New Local Home by Black Press Digital

February 24/2011

…Golf course views. Foxridge Homes is bringing a brandnew community to life overlooking the Surrey Golf Course. Entitled The Links, the single-family detached homes are new and each is unique, as there are dozens of house styles. [5]

SEE PAGE 5...

FEATURE

‘‘

Murrayville is a community with a lot of character,” says ParkLane Homes chief operating officer Ben Taddei, onsite at the company's new Winchester development in Langley. Winchester is just one of the many new-home developments that Metro Vancouver builders are working on in 2011.

Branch of BC housing

GVHBA’S 17TH ANNUAL

Whole lotta building going on

TRICIA LESLIE

Homebuilders aren't holding back on building new homes in 2011. At least, not in Metro Vancouver. While other parts of the country and housing markets throughout the world are still struggling to recover from the global economic downturn, Vancouver is experiencing lineups for new-home launches, increasing average home prices and bidding wars on prime – and not-so-prime – properties.

In his most recent Monday Morning Briefing, Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association president and CEO Peter Simpson notes that "highselling prices for knockdown 'clunkers' are commonplace in hot Vancouver locations." In the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood – an area that includes the Vancouver neighbourhood increasingly becoming known as SoMa, or South Main – Simpson says two lot-valueonly properties sold for $728,000 and

March 22, 2011 FIRST-TIME Tuesday, Sheraton Vancouver

HOME BUYER

SEMINAR

Guildford Hotel, Surrey Seminar will take place from 7 - 9 p.m.

Attendees are invited to arrive at 6 p.m. to get a wealth of information on new-home developments, mortgage information and other homebuying information.

Although the seminar is free to attend, GVHBA encourages attendees to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Surrey Food Bank.

$868,000; both were on the market less than a week. In the same period, six lot-value-only properties on the West Side sold for an average of $1.7 million each, Simpson says. Local builders are showing their confidence in the region's housing market by launching multiple new projects throughout the Lower Mainland, he adds. One such builder is ParkLane continued on page 2

…and now New Local Home is on Facebook…

New Local Home February 24, 2011

‘‘

There was a healthy balance between the number of homebuyers and sellers in our market in January, but there's always variation in activity from region to region. We're seeing strong

Location, location, location ...

sellers' market conditions in areas like Richmond and the west side of Vancouver."

Hot spots in local housing market The local housing market remained in balanced market conditions in January, with higher levels of buyer demand experienced in some of the region's largest communities, reports the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. The number of properties listed for sale and those sold on the Multiple Listing Service last month outpaced the 10-year average in both categories for January, says the REBGV. "There was a healthy balance between the number of homebuyers and sellers in our market in January, but Jake Moldowan there's always variation in activity from region to region," says REBGV president Jake Moldowan. "We're seeing strong sellers' market conditions in areas like Richmond and the west side of Vancouver." Over the past 12 months, the MLSLink Housing Price Index (the industry's listing service) benchmark price of detached homes increased 22.6 per cent in Richmond and 12.2 per cent in West “When you're Vancouver, the REBGV looking to buy or sell a home, says. In comparison, deit's important tached home prices to familiarize across the Greater yourself with Vancouver rethe wider trends gion increased in the market. 2.7 per cent It's equally over the same important period. "When you're to seek out looking to buy or knowledge sell a home, it's imof your local portant to familiarize area so you yourself with the wider understand trends in the market," current market Moldowan says. conditions "It's equally imporin your tant to seek out knowlneighbourhood.” edge of your local area so you understand current market conditions in your neighbourhood." From a historical perspective, January's 1,819 home sales slightly surpassed the 1,790 home-sale average recorded in the region over the past 10 years, the REBGV notes. More homes are being listed for sale as well – at 10,438, the total number of residential property listings on the MLS increased 5.8 per cent in January compared to last month and increased 2.2 per cent from this time last year.

Samantha Perrin, site sales manager at Portrait Homes' master-planned community of Silver Ridge in Maple Ridge, looks forward to selling more new homes here in 2011. Martin Knowles photo

…off the front: “Silver Ridge is such a great community – the green space, view corridors, walking trails and natural beauty – it just doesn't get any better." Rob Grimm, Portrait Homes continued from page 1

Homes, a company that had much success at its master-planned Metro Vancouver communities in 2010, as well as numerous award nominations and awards – including the Urban Development Institute Pacific Region Award of Excellence for best ground-oriented multi-family development (The Block, Vancouver) and best single-family home (Bedford Landing, Fort Langley). For the second straight year, ParkLane also won the Consumer Choice Award for top home and townhouse builder in the Vancouver area in an independent customer survey conducted by Leger marketing. "This award is especially significant for us because it is the customer who has to vote for us," says ParkLane's chief operating officer Ben Taddei. "There are a lot of great builders in our industry and to be recognized as number one in this survey is a great honour." ParkLane plans for 2011 include continuing to build out the final phase of its masterplanned communities of Bedford Landing and Heritage Woods in Port Moody; final phases will included both woodframe apartments and townhomes.

