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Millennial and GenZ homebuyers are known for their reliance on the "bank of mom and dad," but sometimes this financial assistance influences young newcomers to Toronto's cutthroat housing market to put a bit too much stock into the opinions of their beloved parents.

It's got to be hard to say no to the people who raised you, especially if they're helping to fund your overwhelmingly expensive purchase or investment, but experts are warning buyers about some of the awful advice doled out by parental units.

Real estate experts at Strata.ca have issued a stark warning for anyone who blindly accepts the real estate musings of their trusted guardians, revealing some of the worst parental advice buyers would be wise to avoid.

One of the worst blunders you can make in a real estate transaction is walking away from a steal of a deal just because your parents can't see past the little things.

Agent Sam Massoudi notes a client who fell in love with a unit, but passed after his parents balked at the condition of the condo, complaining about superficial scuffs on the walls that would have been fixed by a simple coat of paint.

Massoudi says it took the buyer another two months to find a unit, claiming that while he "saved $1,500 on painting, the market was up by another 2 per cent by this time," and the client ended up paying an extra $11K.

Whoops.

Older generations had an easier time in Toronto's real estate market, so it's understandable that they look at transactions through an old-fashioned lens. One of these outdated ideas is the concept of making low-ball offers that plunge far below a seller's asking price.

The problem is, nobody in their right mind makes low-ball offers in such a highly competitive housing race, and those who do risk offending sellers and snuffing out any chance of future negotiation.

It's probably best to explain this to your folks, instead of bowing to the pressure and risking making enemies in the market.

Advice to hold out for that 'forever' home could be another symptom of the housing accessibility boomers and other older generations experienced, but this idealized goal of finding a home to retire in just doesn’t apply to many first-time homebuyers.

"The problem with this advice is that it's not even realistic in places like the GTA where property values are already so expensive," says Massoudi.

Another bit of advice to avoid is using the seller's listing agent to represent your interests.

This one seems plainly evident, as it's right there in the name. Listing agent. If you aren't listing the unit, this agent isn't necessarily on your side. It may seem cheaper on the surface to use the same agent as the seller, but the negotiations are almost guaranteed to go the seller’s way.

"The seller's agent represents the seller, so they don't owe you anything in the negotiations," said Strata realtor Jenelle Tremblett.

At the end of the day, there are plenty of departments where parental advice will guide you through the trials of life. But if your parents are offering any of these ill-advised pointers, it might be a good idea to look elsewhere for your real estate tips.

Nearly two years into the pandemic, there are some key aspects of daily life that feel like they'll never be the same again, among them the foreseeably long-term trend of working from home (at least part of the time) and our collectively heightened fear of germs and crowded public spaces.

These two new post-COVID realities have been particularly unfortunate for public transit systems in major cities like Toronto, where ridership numbers and profits started dwindling to untenable lows last year and may potentially be permanently hindered despite the TTC's hope that it will be able to attract residents to ride the rocket once more after (/if, it sometimes seems) we get over this whole health crisis thing.

Though the recovery toward normal TTC numbers is underway, some are still concerned about a "transit death spiral" of reduced ridership leading to reduced service that in turn causes ridership to fall even more, which is not at all helped by service cuts due to a small segment of unvaccinated transit workers.

And, all of this has caused another revenue shortfall: a loss of advertising, which is usually quite lucrative.

There are still no ads on the subway because there is no ridership. When the subway is empty, the City cannot survive. There is no justification for not going back to work this January. We must #LetPeopleWork! #onpoli #topoli pic.twitter.com/aDNc0VQVAw

— Roman Baber (@Roman_Baber) December 13, 2021

It would be hard for anyone who's been on a subway, bus or streetcar in recent months to ignore the glaringly blank interior panels that used to be completely full of all kinds of ads back when there were more commuter (read: consumer) eyeballs to see them.

Though the TTC is now faring far better than it was when it experienced an 86 per cent drop in monthly ridership back in peak lockdown during April 2020 — it had returned to 44 per cent of normal levels by this September, per the Star — the commission's board has expressed fears that flexible work-from-home conditions will have a lasting impact on transit demand.

There is also the fact that many former riders have made new habits of driving, walking or cycling around due to crowding and transmission fears, a factor that has reduced transit demand by an estimated 12 per cent.

