May 24, 2012

If I had a million dollars

Anna Sajecki
Paul and Catherine McKernan may have paid $1 million, but in exchange, they got the home they wanted in a neighbourhood that more than meets their needs.

Paul and Catherine McKernan may have paid $1 million, but in exchange, they got the home they wanted in a neighbourhood that more than meets their needs.

These days, anyone with an eye for real estate knows that in a prominent Toronto neighbourhood, a $1 million asking price is no longer the exception, but the norm. Just ask the McKernans, new Forest Hill locals who paid the price to cross the 401. Herewith, their story and four $1 million homes on the market.

While Paul McKernan is happy with his first million-dollar home, it’s his son who is ecstatic. “The fact that he can have his buddies over after school,” McKernan says, “he’s totally excited, he’s over the moon.”

His teenage son is an Upper Canada College (UCC) student. Commuting from the family’s 1950s bungalow in Willowdale meant there just wasn’t enough time for extracurricular activities. So after 22 years in the same place, Paul and his wife, Catherine, thought it was time for a change — one that would bring them closer to their son’s campus.

The McKernans weren’t necessarily looking for million-dollar digs in the city. It’s just that they knew they wanted a home that was close to UCC. They also wanted a place that didn’t require a lot of upkeep. And they wanted to maintain the same quality of life they had in North York. All that inevitably came with a price tag.

When their broker Sharon Soltanian (Remax/Realtron) showed them a semi-detached home just south of Eglinton Avenue and Avenue Road, the couple found it met all of their criteria. Not only can their son walk to UCC, but the Oxton Avenue house is also brand new. “A lot of the older homes we looked at, there was always this lingering fear that something would require work ... whether it’s a furnace that needs replacing or a roof repair,” says Paul. “I didn’t want to have to deal with any of that.”

Being close to both the Davisville and Summerhill retail areas, the McKernans also loved the neighbourhood. “When we were at Yonge and Empress, you had the shops on Yonge around Empress Walk, and you also had Bayview Village nearby,” says Paul. “Where we’ve moved to, we’re still the same proximity to Yonge, and we can still avail ourselves of wonderful entertainment, retail and dining opportunities.”

All in all, the move (and the price tag) has been well worth it. “We just knew we were moving to an area which had amazing advantages,” he says.

Next: Home harmony in Leaside

This article appears in the June 2011 issue of Post City Magazines

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