The company has also started construction on a new Langley community entitled Winchester, located in the coveted Murrayville neighbourhood. "Murrayville is a community with a lot of character," Taddei says. "It has a rich history, it is close to great schools and amenities – it's a great place to raise a family."

Two new sites currently under development, located in Port Coquitlam and Maple Ridge, are townhome communities slated to start later this year, and ParkLane is also launching the community branding campaign for its East Fraserlands development in Southeast Vancouver. "This will be the largest new development in the City of Vancouver," Taddei notes. East Fraserlands will include more than 7,000 multi-family homes and once complete, will include a grocery store, drug store, more than 250,000 square feet of retail space, a community centre, daycare space continued on page 4

BUSY BUILDERS

ParkLane Homes' Bedford Landing community has won several awards. More new homes will be built at this Fort Langley development this year.

Sales Director: Lisa Farquharson • 604-575-5364 • lisaf@bcclassified.com Editor: Tricia Leslie • 604-575-5346 • editor@newlocalhome.com Writer: Maggie Calloway • maggiec@blackpress.ca Advertising Sales: Black Press National Sales • Helen Koch • 604-575-5811 • helenk@blackpress.ca Online Advertising: Black Press National Sales • Scott Elliott • 604-575-5826 • scottelliott@blackpress.ca Designer: Brad Smith • bsmith@blackpress.ca New Local Home is published once a week by Black Press Group Ltd. (Suite 309 - 5460 152 Street, Surrey, B.C. V3S 5J9) 350,000 copies are distributed free across Metro Vancouver. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited.

New Local Home February 24, 2011

Life is sweet at The Links

ParkLane Homes is building a new community in the Murrayville area of Langley (above) entitled Winchester. At Polygon Homes' Tyneridge community in Coquitlam (left), homebuyers started lining up at 6 a.m. for a chance to purchase a new home.

'Building homes for people is extremely rewarding' hopes to start marketing in 2012. Another well-known builder that has been busy so far in 2011 is Polygon Homes, a development company that has already experienced and two school sites. line-ups of interested homebuyers at two The entire development process doesn't just new-home launches in January and February start out of thin air. this year. With 30 years of experience building new At Polygon's Tyneridge, a Coquitlam homes in Metro Vancouver, ParkLane townhome community, lineups started has become known for its efficient at 6 a.m. at the January launch event, floorplan layout, thoughtful archiand by the time it was over, 25 out of the tectural details and uncompromising 37 homes released were sold. quality. Taddei says ParkLane starts by In February, there were lineups of finding the best sites to build on; locapotential homebuyers at a launch event tions that are good neighbourhoods at Polygon's UBC highrise development and close to schools, shopping, transit Rob Grimm Sitka, a limited collection of luxury and other amenities. apartment residences; when the event "Location is one of the most imwas over, 40 of 80 homes were portant factors in choosing a sold. piece of real estate, whether Polygon's website also shows you are a developer, investor “The biggest positive is the several upcoming communior homebuyer," Taddei says. joy our homeowners At Portrait Homes, coexperience once they move in.” ties that homebuyers may want to watch for, from a 37-storey principal Rob Grimm agrees. residential tower in the heart Take, for example, Portrait's massive masterof Metrotown in Burnaby (Chancellor) to Red planned community at Silver Ridge in Maple Maple Park, a townhome community in the Ridge, a community that has been recognized Willoughby area of Langley. with an unprecedented total of 73 major indusWhile Taddei and Grimm admit the buildtry awards – local, provincial and national, as ing process – from start to finish – can be well as several customer's choice honours. daunting when taking in factors such as rising "Silver Ridge is such a great community – construction costs and uncertain government the green spaces, view corridors, walking trails regulations, both say the end result is worth it. and natural beauty – it just doesn't get any "The biggest positive is the joy our homebetter," Grimm says. owners experience once they move in," Grimm "If we could find more land that is just as says, recalling one woman who was so happy spectacular, we would continue on creating with her unfinished home, she started to cry. communities like this forever." Taddei concurs. In 2011, Portrait Homes will continue with "Building homes for people is extremely its Silver Ridge community, which includes rewarding," Taddei says. townhomes, attached single-family rowhomes "Not only is it the biggest and most imporand detached single-family homes, and start tant purchase that most of us will make, the on a new community in Silver Ridge that is home is the place where people raise their adjacent to the existing neighbourhood. families, entertain their friends and create Grimm notes that Portrait will be introducmemories that will last a lifetime." ing a new architectural style for this community, but that style is "still a secret at this time." They are also starting a new townhouse development in the Surrey area, which Grimm

continued from page 2

Polygon Homes' Sitka, a highrise development at UBC, garnered a lot of interest at its launch weekend in early February. Homebuyers lined up to look, and 40 out of 80 new homes were sold.

