VOLUME 14 ISSUE 156 n DECEMBER 2018
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COVER FEATURE
I love Legacy There’s more to love in this young, vibrant community than ever before FOCUS ON
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Eclectic evergreen
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Multi-purpose, multi-generational homes
Ditch the glamour tree and put some character on its branches SHOW HOME PROFILES
Cardel Homes unveils designs that appeal to extended family households
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Dawn of a new day
Daytona’s on-slab, three-storey home is as inventive as it is affordable
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IN THE CITY
23 Boxing Day deals
Where to go to get the best deals this holiday season COLUMNS
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Around Town Real Estate Insider Hope at Large
ITEMS
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Editor’s Message Advertisers Index
COMMUNITY PROFILE
20 Gem of the west
Coveted west Calgary location, family-friendly design are key to The Rise’s appeal
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editor’s message n
Christmas time once again
It’s the last magazine of the year, and things are winding down at the Source Media office for the Holidays and we’re chatting about our favourite Christmas movies as we decorate the office. Everyone’s got their favourite Christmas standards like “It’s A Wonderful Life”, “Miracle on 34th Street” or the stop-motion “Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer” but I got in an argument over my favourite, which is “Die Hard.” I’m told it’s not an actual Christmas movie, but hey Bruce Willis is my kind of Santa. For gifts that keep on giving, the ultimate one would probably be a new home, and you can trust us to tell you where to find the best new homes and communities around. Just like this month, we have the wonderful community of Legacy as our cover feature, and they tell us about the overwhelming response they got from their “I Love Legacy” campaign, which just goes to show how much of a tight knit community they have become in such a short period of time. We also feature two new show homes that adapt perfectly to the needs of today’s buyers. Daytona Homes — who make their triumphant return to Calgary after a long while — unleashed their full creative talent in their Cavalier Z show home in Livingston, a three-storey home built on-slab that maximizes living space in the popular zero-lot lines. Then there’s Cardel Homes’ new models in Cornerbrook that were designed with the multi-generational buyer in mind. They’ve made it easier for households with extended families — or those who are open to the idea of renters — to build a home that would cater to their specific needs. Like putting in side entrances, at least five bedrooms in homes that have rear lane access or sit on walk-out lots. The Rise by Bri-mor Developments is also featured, and this move-up community in the much-sought-after southwest address has grown by leaps and bounds and is now nearing build out. The developer thinks its offering the right product at the right time and place, as the amenity-rich location sure has attracted buyers. This Christmas issue also has some tips on where to do your Boxing Day shopping and ways to bring some character to your Christmas trees. And I should probably wrap this up now and get back to wrapping gifts, and arguing again the merits of “Die Hard” as a Christmas movie. See you all in the New Year.
PUBLISHER
Source Media Group info@sourcemediagroup.ca EDITOR
Pepper Rodriguez pepper.rodriguez@sourcemediagroup.ca ART DIRECTOR
Jean Faye Rodriguez jean.rodriguez@sourcemediagroup.ca GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Chloe Purcell
chloe.purcell@sourcemediagroup.ca
Vivian Zhang vivian.zhang@sourcemediagroup.ca P R O D U C T I O N A D M I N I S T R AT O R
Colleen Leier
colleen.leier@sourcemediagroup.ca EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
Brandi Holmes, Marty Hope, Mel Ladner, Mario Toneguzzi ADVERTISING
Andrew Best andrew.best@sourcemediagroup.ca
Brandi Holmes brandi.holmes@sourcemediagroup.ca
Jennifer Mills jennifer.mills@sourcemediagroup.ca ACCOUNTING
accounting@sourcemediagroup.ca DISTRIBUTED BY
Gallant Distribution Services, Media Classified, Source Media Group ISSN 1918-4441 PRINTED IN CANADA
©2018 Source Media Group Corp. Material cannot be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publishers. Source Media Group Corp. agrees to advertise on behalf of the advertiser without responsibility for claims or misinformation made by the advertiser and acts only as an advertising medium. Source Media Group reserves the right to refuse any advertising at its sole discretion. New Home Living® is published 12 times per annum and is available free through select distribution points in Calgary and area. New Home Living® accepts editorial submissions by electronic mail only. Please forward any submissions including all personal information to nleditor@sourcemediagroup.ca. Unsolicited submissions will not be returned. Advertising information available only by request. New Home Living® is a registered Trademark the property of SOURCE MEDIA GROUP CORP. Reg. CIPO TMA 693289. Source Media Group, 6109 — 6th Street S.E. Calgary, Alberta T2H 1L9. T: 403.532.3101, F: 403.532.3109, TF: 1.888.932.3101 E: info@sourcemediagroup.ca www.sourcemediagroup.ca