#COVID19 has not been kind to the #TTC. About 2/3 of subway ad panels are empty.

— Andrija (@hazardppp) September 4, 2021

TTC spokesperson Stuart Green notes that though there are certainly still ads on all TTC vehicles, "it is fair to say not as many as there used to be."

Back in July 2020, Pattison Outdoor Advertising, the firm that manages ads for the transit agency until the end of 2023, noted that it may need to change its payment schedule and pivot its strategy due to the "the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and reduced transit ridership" which spurred "a significant reduction in monthly advertising sales," which explains all of the empty panels.

This led to a request to amend to the contract between Pattison and the commission.

Looking to reach TTC commuters? We can help! Over 1 in 2 TTC Subway Riders have noticed subway/subway station ads this spring. Click below to learn more about advertising on the TTC when you visit our website: https://t.co/bEqL34bjFl pic.twitter.com/hKVynDlmKk

— PATTISON Outdoor (@pattisonoutdoor) October 25, 2021

As the threat of omicron looms and residents fear a return to more prohibitive lockdown measures, public transit, hospitality and other sectors may indeed have to brace for a more enduring struggle than was expected at this point.

Just an hour outside of Toronto hidden in the rugged Canadian landscape is this architectural masterpiece of a home. 

Listed for $14,995,000, 18754 Heart Lake Road is a modern masterpiece created by award winning Kariouk Architects and Netflix famous designer Karin Bohn of House of Bohn. 

The main living area. 

The four-bedroom, six-bathroom home boasts over 10,000 square-feet of living space.

Even a hallway is stunning thanks to the large windows. 

Not to mention it sits on almost 100 acres of land in Caledon that's made up of mature woods, scenic meadows, open terrain, and natural ponds.

An aerial view of the property. 

According to realtor Carolyn Scime the home was designed to blend into the surrounding nature so it's barely visible from a distance leaving the landscape almost unmarred. 

A view of the house at night. 

The interior of the home was designed to help bring the outdoors in with countryside views from every room.

A covered deck. 

And boy did they understand the assignment. "[The] natural slate stone exterior siding is mirrored on several interior walls providing a seamless transition between indoors and outdoors," notes Scime. 

The dining room and kitchen. 

While every part of the house is gorgeous, the most stunning part of the house is possibly the open concept kitchen and living area. 

A view of the dining room from the kitchen. 

With vaulted ceilings and huge floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides the space is bright, airy and lets you take in the majesty of the landscape. 

The primary bedroom. 

Each of the features and finishes were thoughtfully chosen to make the room feel luxurious and welcoming. 

The lower level family room. 

The mix of textures and materials throughout the home are a true work of art.

The primary ensuite bathroom. 

From the warm oak wood paneled ceiling to the industrial steel beams to the luxurious marble bathrooms everything works beautifully together. 

An office space. 

It's also a bit edgy, which is a nice change a pace for a country side house. 

The primary bedroom with breathtaking views. 

The primary bedroom is also on the main floor and offers spectacular views, a stunning fire place and a unique ensuite bathroom. 

Another bedroom. 

The other bedrooms in the house are on the second level and there's a guest bedroom on the lower level of the home. 

The basement of the house still gets tons of natural light thanks to the open ceiling to the main floor. 

The lower level is complete with a media room, family room and games room. 

An aerial shot of the house. 

And if the 100-acres of land outside weren't enough there's also an in-ground pool to make use of when it's not snowing. 

A bedroom. 

This home is just begging to be featured in Architectural Digest or on a TV show like Grand Designs. 

The living room with a suspended fireplace with natural stone cladding.

So if you're ever considering leaving the city a place like this might just be worth it... if you have the $14 million to afford it that is.  

A view of the primary bedroom from outside. 

People just trying to do what's right for their kids had to contend with a ragtag band of anti-vax protesters this weekend, the small but vocal group setting up outside of Scotiabank Arena on Sunday to harass parents and children attending a mass vaccination clinic.

The small crowd assembled at the intersection of York and Bremner, confronting parents with small children attending the one-day-only, superhero-themed Toronto Kids Vaccine Day at Scotiabank Arena, part of a push to vaccinate five- to 11-year-olds.

