom. They bring in rents of $1,175 a month with the tenants paying their own utilities.

The property is located at 2359-2363 rue du Parc-Garneau in Ville Emard. Parc Garneau is pocket-sized park located between Briand and Monk Blvd, a tree-lined oasis directly across the street. You can sit out on your broad and shady front porch and watch the world go by.

There's also a small backyard just cryin out for a deck and some shade-loving plants.

Monk metro (green line) is a seven-minute walk away. Monk Blvd. is the neighborhood's main shopping drag, with groceries stores, mom and pop shops, a pharmacy, wood-fired delights thanks to Ville-Emard Bagels, Eddy Bicycles for two-wheeler tune-ups, an SAQ and everything else you might need.

The asking price is $560,000.You might be tempted to think that in such a late Edwardian beauty everything is antique. Not the case. The property has a white membrane roof, installed in 2013. The main unit has a tankless water heater. The gas-fired furnace dates from 2008 and feeds the original cast-iron radiators (ooooh hot-water radiators are so toasty).  All three units have updated electrical panels. All the plumbing has been changed to either copper or Pex. An antique beauty with the engine of a much newer model.

Give me a call to schedule a visit!

Just Listed! NDG Duplex with a Basement Ready for Finishing - $559,000

Are you looking for a duplex with a high, clean basement ready to turn into an in-law suite or space for the teen or young-adult portion of your family?

Amy Barratt and I have just listed a duplex at 2190-2192 Oxford Ave. in NDG that features two flats having two bedrooms each, and a full-height basement with two exit doors. The basement is roughed in with a plywood floor, gpysumboard walls, electrical and plumbing roughed in for whatever your project may be.

This property, originally built in 1914, was decimated by fire in the mid 1980s and was entirely rebuilt by a contractor. The result is a big comfortable property with modern plumbing, electrical, insulation and windows.

The top floor of the building is currently occupied by the vendor. A tenant occupies the ground floor, at $995 a month. There's a small backyard with each of the two apartments having a small kitchen balcony. The upper also has a balcony off the office area at the front.

These 6.5-room apartments have comfortable living rooms, master bedrooms of good dimensions and a smaller second bedroom. Washer and dryer installations are in the large bathrooms.

The eat-in kitchens are spacious with a sliding patio door leading to a the deck. On the second floor, the sink is set into the island that faces onto the dining area. There's a built in dishwasher. The second floor flat also has a separate dining area.

The property is located on lower Oxford Ave., between Sherbrooke St. and De Maisonneuve Blvd. This a lively and walkable neighborhood that gets some of its energy from Concordia University's Loyola campus, located a bit further west on the 105 bus route.
Sherbrooke St is lined with mom and pop stores, hangouts like Café Shaika, MonTango Argentine Tango School , Co-op La Maison Verte and a million affordable restos.
This neck of the NDG woods has a relaxed vibe and prices to match, a world away from nearby Monkland Village.
So, if you're look for a sound investment and if you think a property with a huge basement that is ready for finishing is something you might like, give me a call at (514) 978-6522 to arrange a visit.

Home + Rental Revenue + Office/Studio = A Mile-Ex Duplex for You

Amy Barratt and I have just listed a pretty special duplex in Mile-Ex (more about that name and neighborhood in a bit.)

7022-7024 Clark St. is a typical turn-of-the-century Montreal duplex. The upper unit, which will be available to the buyer, features three bedrooms, a large living room at the front and a big eat-in kitchen.

The bathroom is large, with a skylight, old-fashioned tub and has washer and dryer hook-ups.

 All in all, this is a a big comfortable place with plenty of light and apleasing old soul.

Off the back balcony, the secret world of old Italian vegetable gardens, riotous flowers, trees and low-slung rooftops. A pocket of green in the heart of the city.

The downstairs unit is currently rented at $1100 a month. The tenant shares the fenced backyard and has a vegetable garden. 

