vol5issue29_new-homes

LL PU T OU

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • July 18, 2008

NEW HOMES Your Guide to New Housing Developments in the Columbia Valley

The Resort at CastleRock New developer elevates project plans Business Feature by Sandra Kelly The Resort at CastleRock, an 84-unit condominium resort with a proposed 6,000-square-foot recreation centre, is taking shape high above Invermere, adjacent to CastleRock Estates. The resort’s well-heeled new ownership group has grand plans.

Reign Developments Inc., a Calgary-based developer with upscale projects across Western Canada, including the ultra-luxurious Renaissance in Three Sisters Mountain Village in Canmore, completed the purchase of the Resort at CastleRock property from Voisin Homes on July 15th, 2008.

Reign has been revamping the project since February, and will soon release the new plans to the public.

The proposed changes include a dramatic new building elevation; a revised site plan to enhance the views from all units and improve the location of the recreation centre; a greater selection of floor plans with enhanced layouts, interior specifications and larger decks; enhanced building designs with more corner units; and a luxurious new rendition of the recreation centre with a larger outdoor pool, casual restaurant, retail space, meeting rooms and fitness centre.

“We felt that the old plans for the resort, while adequate, didn’t fully reflect the beauty of the site or the quality of resort property that Reign Developments is associated with,” says company president Michael Palmer. “After months of market analysis and a full-scale architectural design study, we are excited to present our changes to the public and the District of Invermere, changes that have already received rave reviews from existing clients (who purchased from Voisin Homes) and the CastleRock Estates developer.”

View of Lake Windermere, photographed from the road leading to The Resort at CastleRock .

www.ResortatCastleRock.com

Continued on Page 3

2 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer – New Homes

July 18, 2008

along the 9th fairway of the springs golf course

SUMMER SALE

1/8 shares starting at $59,900 or $398.15/month* 1/4 shares starting at $99,900 or $664.39/month*

We pay the GST and No Maintenance/Strata fees for a year!

*Prices do not include applicable taxes and fees. Payments do include taxes and fees. Payments based on 15 year amortization, 2 year fixed rate mortgage, OAE. This is not intended to be an offering or solicitation for sale in any jurisdiction where the project is not registered in accordance with applicable law or solicitation would otherwise be prohibited by law.

1 888 766 9637

www.bighornmeadows.ca

July 18, 2008

New Homes – The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 3

Continued from Page 1 Reign plans to hold a public information session for all existing purchasers in the resort and owners within the CastleRock Estates community, to communicate the exciting new changes in more detail.

“We are ecstatic about the acquisition of the project by Reign Developments as it brings added vision, financial viability and construction experience to the development,” says Eric Watson, managing director of Ultimate Properties International Realty, the company marketing the project. “The new plans take the resort to a new level and clearly establish it as one of Western Canada’s most compelling condo hotel and fractional ownership opportunities,” adds Mr. Watson.

“With the improvements plus quarter-share pricing still starting at $89,900 for a fully-appointed twobedroom suite, the resort offers tremendous value even in today’s unsettled market.”

The floor plans now range from approximately 860 to 1,425 square feet and feature luxurious two and three-bedroom layouts with upscale finishing packages and luxurious hotel-quality furniture.

Construction begins this fall. Reign has enough pre-sales and the financing is in place to break ground, but the company needs to get the appropriate permits.

Once built, the resort will help to ease the shortage of quality short-term rental accommodation in the valley, through the optional rental pool offered to owners.

For more information call1-888-678-9338, or visit www.ResortatCastleRock.com. The sales centre will open this August in downtown Invermere.

Reign Developments plans to create luxury accommodation, shown in this rendition of The Resort at CastleRock.

4 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer – New Homes

July 18, 2008

P

I S E S HA

OUT D L O

!