Good morning Toronto! It's a chilly Sunday morning but I'm outside @ScotiabankArena where I'm covering a demonstration by #antivaxxers against the vaccination clinic in the arena. About 25 demonstrators present so far. #cdnpoli #Toronto #onpoli pic.twitter.com/30B4LsIMBe

— Kosalan Kathir (@kokopuff16) December 12, 2021

The hilarious Bill Gates vaccine conspiracy (some fringe groups ACTUALLY believe vaccines contain tracking chips) even got some airplay, all as protesters live-streamed the events from their smartphones that contain actual GPS locating devices.

This is what some families see and hear while they roll into the vaccine clinic at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. #antivaxxers #toronto pic.twitter.com/a4HAmyUK3p

— Johnny “Chris” Fondue (@EatsFood2) December 12, 2021

The protest was reportedly organized by anti-vax activist Vladislav Sobolev, who has a long history of protesting against public health measures.

Lawyer and critic of the anti-vax movement Caryma S'ad says that this is par for the course for Sobolev, who "appears to be regurgitating talking points associated with the sovereign citizenship movement, and encouraging his followers to take similar actions locally."

According to S'ad, some of his stances include calling "for elected officials and other authority figures to be charged with second-degree murder when (he assumes 'when') children start dying from vaccines," underlining that this is especially "concerning language."

S'ad also notes the irony of "people who promote refusing to disclose vaccination status based on 'privacy' reasons attempting to photograph parents and children outside the pop-up clinic."

Antivaxx shitbird Vladislav Sobolev proudly shows off that he’s protesting outside the children’s vaccine clinic at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto#antivaxxers #toronto pic.twitter.com/8aOyYTAI7W

— Johnny “Chris” Fondue (@EatsFood2) December 12, 2021

"This is bullsh*t," said Sobolev in a video that manages to simultaneously come off as both calm and unhinged.

"We will be educating confused parents that have been misled, indoctrinated and brainwashed to think there is no risk at all to this experimental gene therapy and that children should be subjected to this," Sobolev states, standing in front of a group of no more than a couple dozen unmasked zealots.

The few protesters in attendance were met with an equal police presence, including several squad cars and a mounted unit, but that wasn't enough to prevent the scene from getting ugly.

Mounted police and Bill Gates talk at the Scotiabank Arena vaccine clinic#antivaxxers #ptbo pic.twitter.com/NOmFOxhXDN

— Johnny “Chris” Fondue (@EatsFood2) December 12, 2021

While police stopped most protesters from getting close to the entrance, some were pretty persistent.

Most protesters are sticking close to York St and Bremner Blvd. A few demonstrators inched towards the Stadium and began talking to people heading to the clinic before police intervened#cdnpoli #Toronto #onpoli #antivaxxers pic.twitter.com/QtitI2CJhX

— Kosalan Kathir (@kokopuff16) December 12, 2021

In a since-deleted tweet, a man walking by the protest with his dog reacts to the group, sarcastically shouting "arrest children" and cheering in a clearly mocking tone. He is then punched twice in the face in an incident that has since been reported to Toronto Police.

Far-right publication Druthers News has, for whatever reason, left a video of the incident up on their Facebook page, the confrontation occurring shortly after the 39-minute mark.

The assault, reported to police, wasn't the only interaction spotted during the protest, with reports of cops detaining protesters and issuing tickets.

Two demonstrators claim they were briefly detained. Police did confirm one detention. Both claim they were issued tickets before being released #cdnpoli #Toronto #onpoli #antivaxxers

— Kosalan Kathir (@kokopuff16) December 12, 2021

In the end, the protest accomplished little more than inconveniencing the public. The vaccination event was considered an overwhelming success, with over 1,500 children inoculated.

The pandemic has left Toronto's usually bustling Financial District a complete ghost town for the majority of the last 20 months, with a glut of available office space flooding onto the market and countless nearby businesses forced to shutter permanently amid record low foot traffic.

Though a hybrid work model with at least some time from home is the inevitable future for many industries — backyard offices are the latest trend, while homes with potential office space are more valuable than ever — new data shows that people are indeed slowly returning to work hubs.

