Related
Video
- Havard Gould reports for CBC-TV (Runs: 2:50)
- Play: QuickTime »
- Play: Real Media »
Toronto's resale housing market may be cooling off, but at least one enterprising owner has found a way to get his home noticed.
He put it on the market for $1.
The Canadian Real Estate Association says existing homes sales across the country tumbled 13 per cent for the first three months of the year compared with last year.
The group says much of the slide was tied to lower activity in Toronto during February and March. The city accounts for about a quarter of the country's sales in major markets.
Toronto saw its residential unit sales drop 13.4 per cent, though new listings were also down by seven per cent.
The $1 listing comes from Omar Ibrahim, who put his two-storey house on the market for less than the cost of a litre of gas.
He told CBC News the listing is "basically to see whether or not we can get an offer and something reasonable, letting the market determine … what the value of this house is."
The house at 93 Badgerow Ave., a semi in the city's Riverdale neighbourhood, shows well. It has three bedrooms, new flooring, appliances, fresh paint and a finished basement.
Ibrahim is not trying to give the house away and won't let it go for the asking price. It's a marketing strategy.
Tony Bassels, the real estate broker, remembers another house in Willowdale that was listed for $1 in 2004.
"It sold in 16 days for about $960,000 and that was listed for a dollar. And again multiple interest drove the price up to there," he said.
Ibrahim buys homes, renovates and sells them. He bought 93 Badgerow Ave. in January 2008 for $342,000. He'll find out Monday night when he opens the offers if his strategy will pay off.
Share Tools
Latest Toronto News Headlines
- Toronto throws open its doors this weekend
- More than 130 buildings are open to the public this weekend as part of Doors Open, Toronto's annual celebration of accessible architecture. more »
- TTC shuts section of Yonge subway this weekend
- The TTC is going to shut down a large section of the Yonge-University-Spadina subway all weekend for track construction. more »
- Toronto vet tranquilizes wayward deer
- CBC cameras capture a Toronto vet's dramatic takedown of deer wandering near a busy highway on Friday. more »
- Toronto Marlies down Barons to advance to AHL final
- Simon Gysbers scored the game-winning goal to propel the Toronto Marlies into the American Hockey League's Calder Cup final after defeating the Oklahoma City Barons 3-1 on Friday. more »
Top News Headlines
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges

- The estranged partner of a young mother who was stabbed to death along with her parents at their home in Aylmer, Que., has been charged with first-degree murder Friday. more »
- More than 90 killed in central Syria, activists say
- Activists have raised the number of those reportedly killed by regime forces in a district of central Syria to more than 90. more »
- The risks and responsibilities of taking on Mt. Everest

- The deaths of five climbers last weekend on Mt. Everest, with more summits underway this weekend, fuels the debate about the risks and responsibilities of high altitude climbing. more »
- B.C. premier unhappy with disgraced Mountie's transfer
- B.C. Premier Christy Clark says she is not happy with the RCMP decision to transfer a disgraced Alberta Mountie to the West Coast. more »
- Everest victim's husband says family not seeking government help
- Serial carjacker gets life term for fatal crash
- 'Save me' last words of Mount Everest climber
- Toronto throws open its doors this weekend
- 'Gay-straight alliances' get green light under Ontario bill
- TTC shuts section of Yonge subway this weekend
- Ottawa promises $140M for Rouge Natural Urban Park
- Toronto vet tranquilizes wayward deer
- Legoland coming to Toronto area next spring