SOLD % I 50 I E S ED! PHA V R ESE or R

WORLD-CLASS RESORT LIVING NESTLED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA ... 90 MINUTES FROM BANFF AND LAKE LOUISE

The ULTIMATE Resort Destination NO BUILDING COMMITMENT

SPECTACULAR VIEWS

RENTAL POOL

RESORT CENTRE

PATHWAYS

FITNESS FACILITY

POOL AND HOT TUB

discoverpineridge.com 1-866-580-2588 Visit us at our Sales Centre 1010 - 7 Avenue, Main Street Invermere

P R E C O N S T R U C T I O N P R I C I N G AVA I L A B L E F O R A L I M I T E D T I M E !

PHASE II LOTS COTTAGE AND VIEW from $119,000 Fully Serviced - Mature Forest Architectural Controls Geo-thermal Heating

PHASE I TOWNHOMES 2 STOREY MOUNTAIN VISTAS from $499,000 Alpine Architecture 9 ft. Ceilings - 3 Bedrooms Rich Finishing

resorts

info@discoverpineridge.com

New Homes – The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 5

July 18, 2008

Prepare for an onslaught of company

By Sandra Kelly Pioneer Columnist If you’re shopping for a vacation home in the Columbia Valley, be careful to choose something that will work for you and for the company you’re bound to get.

And then, get ready for the company.

During our first summer in Invermere, my husband Bob and I entertained a steady stream of houseguests in a rented house that wasn’t designed for heavy traffic.

From that experience, we learned what features make a house guest-friendly. We also learned how to cope with guests.

Here’s our best advice: • If you can afford the footage, choose a vacation home with at least two guest bedrooms and a sitting room situated away from the main living area. One guest bedroom may seem adequate now, but it won’t be. You may even need a pullout sofa, for backup.

• Furnish the sitting room to serve as a mini-retreat. Like you, guests sometimes need to get away and read a book, or watch a favorite TV show. And then there’s the kid-noise factor: who needs to hear those video games?

• If you’re considering a condo, read the bylaws before you sign on the dotted line. Most strata developments prohibit the parking of recreational vehicles in the driveway. Hence your visitors can’t bring their mobile home along.

Bighorn Meadows Resort in Radium Hot Springs has a brilliant solution to that problem: some of the resort’s luxury condos contain a lock-off guest suite with a bed-sitting room, a bathroom and a fully stocked kitchen. Now, that is guest-friendly.

As for coping with the hordes, it’s easy if you set boundaries. A stressful year passed before Bob and I understood that our friends and family viewed our house as a hotel.

It wasn’t a deficiency of character on their part: it was simply a difference in perception. Clearing it up called for some clever strategies.

• This one is critical: control the time and the duration of visits. Prior to vacation season, mark on a calendar the weeks or weekends during which you’ll be happy to receive guests. Then let your friends and family pick their timeslots. If you don’t, people will show up on short notice and then overstay their welcome.

• Schedule time without guests. People always promise to be “no trouble,” and some of them even

keep that promise. But, having bodies in your orbit every blessed weekend becomes oppressive. To spare their feelings, say you’re planning “a romantic weekend for two.” And then have one.

• Always ask who is coming. Believe it or not, some people will show up with friends and family of their own, without having cleared it with you. It’s shocking.

You would never do such a thing, and you wouldn’t have thought your best friends capable of such behavior. With a vacation home, you learn new things about people.

• Don’t be shy about asking for help. Bob and I learned that some guests wouldn’t dream of lifting a finger. Why should they? It’s a hotel. Others will wash floors without being asked. People will help if you make it easy. For example, provide a set of clean sheets so they can make a fresh bed before leaving.

• Also, provide dietary staples, but encourage people to buy their own gourmet treats. Our snack tab that first summer was about $1,200. Ouch. And, we now have a “no junk food in the house” rule.

If these strategies fail to work at your vacation home, just leave a copy of this New Homes supplement open to this page where the guests will notice it.

They can always buy a hotel of their own.

Invermere’s best-priced new home ownership opportunity!

