AUGUST 27, 2024

Dear reader,

I almost believed the doomsayers at the time: “The pandemic will bring about the death of Toronto.” And yet, here we all are, back in the city we love, kicking it like old times. Well, almost all of us.

During the dark days, a chunk of Torontonians fled for cottage country, purchasing—at a discount—what seemed like their forever homes. But as Covid retreated and the city roared back to life, idyllic isolation started to lose its lustre. And now many transplants can’t afford to come back.  

Reporter Ali Amad tries to make sense of it all in Curb Appeal’s top this week: an illuminating chat with GTA-based mortgage broker Laura Garetson. It’s a tough road ahead for those looking to return, but Garetson is full of advice.

Also in today’s newsletter: a whimsical new build in Kinsway South. Plus, a massive Mississauga mansion standing over the Credit River. Visit torontolife.com or subscribe to our print edition for all of our real estate coverage and more.

—Barry Jordan Chong, city and real estate editor

In 2020, a wave of Torontonians traded their cubicles and condos for remote work and the open spaces of cottage country. Now, with many companies mandating a return to the office and the allure of rural isolation having lost its lustre, some urban transplants are eager to move back to the city. The snag: they’re now priced out. Here, Laura Garetson, a GTA-based mortgage broker, explains the financial barriers city skippers are facing and when they might be able to return to Toronto.

Here’s a $3.7 million, 3,800-square-foot custom-built home backing onto the Humber. It comes with a sauna, a hot tub, cave-like walls, 10-foot ceilings, four parking spots and nature all over. Take the tour. 

What home in the burbs would be complete without 18,000 square feet, 12 bathrooms, a heated 20-car driveway, a putting green, an indoor pool, private river frontage and too many chandeliers to count?

In the latest issue: the expensive, obsessive, addictive quest for a perfect life. Plus, the bone-rattling reality of Ontario Line construction, an old-money-versus-new-money clash in Rosedale, the city’s most drool-worthy home libraries, and more. Still not receiving Toronto Life at home? Subscribe today.

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