urrey is the fastest-growing municipality in B.C., set to outnumber Vancouver's population within the next 10-20 years. So why not buy a home here? At Foxridge Homes' latest project, The Links, homebuyers can peruse a vast selection of new, single-family detached houses that offer views of the scenic Surrey Golf Course. With 74 homes in total, Foxridge sales and marketing manager Diane Zarola notes that each home is different from the next. "There will be dozens of different home styles and sizes at The Links because of the topography ... each lot is a different size and we designed each home to fit each lot." Beautifully designed and perfectly positioned for the life you've been waiting for, The Links is ready for you and your family.

Love your home at The Links in Surrey MAGGIE CALLOWAY

Some homebuyers are searching for a new, detached home. Others are looking to move their young family from a townhome or condo into a new, single-family home. Some are looking to downsize from a larger home into a smaller, yet still detached, home that means less upkeep. The Links, a Surrey community built by Foxridge Homes (a division of Qualico Development), fits the bill for all homebuyers, says Foxridge sales and marketing manager Diane Zarola. "In all our communities we end up with a mixed group," she says. "We have retirees, we have people who are either moving up to a single-family home or people who still want to live in a singlefamily home but don’t want to have to deal with major maintenance any more." Every home has a view of the magnificent Surrey Golf Course and the location – near 78 Avenue and 170 Street – allows easy access to downtown Langley, the new Golden Ears Bridge and other major transportation routes including Fraser Highway. And, Zarola notes, there's plenty of different plans to choose from at The Links, which features a total of 74 new homes.

Foxridge Homes' The Links offers brand-new single-family detached homes with views of the Surrey Golf Course.

"There will be dozens of different home styles and sizes at The Links because of the topography," she says. "We are on the side of a hill with three crescents, or cul-de-sacs, so as you come

around the curve each lot is a different size and we designed each home to fit each lot." If potential homebuyers are worried about continued on page 7

New Local Home February 24, 2011

Coquitlam

Port Coquitlam < Pearl 2343 Atkins Ave. 604-308-0227 = The Shaughnessy (on Lions Park) 2950 Glen Dr. 604-461-2750 < River Green 5111 Hollybridge Way. 604-233-2633 = Mezzo 7373 Turnill St. 604-725-1250 > Emerald 7180 No. 3 Rd. 604-244-8333 ? Hamilton Station 22788 Westminster Hwy. 604-279-8866 @ Wishing Tree 9566 Tomicki Ave. 604-303-6840 B Saffron 180-8360 Granville Ave. 604-270-2482

North Vancouver

Ladner Trunk Rd.

256th St

232nd St

224th St

272 Nd St

256th St

240th St

88th Ave

56th Ave 1

< 72nd Ave

Langley

Langley Bypass

Cloverdale

56th Ave

continued from page 5 AN

Taylor Rd

56th Ave

40th Ave.

South Delta

28th Ave.

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South Surrey

White Rock

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24th Ave. 16th Ave

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Where homeowners can 'make their dreams come true'

80th Ave

Fort Langley

96th Ave

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10 58th Ave.

128th St.

64th Ave.

140th St.

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buying into a community where all the homes look Harris Rdalike, cookie-cutter style, they needn't worry at The Links, Zarola says. The lower floor of the project's showhome is Foxridge's design studio and colour rooms, she explains. "Clients Downes Rd can pick not only the exterior colour and trim colours, within design guidelines, but the whole of the interior," she says. "This includes all interior colours, cabi. nets, counters, flooring, etc. This is where Rd e ill homeowners get to customize their new v on rd and make their dreams come true." home ea Townline Rd

> n E a rs W a y de

272 St.

80th Ave.

= Dewdney Trunk Rd

Maple Ridge

104th Ave.

96th Ave

264 St.

Rd i ve r

248th St.

Steveston Hwy.

Scott Rd.

112th St.

No. 3 Rd.

Gilbert Rd.

< 132nd Ave

232nd St.

Pitt Meadows

North Delta

Richmond

96th Ave.

Westminster Hwy.

216th St.

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Wake up to views of Mount Baker and the Surrey Golf Course in a new, detached home at Foxridge Homes' new community, The Links.

192nd St.

all

Intergulf Developmentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Kits 360 offers brand-new homes in an extremely desirable Vancouver location: Kitsilano.

184th St.

