Best Toronto Neighbourhoods 2013 - For Price Appreciation

 

Top Ten Logo-July 15 2011We're back with our annual Hottest Toronto Neighbourhoods list (Best Toronto Neighbourhoods for Price Appreciation). The Realosophy Analytics team is always happy to return
to the dance that brought us here - our pioneering approach to tracking house
trends and other analytical data at the neighbourhood level.

 

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Heat Map: Toronto Neighbourhoods by House Price Appreciation, 2011 to 2012

Map Instructions: On upper right hand side of map, click on green tab on box to hide legend. On upper right hand side of map, click on box to expend legend.

Central Toronto Houses Hot

Seven of our top ten
neighbourhoods are in central Toronto (west of DVP and east of Dufferin). In one half of the tale of two cities (the
other being the gossamer that is Toronto's condoland), strong demand from urban families, coupled
with a finite number of houses in central Toronto, means higher prices.

And in neighbourhoods offering detached
houses or top schools, the appreciation is significant. The neighbourhoods on this list have appreciated 21% to 27%, well above the citywide appreciation rate of approximately 6%.

Almost one in four properties in Toronto sold for "over the asking price" in 2012 - a striking number as this is an indirect way to assess multiple offer activity. Half of the neighbourhoods on our list rated above the city average with 37-52% of properties selling "over asking."

Inner Burbs Rise

A handy catch-all, the “urban family” actual
encompasses several profiles. The New
Urban
(Nuburban?) family wants to ditch the commute, but not the detached house, larger
lot and green lawns. This family sacrifices space, which they
prize, and could buy more of in the outer suburbs, to gain time. These preferences are driving up prices in some inner burb (Etobicoke, North York, East York) neighbourhoods - see Islington Village, Parkwoods and Victoria Park Village on our list.

Luxury Redefined

The
Established Urban family drives demand in
upper-end neighbourhoods like Allenby, Caribou Park, Rathnelly and Casa Loma on our list. They value the pedigree of the neighbourhood, larger houses and local schools, rather than their urban features per se, but do appreciate excellent subway access and top quality main streets.

Long-standing luxury neighbourhoods - Forest Hill, Bridle Path and Teddington Park - start on higher ground so it's rare to see them on "best appreciation" lists - so while Forest Hill makes our list, it's important to note that a handful of super luxury sales can skew the average.

Urban Beauties

Core Urban families value the "urban" in urban living - diversity, access to bike lanes and public transit and walkable
main streets. These preferences lead them to lead boldly in less economically established areas in very downtown locations, unfazed by the prospect of shared walls - think Dufferin Grove and Trinity Bellwoods on our list. These consumer preferences are at the core of Toronto’s urban revitalization trend of the past 10
years and counting, a period which may one day be seen as seminal in our city's history.

Understanding the Data

  • Yellow Circle - Year over year change in average house prices from 2010 to 2011, calculated by Realosophy Analytics, based on Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) Data
  • Avg. Price - Average house prices in 2010 and 2011, calculated by Realosophy, based on TREB data
  • Multiple Offer Activity - Indirect measure based on percentage of houses sold over the asking price in 2012, calculated by Realosophy, based on TREB data
  • Housing Breakdown - Sales by type of House in 2012, calculated by Realosophy, based on TREB data
  • Walkability - As calculated by Walk Score
  • Top Schools - Area public schools with "A" ranking in 2012-2013; Average scores of 90 and above calculated by Realosophy Analytics, based on Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) test scores as reported by the Ontario Ministry of Education (Note: Our averages include all test scores with the exception of High School Math for which Academic Math is included but Applied Math is not)

 

1. Allenby (Central) See Current Houses for Sale in Allenby



27
Avg. Price 2012: $1,074,630

Avg. Price 2011: $846,534

Multiple Offer Activity: 52%

Housing Breakdown: 100% Detached

Walkability: 72/100

Popularity Points:

  • Good elementary and high schools
  • Detached houses
  • Walking distance to great shops and restaurants on
    Eglinton
  • Short walk to the subway

 
Allenby

Top Elementary Schools:

Top High Schools:

Full Neighbourhood Profile for Allenby

 

2. Caribou Park (Central) See Current Houses for Sale in Caribou Park




26

Avg. Price 2012: $942,877

Avg. Price 2011: $745,408

Multiple Offer Activity: 17%

Housing Breakdown: 74% Detached, 26% Condos

Walkability: 63/100

Popularity Points:

  • Large 4-bedroom detached houses
  • Between Lawrence (Yonge subway line) and Lawrence West (University subway line)
    stations

Caribou Park

Full Neighbourhood Profile for Caribou Park

 

3. Islington Village (West) See Current Houses for Sale in Islington Village






25

Avg. Price 2012: $611,917

Avg. Price 2011: $490,361

Multiple Offer Activity: 9%

Housing Breakdown: 50% Condos, 43% Detached, 3% Condo Townhouse, 3% Row/Townhouse, 1% Other