“There is much more going on in the Toronto office market than many would be led to believe,” says CBRE's Jon Ramscar. https://t.co/Tx1b60bGIK pic.twitter.com/hjd9YvyBYi

— CBRE Canada (@cbreCanada) December 9, 2021

According to recent figures from commercial real estate firm CBRE, buildings in downtown Toronto were an entire 20 per cent busier in November than in August, with 2.5 million square feet of space leased out to employers in the second half of 2021 — the exact amount that was suddenly and concerningly freed up in 2020.

In fact, there has been more leasing activity in these spaces over the last five months than during the whole 15 months from April 2020 to June 2021, and companies are now jumping into new office spaces faster than even pre-COVID.

CBRE is calling this rebound "a clear signal that businesses are returning to the office and making investments to occupy space long term," and note the confidence that many big players have shown, with brands like Scotiabank, RBC, Sun Life and Apple sharing clear plans for return-to-work.

Toronto's empty downtown core is starting to see signs of life again https://t.co/lg35uCmYMm #Toronto #DowntownToronto

— blogTO (@blogTO) November 6, 2021

The demand for larger spaces is also going up, with many companies looking for more than 100,000 square feet to bring their staff back into.

It helps that Toronto has recently been ranked the top locale for high-tech job growth, one of the smartest cities in the world and a hub for tech growth, with companies like Google, Amazon, Netflix, Reddit, TikTok, DoorDash, Uber, Pinterest, Wayfair and setting up shop here.

But still, it's been a hard road to get back to something resembling a normal work environment, even before all of the rigorous health and safety guidelines that now come into play.

A whopping 77 per cent of residents who worked out of an office in the Financial District during the before times have still yet to return, though this spike in new commercial leases means their employers are preparing for it.

Also, things are looking better across Toronto more widely, like midtown, where offices are more closely resembling their 2019 selves.

Toronto PATH businesses fret as hybrid office work threatens their existence https://t.co/cHLT0sXQuu #Toronto #PATH

— blogTO (@blogTO) September 29, 2021

While the City of Toronto announced a plan over the summer to get workers back to the office, with COVID case counts rising once more and the new threat of Omicron, the provincial government has now advised companies to continue to let their staff work from home.

Few things can really scream "I'M RICH, BIATCH!" as well as a private jet; the vehicle of choice among high-powered business moguls, dynastic old money clans and conspicuously wealthy rappers.

Once merely an effective form of transportation for executives who needed to get around the world quickly and frequently, the "PJ" has grown to become a status symbol worthy (apparently) of emulation, but accessible to almost no one.

People will literally pay money to take photos of themselves on sets styled to look like personal planes for the purpose of faking luxe lifestyles on Instagram, but that's the closest most will ever get to owning or even renting one — under most circumstances.

A 1994 Dassault Falcon 200 jet just hit Facebook Marketplace in Pickering, Ontario, for only $45,000.

Someone in Pickering is selling off a private jet from 1994 for way cheaper than usual. Image via Facebook Marketplace.

That's roughly the same price as a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, or a 2019 Ford Explorer XLT. In other words, it's a damn steal, especially considering how much this model of plane cost when it was first manufactured: $7.5 million.

Estimates for how much a used Falcon costs vary based on location, condition and year produced, but newer versions can go for tens of millions of dollars: A version from 2014 is currently listed at $23,880,000 USD.

On top of that, it costs nearly $5,000 per hour in fuel, staffing and other variable costs just to operate the thing.

So how on earth is someone selling an entire jet for less than it would cost to charter one for half a day? The seller's description says it all: "This old bird no longer flies."

This "cheap falcon 200" jet was listed on Facebook Marketplace one week ago for only $45,000. Image via Facebook.

While it won't take you airbound, the listing points out that the jet "would make great Airbnb" to "rent out for $500 a night," or could be good as a movie prop.

Whoever purchases the jet won't have to worry about moving it, either — the seller will bring it to their desired location.

"Let your imagination fly," reads the listing, which also cautions that only serious buyers who leave their phone numbers will be contacted "due to huge response of curiosity."

If you've got an extra $45K, some land to spare, and an idea for giving this once skyborne beauty a new life on land, you can contact Facebook user "Marge Car," whose profile picture is literally just an image of a life-sized Marge Simpson mannequin sitting in a red car.