Toronto is not your average housing market and Lesli Gaynor is not your typical realtor.
It’s her background in policy writing and social work that informs her efforts to facilitate different co-ownership arrangements through her own company, GoCo Solutions.
On Wednesday, she has organized a seminar on co-owning a home that will feature legal and financial experts on the subject.
Home ownership has become extremely challenging with property values for single-family homes jumping 36 per cent from 2012, to an average of $770,000 last year.
"Co-operative housing is one way we can enable everyday Canadians to take advantage of the economic, social and community benefits of home ownership," says the online posting for An Evening of Wine and Wisdom at the Centre for Social Innovation Annex on Bathurst St.
More than 200 people had registered in advance for the event, said Gaynor, a Royal LePage agent, and member of the Purdy Team that specializes in home co-ownership.
The Star spoke to Gaynor about the growing interest in non-traditional ownership models. The following is an edited version of that conversation.
Why are you promoting the co-ownership of homes?
We have a future generation of people with low-paying transient work, people who are going to be retiring without pensions. We could have people living on low or no incomes. We also have a huge group of people who are going to be hitting their senior years.
All I’m trying to do is take an old idea, which is community, and just try to reignite a notion of how much healthier we can be as a society if we look at ways of working more closely together.
I understand the importance of private property and net worth, but I think we can have some net worth that will create some social engagement and facilitate some other benefits.
What kind of co-ownership arrangements being discussed?
There are many possibilities. One of the speakers at the Wednesday event is Doug Tindal of Wine on the Porch. He’s part of a group that is looking at a co-ownership model that includes a communal element — a dining room table where they can create a sense of community.
I also look at this as intentional living.
People can make all kinds of decisions about how they want to set up their day-to-day life.
That goes all the way to people who want their own space, their own life and don’t want to be too familiar with their neighbours.
What are the barriers to co-owning a home?
To me it’s about the big barrier of communication. Real estate is such an individualist kind of game, we don’t communicate.
It’s harder and harder for these first-time home buyers.
My goal would be to set up a network of real estate agents who want to help people connect to do co-operative purchasing, helping people find a way to survive in this crazy economic time.
Who is coming to your event?
It ranges. There are first-time buyers and there are people wanting to downsize. They’re scared they’re going to sell this huge asset — and then what?
The event is essentially to say this is an idea that needs to be put into some sort of formal practice. Banks usually want to know that mortgage applicants have a defined relationship. I’ve been talking to mortgage professionals who say we just need to develop a product for co-ownership.
I am trying to create a network. My end goal is a one-stop shop. You’re going to walk into GoCo and you’re going to find a lawyer who will have no problem with your co-ownership of the property, you’ll get a mortgage adviser who won’t look at you like you have 10 heads, and a property manager.
In a co-owned house you don’t need someone asking, “Did you pay your maintenance this month?” All those issues should be handled by a third party, property manager.
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