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ECLECTIC EVERGREEN
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Ditch the glamour tree and put some character on its branches
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n BY
Mel Ladner
MASS-MARKETED UNIFORMLY coloured bulbs, with matching tinsel accents may be how some see their Christmas tree, but if you want to go a more eclectic route we’ve got some original, handmade, hard-to-find items that are so out of the ordinary they will be instant Holiday favourites. The best part is that most of these items are available online (as well as in store); so you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to put ornaments that reflect your personality and Holiday spirit. NL
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6 [ 1 ] Birch Garland, EVA (Etheylene Vinyl Acetate) 2” x 6’, $14.95 (per 15’), at Finishing Touches. [ 2 ] Recycled Folded Paper Ornament, $12, at Ten Thousand Villages. [ 3 ] Lotus Pose Dog Ornament, $12, at Ten Thousand Villages. [ 4 ] S’more Hockey Ornament, $10.99, at Twisted Goods. [ 5 ] Embroidered Star Ornament, $14, at Ten Thousand Villages. [ 6 ] Seahorse Ornaments, Glass, 2.25” x 4.5”, $15.95 each, at Finishing Touches. [ 7 ] Deer in the Outhouse Ornament, $11.99, at Twisted Goods. [ 8 ] Thread Wrapped Star Ornament, $8, at Ten Thousand Villages. [ 9 ] Quilled Paper Bicycle Ornament, $12, at Ten Thousand Villages. [ 10 ] Festivus Seinfeld Ornament, $14.99, at Twisted Goods. [ 11 ] Oh Christmas Tree Cat Ornament, $10.99, at Twisted Goods. [ 12 ] Glittered Garland, Bronze, 1” x 15’, $19.95 (per 15’), at Finishing Touches. DECEMBER 2018 NE W HOME LIVING
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| ADVERTISING COVER FEATURE |
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LEGACY
There’s more to love in this young, vibrant community than ever before
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randi can’t stop talking about Legacy. She moved in less than a year ago and she is completely in love with this lively, young community in the southeast. “I just feel like there’s a great connection in the community, my neighbours are friendly, everybody waves ‘hi’ and Halloween was pretty epic with the number of Trick or Treaters coming by my house,” she tells New Home Living excitedly. “The whole community just feels so young and full of energy and fun!” She also participated in the “I Love Legacy” on-line marketing campaign launched by the community’s developer, WestCreek Developments, that highlighted everything there is to love about the quickly growing Calgary neighbourhood. “We had a terrific response from the community with this campaign, and it pinpointed that residents were overwhelmingly happy about living here. In fact 94 per cent of them say they would recommend living here to their friends and relatives,” says Kalida Goldade, marketing manager at WestCreek Developments. The ”I Love Legacy” campaign was organically inspired as a way for the community to share the winning formula that it has to offer Calgarians. Inspired by timeless living, the growing residential hub boasts an extensive selection of homes and features, making it an all-inclusive place to live at every age and stage of life.
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What has endeared Legacy to residents is the obvious care that West Creek Developments has given to installing amenities within the community. Be it recreational, commercial, or social amenities, if it meant making living here easier, they were prioritized for completion. “Pathways, parks and playgrounds were among the first to be installed, so were lovely public art pieces and even the entrance feature ‘ruins’ and watch tower that gives Legacy much of its character were mostly in place even before residents started living here,” Goldade says. WestCreek Developments has also encouraged community gettogethers with their periodic Stampede breakfasts and block parties through the year. The 150,000 sets of Christmas lights they install every year for the holidays always make it seem such a festive, family-oriented community to begin with. Busy commercial areas are now open, including Legacy Corner, and more are on the way, including the much-anticipated Legacy Brandi Village opening next year, and the massive, 64-acre Township development going up near the entrance to the community along Macleod Trail. It is these well-thought-out features that have made Legacy the tightly knit community it is today. “People just love walking their dogs and taking their children to the parks for a stroll,” Goldade points out.
