The Home of the Week is 313 Rosewell Ave., TorontoBirdhouse Media
This week: AI-altered images are flooding real estate listings and duping buyers, and a ground-breaking development in Vancouver is a test case for rapid densification. Plus, a better way to help your kids buy a home and one property worth a look.
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Reality check
AI-altered listing photos leave house-hunters feeling duped
Susan Hollingshead was surprised to find heavily damaged flooring in the kitchen (left) when she went to view the Vancouver apartment in person.Supplied
Catfishing isn’t just a concern on dating apps, as an increasing number of would-be homebuyers are learning. AI-altered images have become a common fixture in real estate listings, and they’re leaving house-hunters and realtors feeling duped when the reality doesn’t quite match up, Salmaan Farooqui reports.
That was the case for Susan Hollingshead, who went to view an apartment in Vancouver’s West End and found a massive hole in the kitchen floor that had been digitally edited out in the listing, seemingly using AI. “I wanted to see it for myself, and when I walked in I immediately thought, ‘Oh, okay. Well, that’s what was too good to be true: the photos,’” she told Salmaan. Realtors are just as frustrated, but say regulation is piecemeal and rules difficult to enforce even where they do exist.
New horizons
The Squamish housing project that’s reshaping Vancouver
The first phase of Senákw is nearly complete, and represents ground-breaking development in more ways than one.Alison Boulier/The Globe and Mail
The sky’s the limit for the bold new First Nations-owned development that’s making a mark on Vancouver’s skyline and rental market. The three towers – 26, 31 and 39 storeys high – that comprise Senákw’s first phase are unmissable at the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge in Kitsilano, and that’s the point. Built on 10.5 acres of reserve land returned to the Squamish Nation in a landmark 2003 court case, the $3-billion project didn’t require the typical city approvals or public consultations on its plans. Eight more towers coming by 2033 will create a total of 6,000 badly-needed rental units in the space, plus retail, public outdoor and culture spaces, a bike station and a new transit hub.
Senákw is a key part of the Squamish Nation’s path to economic independence, generating an estimated $20-billion in cash flow over its lifetime, and it has predictably stirred plenty of controversy. As Kerry Banks reports, it is now seen as an important test case for densification and just how bold Vancouver can be. Read his Report on Business Magazine story on exactly what makes the project so ground-breaking, both for economic reconciliation and urban planning.
This week’s lowest fixed and variable mortgage rates in Canada
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Opinion
Leaving your family home to the kids is impractical. Here’s another way for parents to help
With homeownership further out of reach for younger generations, many parents are looking to help their kids get on the property ladder. But traditional strategies, such as setting aside money for a down payment early or passing down the family home later in life, might not be the best way to go about it, argues Anita Bruinsma. Saving too much too early can delay your own retirement, and hanging on to your house for too long keeps your cash tied up with no guarantee your kids will want to live there, or that the timing will align if they do.
Instead, Anita suggests downsizing and using the equity from the sale of your home to help your kids buy when the time comes. However, it’s important to ensure you’ll be taken care of first. “Don’t sacrifice your own retirement to get your kids into the housing market. Home ownership isn’t the be-all-and-end-all of financial stability, and your kids can build a good life without owning a home,” writes Anita.
Design corner
The perfect shower head gives you that home-spa feeling for less
Mobility, water pressure and ease of cleaning are all major considerations for picking the right shower head.Supplied
A hot shower can be almost as invigorating as a cup of coffee in the morning, but a weak or leaky fixture can ruin the experience just as quickly as a bang on the door to hurry up. If you’re looking for a better kick start to your day – or a more relaxing way to wash it off – a new shower head adds a little luxury for much less than installing a sauna or steam room. Three Canadian designers shared their advice on selecting the right fixture for your home, along with six recommendations to fit every function and aesthetic.
Home of the week
A Toronto home with a careful eye on crisis-prevention
313 Rosewell Ave. is a four-bedroom in midtown Toronto.Birdhouse Media
313 Rosewell Ave., Toronto – Full gallery here
After a water leak flooded the owner’s previous condo, the mother of three resolved to build her new place to be more disaster-proof. Completed in 2021, the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home has 2,520 square feet of living space on the upper two levels. The lower-level has 12-foot ceilings, heated floors and a separate entrance, which made it a perfect home office for the owner, a holistic nutritionist. But there is also plenty of space for a potential fifth bedroom, and the foundation is built with insulated concrete forms to enhance energy conservation, sound reduction and disaster resistance.
The modern interior was designed to be turn-key, easy to maintain and virtually leak-proof. In addition to a water softening and filtration system, the owner, a frequent traveller, installed a leak detection system she can check with an app on her phone. The sensors monitor the dishwasher, refrigerator, kitchen sink, washing machine, laundry sink, two sump pump rooms, the irrigation system and each bathroom sink. If it detects something abnormal, the system is able to shut off the main water supply, offering some piece of mind, wherever you may be.
Guess the price
c. The asking price is $3,725,000.