What sets this property apart form others in the neighborhood is the detached two-storey building in the back yard. Probably once used as a shed, this concrete block on slab construction has been converted into a 225-square-foot completely insulated, fully wired and entirely finished studio space. With its original wood floors, new windows and skylights, the space is sunny and inviting. Accessible by a catwalk from the second floor or by an exterior winding staircase from the yard, this haven of creativity is something special.

The ground floor of the studio space is raw - concrete block walls with high ceilings and plenty of potential. It is currently used for storage but has been used as a carpentry shop, ceramic- and paint studios. The space is waiting for you and your projects.

The current owner purchased the place in 2001 and has spent good money on renovations. The main roof and the roof of the studio building were both redone. New skylights were installed. Windows were changed. Bricks have been repointed, plumbing and electrical brought into the 21st century.

The current owner purchased the place in 2001 and has spent good money on renovations. The main roof and the roof of the studio building were both redone. New skylights were installed. Windows were changed. Bricks have been repointed, plumbing and electrical brought into the 21st century.

The last time I wrote about Mile-Ex, a reader nearly took my head off. He insisted that Mile-Ex was a made-up name invented by invading hipsters. Maybe, if so blame La Presse which first publicized the name back in 2010. To some it is and  will remain Little Italy, though that name doesn't quite capture the 'hood's adventurous new spirit.

 To others, secteur Alexandra-Marconi sounds best. I even like WeLiTa, for West of Little Italy. Call it whatever you will, this is one lively neighborhood, a mix of old industrial buildings that increasingly house film and TV production houses, architects and designers, small manufcaturers and importers. There are early 20th century duplexes and triplexes and a number of new condo developments, either fresh built or sprung from the hulks of long gone factories.

Throw in Jean-Talon market, the nightlife and grocery shopping of the Upper Main and the many cool little restos in the area - I'm looking at you Depanneur Le Pick Up, Dinette Triple Crown, Manitoba, Café Guerrero and drinkeries like Alexanderplatz and the spanking new Brasserie Harricana and you've got the makings of a vibrant and engaging neighborhood. 

Asking price $560,000. 

Who wants in?

City Offering $136 million in Subsidies and Incentives to Keep Homebuyers on the Island

The city of Montreal has quietly renewed a program to encourage tenants and families to buy and stay on the island. The on-again, off-again home ownership program received a $136-million cash injection with little fanfare in April. As in years past, the city will take applications for up to  three years, or until the cash runs out.

The cash tends to run out well before the three years are up.

Still, not a bad program if you fit the various criteria. For new homes, the incentives are on a sliding scale, depending on whether you are a single buyer, a couple without children or a household with children. The lump sum incentives range from $4,500 to $12,000 . Households with kids can also get a refund of the hated welcome tax.

Not bad! The program gets complicated when you look at the types of properties that are eligible. For single buyers, the maximum budget is $200,000, for a couple $250,000. If you're buying for a family, the budget can go as high at $360,000, but to qualify for the highest amount you must buy a three-bedroom unit.

The program will also refund the welcome tax on the purchase of a resale duplex or triplex, providing the purchase price is not more than $450.000 and $490.000 respectively.

Households with kids can also get six months of free public transit with the purchase of a one-year Opus card. It is not clear from the brochure whether this means a total of 18 months of public transit for the price of 12 or 12 months for the price of six.

As with any program, there's lots of small print. Still, worth looking into if it can save you several thousand dollars, right?

Here's the website, en anglais et en francais .

You can also download the brochure on the site.

Plateau Duplex, Ready for Its 2nd Act. $387,000

UPDATE  We sold this duplex in less than a week for four per cent over the asking price. (You do the math.) Our vendor is delighted.


 Amy Barratt and I are about to list a duplex on Hotel de Ville Ave. just south of St. Josph Blvd. The property consists of a two-bedroom apartment that occupies the ground floor and second floor of the building. The third storey is a one-bedroom apartment.

The entire building will be available to the buyer.

