Wednesday, November 13, 2013

11:00 AM


As a special treat for our blog readers, we are offering you a three-part interview series with Jawad Rathore, President and CEO of Fortress Real Developments, a key partner with Harmony Village and City Core Developments.  Jawad’s company works with developers across Canada and is one of the country’s foremost experts on residential and commercial real estate.
Q: Fortress has 46 real estate developments across 10 urban markets. What is the secret to your success?
A: First and foremost, we work with top tier developers on prime projects, from residential to commercial to industrial. This core value has served us extremely well in Canada’s real estate market, which is among the strongest and most stable in the world.
Q: What is your view of the state of the Canadian residential real estate sector?
A: The real estate market has been on a long growth streak, which has been great. Rising real estate values have helped keep the economy on solid footings by increasing the wealth of Canadians in all markets. That said, I am pleased to see the market starting to slow down to sustainable levels. I expect reasonable growth over the next few years because the fundamentals are rock solid. Demand remains strong, especially in urban areas that are enjoying steady population growth through immigration. Also, affordability continues to allow buyers to either buy their first homes or move up.
Q: What role do low borrowing costs play­­­?
A: Low interest rates help us on two fronts.  Low rates of return in competing sectors – for example, the bond market -- makes a company like ours very attractive to investors looking for prudent investments that offer both stability and the potential for solid growth. This gives us the financial muscle to get involved in the best projects.
On the demand side, low mortgage rates give Canadians much more financial freedom when choosing their homes. For someone downsizing, low borrowing costs mean they are getting a good price for their home, putting them in a great position to downsize into a beautiful home and have money left over to invest in their retirement.
Q: What attracted you to Harmony Village?
A: Despite the 10-year-plus boom in condo building, most developers have not yet recognized the need to start offering attractive housing options for Boomers looking to downsize. Harmony Village understands the demographics and has come up with a fantastic solution that meets the needs of people 45 and beyond. They can buy a unit and enjoy a very active lifestyle, from cooking and wine tasting classes to gardening and yoga. Once they need it, they have access to homecare, meals programs and on-site health clinics.
Q: What is the best reason to buy a unit in Harmony Village?
A: It gives you control of your future. The longer you can live at home – and be surrounded by your community – the happier and healthier you will be. Looking ahead, Ontario is facing a severe shortage in facilities that can meet the needs of our aging population. Harmony Village residents don’t have to worry. They will have all of the resources they need right at their doorstep.
Visit www.fortressrealdevelopments.com to learn more about Fortress and follow them on Twitter @FortressRDI

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