Ballantry Homes

Ballantry was founded in 1989 by David Hill and Bobby Bhoola, both of whom already had substantial experience.

David brought experience from a well-known family realty company founded in 1961. Bobby brought years of expertise in land development, construction and architectural design. Between them that covers the three disciplines a homebuilder actually needs, which is why the company was able to operate at scale early.

The range has widened steadily. Ballantry started in low-rise and mid-rise and has expanded into high-rise, and from land development into construction, and from residential into commercial development.

It maintains its own internal land development team for acquisition and development, working directly with municipalities so its communities meet local expectations.

In 2011 Ballantry expanded into the United States, partnering with Patrick Malloy Communities, an award-winning builder and developer in Atlanta, Georgia. Together they have developed and built over 800 homes in the greater Atlanta area.

For an Ontario buyer that is context rather than something that affects your purchase. Your agreement, your warranty and your recourse are all Ontario.

A dedicated studio where buyers select finishes with the help of decor consultants, from countertops and flooring through to fixtures.

Design studios are common now, and the thing to watch is the gap between what is standard and what is priced. Go in with the features and finishes sheet, know what your contract already includes, and treat the studio visit as a purchase rather than an inspiration session. Budgets move fast in those rooms.

Ask which product type your purchase falls under. The company started in low-rise and moved into high-rise later, so for a condominium ask specifically about completed and registered towers.

Before the Design Studio appointment, get the standard specification in writing and set a hard upgrade budget.

Then the usual: deposit schedule, lot premium, grading, maintenance fee estimate on a condominium, and the closing timeline.

It has widened in every direction. The company began building low-rise and mid-rise homes, then added high-rise. It began buying serviced land, then built an internal land development team to acquire and develop its own. It began residential and added commercial. In 2011 it added a United States business.

That kind of expansion is a strength and a caution at once. The strength is that Ballantry now controls more of its own process, particularly land. The caution is that a company doing five things is newer at some of them than others, so ask how long they have been doing the specific thing you are buying.