The asking price is $387,000, which corresponds to the building's municipal evaluation. At that price, you understand that this is a building that requires some renovation, including a new roof, wiring, plumbing and probably interior finishes.

The current owner has had it for 15 years and has happily inhabited the third floor while renting out the larger apartment to tenants.

This building occupies more than 90 per cent of its lot. There is no yard of any kind.

This would be a kick-ass project for someone wanting to create a three-storey townhouse with a roof terrasse. It could also be reconverted into three-smaller apartments. If you've got the skills and the time or the money and the vision, there's no limit to what you might be able to do.

Give me a call at (514) 978-6522 to find out more or to book a visit.

The property will be listed on the MLS just as soon as I can data enter all the information. Probably tomorrow or Thursday, March 7, latest.

Exterior view. The property is the left side of these twin buildings.

View from the third-floor balcony.

Street view.

View of the corner of Hotel de Ville and St. Joseph.

Rosemont Duplex Just Listed

I've just listed a duplex at 4439-441 St-Zotique, at the corner of 28th Ave. in Rosemont. The property consists of  two 5.5 room dwellings, each with three closed bedrooms and large eat in-kitchens with patio doors that give onto large  rear decks.

The property has one tenant living in the ground-floor unit, and a live-in owner upstairs. Both the tenant and the owner will be leaving by July 1, 2013.

The tenant pays $850 unheated and has use of the basement for storage and laundry. He also has an outdoor parking spot on the rear driveway. The upper could probably rent for between $750 and $800. The owner uses the single-width double garage and a cold room in the basement.

The property has been co-owned by the same two families since the mid 1960s. They are generally well maintained, with newer windows, repointed brick, new balconies, stairs and guard rails. The ground floor has a 200-amp electrical box, while the upper has 125 amps.

There's huge upside potential in the unfinished basement, with room aplenty for a fresh new laundry room and family room or extra bedroom, as need be.

The asking price is $475,000. The vendors are open to negotiation. Don't hesitate to call if you have questions or would like to schedule a visit.

Just Listed - Verdun Duplex

Amy Barratt and I have just listed this solidly built duplex at 1146-1148 Egan St. in Verdun.
The property was built in 1945 and features two two-bedroom units accessible by a common front door. The unfinished basement has a six-foot ceiling and part of it could be made into a family room with laundry.
Both units have front and back balconies, newer windows.
There is a back yard and parking space off a city-maintained lane.
The property has been inhabited by the same family for 50 years or so. It requires substantial renovation.
At $269,000, the price can't be beat.
There is a cute children's playground with jungle gym and sprinkler pad on the block. Buses 37, 108 and 350 are all about a block away at the corner of Woodland and Banantyne.
We're having an open house on Sunday, August 29, 2-4 p.m.
You can check out the complete MLS listing at www.centris.ca. Punch in MLS #8401901

The Luxury of Time

Hi! You might remember me? I'm the real-estate agent who had all that time on her hands over the long, quiet fall and winter to blog.

Funny how the insanity of a highly concentrated buying season has eaten up every spare bit of time since February, not to mention pretty much all the brains cells I had. (Okay, I spared a few for American Idol and the NBA playoffs, but only a few.)

This was the last property Amy Barratt and I listed, a really well maintained duplex on Valiquette St. in western Verdun. It has two two-bedroom apartments, with the unfinished but high, dry and clean basement accessible from the ground floor. It also has a nice fenced yard.


I had meant to feature it on my blog, but never got the chance. We signed the contract with the vendor on a Tuesday, spent Wednesday taking photos and measurements and entering the information on the Montreal Real Estate Board's computerized MLS. (A loooooong process). We started getting calls on Thursday. By Saturday we had an accepted offer. The whole thing was wrapped up - inspection and financing included - within 12 days.

The vendors are pleased. We got them just about 97 per cent of their asking price without any unpleasantness, hostility or anxiety. The buyers are a nice couple expecting their first baby. They plan to finish the basement and to use the rent from the upstairs unit to offset their mortgage.

I wish I had ten more of these duplexes to sell.