Get more for your money, with beautifully finished three-bedroom homes starting at $359,900.

Each home features a thoughtful floor plan, designed for comfortable living. On the main floor entry, a den/bedroom/office and garage… on the second floor, a large kitchen with eating area, living room, bath and balcony… on the third floor, a master bedroom with full bath en-suite, laundry, and a second bedroom.

Cedarwood Glen is centrally located in the heart of the Columbia Valley.

Imagine… just two blocks to downtown Invermere, and three blocks to the beach! Enjoy all the conveniences in a quiet and peaceful setting.

Some homes are ready for occupancy now! For details, call (250) 341-1182.

6 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer – New Homes

Take ownership of your escape Finally, a luxury four-season real estate investment you and your family can enjoy, just three hours from Calgary. Visit our Invermere sales office and reserve your whole or 1/4 ownership opportunities now.

Opening late summer 2008. 1-866-9LUXURY www.copperpoint.ca/pioneer

Windermere, BC On-site Show Suite opening end of May

July 18, 2008

New Homes – The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 7

July 18, 2008

Don’t turn your dream into a nightmare

By Elinor Florence Pioneer Publisher Building a new home is somewhat like planning a wedding – it can cause you to throw common sense to the winds and get caught up in a whirlwind of thinking that everything has to be “perfect.”

Even calling it your “dream home” creates panic, because you mistakenly think you’ll never get a second chance.

When we were building our house a few years ago, I read house design magazines voraciously, shopped incessantly and generally drove myself crazy searching for the perfect accessory.

“How many paint chips do you need, for heaven’s sake?” my husband asked as I pored over dozens of bits of paper spread out on the coffee table, – and that was just the white trim!

Realizing that I couldn’t have both the giant walk-in closet that I had envisioned, as well as the stunning large

window to take advantage of the view, almost drove me to tears.

There were hundreds of decisions to make. Should the microwave be at eye height or below the counter? Should the colour of the grout match or contrast with the tile? Which end of the tub should the faucet be installed?

Home-planners, lighten up. The very thing that you fretted about during those sleepless nights will cease to matter within a few days of moving into your new home.

I never did get that walk-in closet, and I can’t say I’ve missed it for a minute. Nor have I ever thought again (until writing this article) about the angst I suffered over the location of the microwave. As with most things, you will become used to it very quickly and it will cease to matter.

If it’s really that important, then you can always renovate. I’m already planning what colour to repaint the bathroom!

8 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer - New Homes

N OW SELLING

MOUN TA I N E S TA T E H OMESITES I n t h e h e a r t o f t h e p r e s t i g i o u s C o p p e r Point Golf Resor t

Cop p e r Po i n t E s t a t es an exclusive com m u n i t y f e a t u r i n g large, unique hom e s i t e s w i t h s t u nning, panoramic mo u n t a i n a n d g o l f cour se views.

• Se c l u d e d e s t a t e h omesites fr o m ¼ a c r e t o ½ acr e • Go l f C o u r s e f r o n t a ge si t e s ava i l ab l e • Ar c h i t e c t u r a l l y c o ntr olled • Ga t e d p r iva t e c o m munity

Fr om $239,000

C a l l ( 2 5 0 ) 3 4 1 - 1 9 7 6 o r e m a i l r m a s o n @ c opper pointgolf.com f o r mo r e i n f o r m a t i o n o r t o a r r a n ge a site tour.

July 18, 2008

New Homes – The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 9

July 18, 2008

The lowdown on high ceilings

By Elinor Florence Pioneer Publisher Cathedral ceilings are a common feature in many homes Columbia Valley homes today. Height gives a sense of grandeur and spaciousness that an eightfoot ceiling just can’t provide. And higher walls allow for larger windows, or a combination of windows, to take advantage of the stunning mountain views.

Cathedral ceilings add interest to a house, and create more options for lighting and connecting upper and lower floors, such as lofts and catwalks.