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“The whole community just feels so young and full of energy and fun!” What makes Legacy such a hit is the wide variety of homes available. From condos and townhomes, duplexes, laned homes, move-up homes and estate Homes, Legacy has a home product that can fit any lifestyle. They are also rated for secondary suites, which makes it even more appealing to buyers with extended families and those with an eye to renting. “We have opened two new areas for move-up homes,” Goldade says. “The wide and varied choice of lots we offer gives us a decided edge, including new lots that back onto
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FAST FACTS:
“We have opened two new areas for move-up homes.” a water feature, woods or parks. New are move-up homes from Stepper and Sterling Homes that are located across the street from our premium ridge lots.” She says they are immensely proud of the work they accomplished in brining move-up homes in Legacy’s thickly forested area. It’s a tricky thing to accomplish, but these homes are being built right in the midst of this thicket of trees, and will be from our own WestCreek Homes and Trico Homes,” she says. There are 42 show homes of every type of these offerings that can inform interested buyers not only of the kinds of home they can have here, but the kind of life they can lead here as well. Legacy is truly shaping up to be a community for the future. “This is a community for everyone, where families can put down roots. Where you can buy your first home and move on to a bigger family home and onto a downsizer home without leaving the community. It has all the amenities you will ever need close at hand and you can see even more coming on the horizon,” Goldade says. “The southern part of Calgary is booming and there are a lot more employment opportunities within a 15 minute drive from Legacy. The imminent completion of the Stoney Trail ring road will connect Legacy like never before, which means buying in Legacy now gets you in the ground floor of this new growth that’s happening around us.” More than 2,400 homes have been sold in Legacy to date and WestCreek Developments has also brought on a new community this year called Cornerbrook in northeast Calgary, with another budding development,
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COMMUNITY: Legacy DEVELOPER: WestCreek Developments SIZE: Legacy encompasses 442 hectares including 122 hectares of builder-protected environmental reserve. On final build out Legacy will be home to 20,000 people living in 7,400 homes. BUILDERS & PRICES: Apartment condominiums: • My Legacy Park by Brad Remington Homes, starting from $119,000. • Legacy Gate by Carlisle Group starting from $200,000. Townhomes: • Trico Homes starting from $270,000s. • Aldebaran Homes starting from $320,000. • Stepper Homes’ no-condo-fee twonhomes starting from $340,000s. Duplex: • Shane Homes starting from $360,000. • Trico Homes starting from $340,000. Laned Homes: Jayman BUILT starting at $380,000. Stepper Homes starting from $400,000. Shane Homes starting from $410,000. Single-family Homes: • Jayman BUILT starting at $480,000. • WestCreek Homes starting from $500,000. • Trico Homes starting from $500,000. • Sterling Homes starting from $500,000. • Stepper Homes starting from $460,000. • Calbridge Homes — Move-up homes starting from $500,000; estate homes from $600,000. • Albi Luxury by Brookfield Residential starting from $600,000. • Morrison Homes starting from $600,000, ridge from $900,000s • Crystal Creek Homes from the $600,000s and ridge from $900,000s DIRECTIONS: Drive south on Macleod Trail past Stoney Trail. Turn east on 210 Avenue S.E. and take second or third right to access the community. HOURS: Monday to Thursday 2 to 8 p.m., weekends and holidays noon to 5 p.m., closed on Friday. WEBSITE: www.legacylife.ca
Wolf Willow, to be launched in 2019. For more information about WestCreek Developments, visit www.legacylife.com, or to learn more about the I Love Legacy campaign and how to participate in contest opportunities, visitwww.ilovelegacy.ca. n CALGARYHOMELIVING.COM
show home profile
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Cardel Homes
MULTI-PURPOSE, MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOMES Cardel Homes unveils designs that appeal to extended family households
WRITTEN BY
Pepper Rodriguez
RIGHT Cement fibre board siding, designer stone accents and other exterior details give Cardel Homes’ multi-gen show homes in Cornerbrook an estate-like finish. The best part is living in this new community of Cornerbrook; developed by WestCreek Developments, it promises to be an amenity-rich and accessible community that is living up to be the face of the “new northeast,” Stillie says. ABOVE The open concept main floor is packed with entertaining possibilities for those bigger-than-average households. “We’re able to build the Sereno on zero lot lines and traditional ones with back lane access in Cornerbrook,” says Kathy Stillie, community sales associate at Cardel Homes. “We have walk-out lots available here, too, but even if it is on a standard lot, the Sereno does come with a side entrance option.”
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ABOVE The seamless magic of the kitchen is laid out simply in the upgraded package of the Sereno show home. Optional luxury vinyl plank flooring is used here but the quartz countertops and nine-foot ceilings are standard. “Standard flooring is wide-plank engineered hardwood and carpet,” Stillie says. LEFT The spacious lower level answers the needs of multi-generational families. “We understand that every family is unique and that finding the perfect home to accommodate your living situation can be challenging. Cardel’s multi-gen product line makes it easy! With five single-family plans to choose from and additional customization options available, we’re confident we can build you a home that is as equally functional as it is accommodating,” Stillie says.