V nn

< Bedford Landing 23015 Billy Brown Road. 604-888-2176 = Seasons & Prelude at Milner Heights 208th St & 72nd Ave. 604-539-9484 > Time at Walnut Grove 9525-204 Street. 604-694-1819

176th St.

West Vancouver

Langley

< Highland Park 160th & 24 Ave. 604-542-8995 = Glenmore at Morgan Heights 161A St. & 24 Ave. 604-542-8863 > Wills Creek 160th & 32 Ave. 604-542-6200 Lonsdale Ave.

Ma rine Dr .

< Trend 7445 Scott Road. 604-590-5483 = South Pointe (at Sunstone) 10527 Modesto Place. 604-584-2908 > Atria 120 St. and 75A Ave. 604-453-6666 ? Equinox 10415 Delsom Crescent. 604-581-8144

South Surrey-White Rock

Taylor Way

< = >

Delta

Coast Meridian Rd.

< Jewel II 6130 Wilson Ave at Beresford. 604-456-0688 = Motif99at Citi 4400 Buchanan St. 604-298-8800 > Adera - Green 7438 Byrnepark Walk. 604-439-8858 ? Perspectives 4710 Lougheed Hwy. 604-294-4995 @ Affinity 5695 Lougheed Hwy at Holdom. 604-453-5893

FEATURE

< Victoria Hill McBride Ave. 604-523-0733 = Inter-Urban Begbie and Columbia St. 604-523-0081 > Port Royal Holy Ave. and Salter St. 604-520-9890

Richmond

Burnaby

< Augusta Walk / Woods at Provinceton 18199 70th Ave, 778-571-1088 = Hazelwood Estates 7881 164A Street. 604-657-5220 > Knoll 7348 192A Street, Surrey. 604-574-0001 ? Quattro 114-10768 Whalley Blvd. 604-581-8000 @ Ultra 105-13339 102 Ave. 604-588-6999 A Taylor 1-8767162 St. 604-584-1114

New Westminster

168th St.

< The Mark 1035 Seymour St. 604-687-4353 = Pacific Spirit UBC Westbrook Village. 604-221-8878 604-264-6477 > James 289 W. 2nd Ave. 604-275-1000 ? Spice on Robson Nicola and Robson streets. 604-683-5555 @ Local 1661 East 2nd Ave at Commercial. 604-688-5527

Lougheed

Vancouver

Stayte Rd.

< Anderson Walk 139 West 22nd. 604-988-8236 = The Kimpton 210 W. 13th St. 604-988-3020

Surrey

< Brighton at Silver Ridge 13851 232 St. 604-270-1889 = Duet 22977 116 Ave. 604-453-4962 > Main Stone Creek 10116-241 St. 604-463-5000

152nd St.

North Vancouver

? Cornerstone 5655 210A Street. 604-534-6000 @ High Point Equestrian Estates 20048 2nd Ave. 604-531-1111

Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows

144th St.

< Skye-Soleil-Aqua Presentation Centre, Unit 3, 1233 Main St., Squamish. 604-616-1215 = Furry Creek-Ocean Crest 415- Furry Creek Dr. 604-787-1456 > Maples at Fintry Park Bryson Way and Finch Ave. 604-894-3344

King George Hwy.

Squamish

@ Morgan Heights 26th Ave & 164th St. 604-531-1111, 604-420-4200 A SouthPort 3677-143 St. 604-292-0871 B High Street 402-2950 King George Hwy. 604-536-9333 C Summerfield 109-172A St. 604-536-1155 D Avra 1456 Johnston Road. 604-531-9030

< Levo Pinetree Way & Northern Ave. 604-464-5856 = The Foothills Burke Mountain, 3381 David Ave. 604-944-3188 > Tatton 1240 Holtby, Coquitlam. 604-552-2220 ? Tyneridge 1035 Soball Street. 604-464-7985 @ Belmont 1456 Avondale St. 604-461-7113 A Sterling 3412 Wilkie Ave. B Kensal Walk 1125 Kensal Place. 604-552-3853

132nd St.

On Tour

â&#x17E;&#x153;

Homes at The Links are energy efficient and offer the latest technology, including EnergyStar low-E glass, double-glazed vinyl warm-frame windows and superior insulation. Inside, the attention to detail continues with overheight ceilings and a natural-gas fireplace in the great room or family room. The kitchens are a dream with maple cabinets finished with chrome knobs and exclusively designed flat-edge laminate countertops with full-height ceramic tile backsplash. Bathrooms are designed to pamper with white one-piece soaker tubs and shower stalls in the ensuite bathroom accented with

ceramic tile surrounds. Elegant, individual framed mirrors over vanities add glamour to this private retreat. Homes are priced from $659,900. Visit www.linksliving.ca for more information.

New Local Home February 24, 2011