However, impressive spaces aren’t always the most comfortable. A soaring ceiling may not provide a comfortable place to read or have a conversation.

Dining under an eight-foot ceiling seems more intimate than under a 25-foot ceiling. And your furniture may seem disproportionately small.

Construction costs for a room with a cathedral ceiling can be twice as high

as a room with a conventional ceiling, especially if your ceiling involves odd corners, because the framers and drywallers have to fit everything together properly, including the crown moulding. If any ceiling cracks are to develop, it will probably be here.

There will be ongoing costs, too, since the volume of air circulating in a room with a high ceiling makes it harder to heat in winter, and harder to cool in summer.

Finally, dust and cobwebs get everywhere. If your ceilings are 12 feet higher or higher, you’ll have to use a rag tied to the end of a broom and stand on a stepladder to clean them. Ditto goes for windows that are mounted high above the floor, skylights, and ceiling fans.

And you will have to drag out the ladder every time you change the light bulbs.

You may want to consider a home with nine-foot or 10-foot ceilings that will give you a sense of spaciousness without the high-altitude headaches.

OVER LAKE WINDERMERE

• Premium 1/4 Acre Lake View Lots • Spectacular Mountain View Lots from $139,000 • Hillside Meadow Villas from $417,000 • Alpine Style Home and Lot from $539,000 www.castlerockinvermere.com • Ph: 1-888-341-5253 or 250-341-6212

For All Your Real Estate Needs Fairmont Frontage Mall 250 345-4000 Main St. Radium 250 347-0003

13th Street Invermere 250 342-6911 100 Spokane St. Kimberley 250 427-7755

www.rockymtnrealty.com

Valley TurnKey Homes

info@rockymtnrealty.com

Custom Home Builders

The Gated Community of Riverside Estates offers Waterfront and Fairway Home Sites for your Retirement or Vacation Home.

Lots starting from

www.golfriverside.com

$179,000 + GST

Fishing, Kayaking, and Golfing from your front yard.

10 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer – New Homes

July 18, 2008

Starter Homes in the Columbia Valley

5 e ly s a Ju h P n i g n n i io l l es e S ss w Po o N ke Ta Beautifully appointed and affordable Townhomes in Canal Flats.

This growing and vibrant community offers the only public access to Columbia Lake, beautiful views, golf courses, hiking, skiing, shing, hunting, hockey, curling and playgrounds all just outside your front door.

3 BEDROOM TOWNHOMES $ + GST

219,900

1,632 sq. ft. of developed space including 4 appliances and air conditioning.

CONTACT US AT

250-345-6460 • toll free 1-877-646-5890 • www.jadelanding.ca JadeLanding.ca

New Homes – The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 11

July 18, 2008

RICH COLOUR – The red stucco, golden trim and dark stone wall creates a beautiful effect, especially when set off by the blooming shrubs at this Lakeview Meadows home.

It’s not about the journey to your destination, but how you feel when you arrive. Experience this feeling in one of the inviting alpine styled townhomes or luxury bungalow villas of Borrego Ridge in Radium Hot Springs, BC—North America’s most sought after recreational mountain resort. Choose from a villa or townhome, to fullfill your recreational mountain home dream.

Register on-line at www.borrego-radium.com Visit Borrego Ridge Centre in Radium Hot Springs 1-250-342-5889 or 1-877-733-7932

RADIUM HOT SPRINGS

B.C.

schickedanzwest.com

This is not a offering for sale. An offering for sale can only be made by disclosure statement.

12 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer – New Homes

July 18, 2008

COME TOGETHER . . . . .

WWW.PEDLEYHEIGHTS.COM (250) 347-2321 LAKE ACCESS LOTS STARTING AT $189,000 COMMUNITY/RECREATION CENTRE NATURAL SAND BEACH

INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

BUILDERS AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE CONSTRUCTION

ROSS NEWHOUSE