429 Kent St., unit 326, Ottawa
Asking price: $409,900
Selling price: $407,500
Previous selling price: $420,943 (2012)
Monthly fees: $510.06
Days on market: 31
Taxes: $4,348 (2018)
Listing agent: Robert Daley, Coldwell Banker Rhodes & Co.
The action
In Ottawa’s hot condo market – and over the Christmas season – this two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo sold for just under asking.
Listing agent Robert Daley says the condo market, over all, is different than the single-family home market because typically a seller doesn’t need to worry about all the bigger factors (school schedules, etc.) involved in getting a possession date.
“But still, when you list a property in December you wonder if the normal market slowdown will have a negative impact,” said Mr. Daley, and he was pleasantly surprised that wasn’t the case for this unit. In a fairly new (2012) building in Ottawa’s Centretown neighbourhood, it sold in late January after one month on the market. It attracted two offers.
What they got
The 965-square-foot unit has a balcony, two bedrooms and two bathrooms (one is an ensuite) and a walk-in closet. It’s an open-concept unit with granite countertops and hardwood flooring throughout. There is laundry in the suite and five appliances. Though the unit was originally purchased with two parking spots, one has been sold separately.
Amenities are few – there is just a rooftop terrace with access to outdoor seating and gas barbecues. But, the building is just steps away from a popular stretch of Ottawa’s downtown.
“It’s an eclectic neighbourhood,” Mr. Daley said, “but it’s in the part of Centretown that’s in a positive transition, and it’s pretty convenient to pretty much everything now.”
The agent’s take
Mr. Daley said the couple who were selling the condo quickly agreed that getting some staged furniture would make for a better presentation.
“The open concept look in a place like that ... gets people in the door,” he said. "It’s a good unit.”
Mr. Daley said the unit is within walking distance of Parliament Hill, the Byward Market and the Rideau Canal. It’s also in the heart of the action downtown, just a block from Bank Street – a major thoroughfare in the city core with many options for shopping, services, and dining.
“That section of Bank Street – I’ve noticed a dramatic change in that area,” he said.
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