Walkability: 38/100

Popularity Points:

  • Good schools
  • Excellent proximity to Islington subway station
  • Islington Golf Club located in centre of neighbourhood
  • Many condos close to Bloor
  • Detached bungalows and 2-storey houses closer to Rathburn

Islington Village

Top Elementary Schools:

Top High Schools:

Full Neighbourhood Profile for Islington Village

 

4. Dufferin Grove (Central) See Current Houses for Sale in Dufferin Grove







24
Avg. Price 2012: $873,853

Avg. Price 2011: $703,408

Multiple Offer Activity: 54%

Housing Breakdown: 48% Semi-Detached, 28% Detached, 12% Row/Townhouse, 10% Condo Townhouse, 2% Condos

Walkability: 92/100

Popularity Points:

  • Spacious houses offering good value given proximity to downtown
  • Dewson and Ossington-Old
    Orchard schools
  • Dufferin Grove park
  • Dundas
    and College West rapidly changing and improving

Dufferin Grove

Top Elementary Schools:

Top High Schools:

Full Neighbourhood Profile for Dufferin Grove

 

5. Forest Hill (Central) See Current Houses for Sale in Forest Hill








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Avg. Price 2012: $1,294,297

Avg. Price 2011: $1,054,733

Multiple Offer Activity: 17%

Housing Breakdown: 56% Detached Houses, 27% Condos, 12% Co-Op, 3% Semi-Detached, 2% Row/Townhouse

Walkability: 63/100

Popularity Points:

  • One of Toronto’s most luxurious neighbourhoods
  • Nearly 40% of sales in 2012 were condos
  • Good quality elementary and secondary schools
  • Home
    to top private schools, Upper Canada College and Bishop Strachan School

Forest Hill

Top Elementary Schools:

Top High Schools:

Full Neighbourhood Profile for Forest Hill

 

6. Rathnelly (Central) See Current Houses for Sale in Rathnelly










22
Avg. Price 2012: $869,401

Avg. Price 2011: $710,149

Multiple Offer Activity: 18%

Housing Breakdown: 57% Condos, 39% Semi-Detached, 5% Detached

Walkability: 83/100

Popularity Points:

  • Short walk to Dupont subway station and to Yorkville neighbourhood
  • Brown Junior School District
  • Close to half of sales in 2012 were new condos on Macpherson; rest mainly semi-detached

Rathnelly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top Elementary Schools:

Full Neighbourhood Profile for Rathnelly

 

7. Trinity Bellwoods (Central) See Current Houses for Sale in Trinity Bellwoods










22
Avg. Price 2012: $802,706

Avg. Price 2011: $656,268

Multiple Offer Activity: 41%

Housing Breakdown: 40% Row/Townhouse, 32% Semi-Detached, 17% Detached, 6% Condo Townhouse, 5% Condos

Walkability: 90/100

Popularity Points:

  • Proximity to Downtown and Queen West
  • Mainly single family homes - row
    houses and semi-detached
  • Trinity Bellwoods park

Trinity Bellwoods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full Neighbourhood Profile for Trinity Bellwoods

 

8. Casa Loma (Central) See Current Houses for Sale in Casa Loma










22
Avg. Price 2012: $1,182,560

Avg. Price 2011: $968,437

Multiple Offer Activity: 37%

Housing Breakdown: 50% Detached, 23% Row/Townhouse, 17% Condo Townhouse, 10% Semi-Detached

Walkability: 80/100

Popularity Points:

  • Walking distance to Dupont and St Clair West subway stations
  • Spacious detached houses
  • Very close to downtown
  • Short walk to Wychwood Barns

Casa Loma

Full Neighbourhood Profile for Casa Loma

9. Parkwoods (Central) See Current Houses for Sale in Parkwoods










22
Avg. Price 2012: $554,318

Avg. Price 2011: $454,074

Multiple Offer Activity: 39%

Housing Breakdown: 46% Detached, 33% Semi-Detached, 19% Condos, 1% Condo Townhouse, 1% Other

Walkability: 67/100

Popularity Points:

  • Detached houses on a wide 50-60’ lots
  • Good access to DVP and 401 highways

Parkwoods

Top Elementary Schools:

Top High Schools:

 Full Neighbourhood Profile for Parkwoods

 

10. Victoria Park Village (Central) See Current Houses for Sale in Victoria Park Village










21
Avg. Price 2012: $428,406

Avg. Price 2011: $355,028

Multiple Offer Activity: 19%

Housing Breakdown: 38% Detached, 37% Condos, 13% Semi-Detached, 9% Condo Townhouse,  3% Row/Townhouse, 1% Other

Walkability: 65/100

Popularity Points:

  • Detached bungalows on wide 50’ lots
  • Affordable condos
  • Good access to DVP and 401 highways

Victoria Park Village

 Full Neighbourhood Profile for Victoria Park Village

 

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