REAL ESTATE IN RATHWOOD

The Rathwood district is located in the east end of Mississauga. It's borders run from near Hurontario Street and run parallel between the Eastgate Parkway and Burnhamthorpe Road East to the borders of Etobicoke near Wood Creek Park.

THE AREA "LOWDOWN" TO MEET YOUR LIFESTYLE

Rathwood is a nice area to live in. A majority of the homes here are anywhere in-between 30-45 years of age but it is a very well maintained community. It's also very family oriented area with lots of apparent pride in homeownership here. There are some newer builds of high-end townhomes in the Hickory Village (Rathburn and Dixie area) and lots of larger custom builds on Hickory Drive close by as well.

The great part about the smaller detached homes in this district is that they are affordable and appealing to first time home buyers. Though they may be a casualty of  some much needed urban modernization, may I point out that buying a fixer upper is good in the sense you can add your own style/flare to your residence and in turn add some value to your home as well.

Most of the homes here have decent size lots and new homes and enhanced older homes do sell for a premium here. Especially with the appeal of it's location as you are close to the city and are withing arms reach of Mississauga's best amenities and transit but are paying less for your home here than in Toronto with access to many great area features.

There are lots of parks in Rathwood such as Rathburn, Garnetwood and Fleetwood Park for the nature lovers and a really nice park just on the outskirts of the district with Wood Creek Park being a nice place to go as well.

SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES NEAR RATHWOOD

If the homes here are a little too cookie cutter in layout and style as well as you're not in the frame of mind to have a fixer upper then you should maybe look to these areas that have similar features and area but different styles and feel.

  

RATHWOOD SCHOOLS AND THEIR RANKINGS

Please look below for an explanation on why some schools do not have a mark from the Fraser Institute (F/I)

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN RATHWOOD (K-5)

Briarwood Elementary School - 1065 Mississauga Valley Boulevard, Mississauga (905) 270-2597 F/I Score: N/A

MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN RATHWOOD (6-8)

The Valleys Senior Public School - 1235 Mississauga Valley Boulevard, Mississauga (905) 275-5125 F/I Score: N/A

SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN RATHWOOD (9-12)

Applewood Heights Secondary School (F/I) - 945 Bloor Street East, Mississauga (905) 279-6090 F/I Score: 6.7/10 

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN RATHWOOD

St. Charles Garnier (JK-8) - 4233 Central Parkway East, Mississauga (905) 275-0509 F/I Score: 4.3/10
Sts Peter and Paul (JK-8) - 4205 Woodington Drive, Mississauga (905) 276-1888 F/I Score: 5.3/10 ("12-13 Score)
Canadian Martyrs (JK-8) - 1185 Mississauga Valley Boulevard, Mississauga (905) 275-0094 F/I Score: 5.7/10
John Cabot (9-12) - 635 Willowbank Trail, Mississauga (905) 279-1554 F/I Score: 7.8/10
St, Vincent de Paul (JK-8) - 665 Willowbank Trail, Mississauga (905) 848-5397 F/I Score: 5.6/10
Philip Pocock (9-12) - 4555 Tomken Road, Mississauga (905) 602-6172 F/I Score: 7.6/10
St. Basil (JK-8) - 4235 Golden Orchard Drive, Mississauga (905) 624-4529 F/I Score: 7/10
Sts. Martha and Mary (JK-8) - 1760 Bough Beeches, Mississauga (905) 624-9625 F/I Score: 7.9/10
Corpus Christi (JK-8) - 4155 Elora Drive, Mississauga (905) 897-7037 F/I Score: 6.8/10

*Rankings Come From the Fraser Institute 2014-15 *
(Please note:  schools that do not have a rating on the Fraser Institute need a miniumum number of students (15) from the grades from which the data is drawn from and in some cases the available data is insufficient to properly rank the school getting them a rank of this N/A. Again rank isn't everything as there are many factors to consider and the score should be used in conjuction with having meetings with teachers, administrators, support staff, as well as your child and other parents to better the overall selection factor)

AREA PRICING FOR DIFFERENT HOME STYLES

As mentioned earlier, in Rathwood you can get a good sized detached house for a decent price as compared to other areas in Mississauga and Toronto. Yes it will be a fixer upper, needing a little bit of urban modernization but you can help add value to your home quite quickly if you choose to go this root. You get a decent sized lot and if you buy new or newly upgraded in Rathwood then you can expect to pay a premium price as it is a coveted area amongst investors and your families.

Semi-detached and Smaller Detached - $420,000-$620,000+
Detached Homes - $620,000 - up to $1,000,000
Newer Detached and Executive Townhomes - $820,000 - $1,000,000+

TOP RESTAURANTS IN RATHWOOD

There are some really good little finds in Rathwood as far as restaurant fare goes, but you will probably have to drive to them depending where you live. Here are my favourite top places to eat with their rating on  Yelp. Reviews as of 01/01/15

Applewood Fish and Chips - 1020 Burnhamthorpe Road East, Mississauga (905) 277-4045 Yelp Review 4/5 (amazing fish and chips)
Byblos Cafe and Mediterranean Bistro - 377 Burnhamthorpe Road East, Mississauga (905) 268-0933 Yelp Review 4/5 (Mediterranean and all day breakfast!)
Shanghai House Chinese Restaurant - 1014 Burnhamthorpe Road East, Mississauga (905) 270-1906 Yelp Review 4/5 (Asian fare)
Molinaro's Cafe and Catering - 925 Rathburn Road East, Mississauga (905) 275-7305 (905) 275-7305 Yelp Review 3.5/5 (Italian)

MY REAL ESTATE OPINION OF RATHWOOD

Rathwood is a great community to purchase a home in as the value is there and the sense of pride in homeownership here is also great. You are in a nice central location to go to Toronto or Mississauga City Centre with many amenities surrounding you.

You are also close to major highways and the transit routes are great in this area so whether you commute by car or public transportation you can come out a winner in this aspect. The schools here have a fantastic rating on the Fraser Institute and Rathwood boasts a very safe, family oriented feel making it a great place to consider raising a family. There are also 3-4 great parks here for the outdoorsman or if you like a leisurely walk or picnic with your family.

Most of the homes here do need a facelift but you can really get a good home for your price point and you will profit from that decision years down the road as the GTA continues to grow. One of the better and more affordable districts in Mississauga.