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Cardel Homes n show home profile
C A R DE L HOM E S H A S always been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to designing family homes attuned to emerging market demands. The multiawarded builder proves this once again as they unveil new models that cater to the growing multi-generational household. Having extended family members living in one home has become a popular option among buyers — caring for elderly parents who can then help maintain the
household — is among the most popular reasons. But having the extra rooms also opens new opportunities in augmenting household income with the ability to rent out space that can help pay for the mortgage. “Customers are looking for housing solutions that function for larger families, provide for rental options, and overall, help with affordability,” says Cardel Homes Regional President, Mike Selinger. “Multi-generational types of housing accomplish that. We anticipate that demand will increase in the future.” Cardel Homes has new models in Cornerbrook and Savanna — two northeast communities that are zoned for secondary suites — that are spectacularly adept at meeting this demand for multi-generational homes. One of these is the Sereno show home in the new community of Cornerbrook. A standard Sereno model comes in at 2,385 square-feet with four bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and a double attached garage and starts at $510,000. The show home brings out all its potential including an 815-square-foot basement to give it a total of 3,215 squarefeet of living space to include a fifth bedroom and another full bath. BELOW Sereno allows for a full secondary suite that can take your home’s accommodation to the next level. “This option allows you to add an extra bedroom (or two,) as well as an additional full bathroom. Depending on your family’s needs, you can even add a kitchenette, creating a fully-functional living space that is perfect for short- or long-term guests,” she adds.
fast facts BUILDER: Cardel Homes COMMUNITY: Cornerbrook MODEL: Sereno multi-gen home SIZE: 2,357 sq. ft. PRICE: Starts at $510,000 ADDRESS: 248 Cornerbrook Commons N.E. DIRECTIONS: South on Stoney Tr., exit west on Country Hills Blvd. and follow the signs
LEFT Developing the Sereno’s basement adds about $50,000 to the price of the home, Stillie says. “Adding a separate side or rear entrance to the basement is a great way to increase privacy for potential lower level tenants or guests, while also adding another convenient access point to your home. Take it a step further and add exterior basement stairs to your secondary suite.” NL
HOURS: Monday to Thursday 2 to 8 p.m., weekends and holidays noon to 5 p.m. WEB: www.cardelhomes.com
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show home profile
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Daytona Homes
DAWN OF A NEW DAY Daytona’s on-slab, three-storey home is as inventive as it is affordable WRITTEN BY
Pepper Rodriguez
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A F T E R A LONG A B S E NC E in Calgary, Daytona Homes marks its return to the city in a big way. The Edmonton-based builder opened several new show homes in Livingston that injects fresh vitality to this young northeast neighbourhood, as they introduce original and inventive ways to live stylishly and affordably. Among their offerings in Livingston are courtyard-style single-family move-up homes and no-condo-fee townhomes but the undoubted star has to be their line of three-storey homes built on slab. These three-level homes bring practicality, function and style to suburban living as it adjusts remarkably well to the narrower lots. It’s living large, smartly. “We’re on zero-lot lines in Livingston, and by building up, we maximize the living space,” Daytona Homes General Manager, Chad Fortowsky, tells New Home Living. “With our three-level homes, we develop all three storeys so buyers don’t have to worry about spending more time and money developing their basements.” He says it offers a lifestyle to suit young families, families with older children and those with extended families living with them. “You have the option to build up to five bedrooms.” The Cavalier-Z show home displays the obvious advantages of the home, the open-to-above option Daytona chose to do here brings a sunny optimism to all CALGARYHOMELIVING.COM
Daytona Homes n show home profile
LEFT The modern kitchen has a spacious pantry, and an island for food prep with a dropped eating bar for even more dining space. “People really love how we’ve utilized the space, everything has flow,” he points out. The luxury vinyl plank flooring of the show home, quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances add to the modern Scandinavian feel of the home. BELOW The open-to-above option used in The Cavalier-Z show home adds a lot of drama and character to the home, but with three bedrooms and four bathrooms it certainly has all the ingredients for an affordable family home. “First impressions are important, and The Cavalier-Z show home knocks it out of the park,” Fortowsky says.
ABOVE The master bedroom is spacious enough for bureaus, nightstands or even a TV station should one need it, but the views available from the third floor are absolutely amazing. “The second floor patio also gives residents a great place to enjoy the views, it’s just off the kitchen so it makes indoor-outdoor entertaining easy,” Fortowsky says.
fast facts BUILDER: Daytona Homes COMMUNITY: Livingston MODEL: The Cavalier-Z three-level home with tandem garage SIZE: Show home is at 1,820 sq. ft.. PRICE: Starts at $461,800 plus GST DIRECTIONS: West on Stoney Tr., north on Centre St. exit, and left at 144 Avenue N.W. HOURS: Monday to Thursday 2 to 8 p.m., Fridays, weekends and holidays noon to 5 p.m.
three levels. “Visitors just love the opento-above option and the large, abundant windows we have as standard and the nine-foot ceilings on the first and second levels — also standards — go a long way to show the grandness of the home.” The show home has 1,820 square-feet of usable space, but the standard Cavalier-Z model is at 1,915 square-feet (a den takes the open-to-above space over the living room). With a starting price of $461,800 plus GST, The Cavalier-Z is a great way for Daytona to re-introduce itself to Calgary. CALGARYHOMELIVING.COM
WEB: www.daytonahomes.ca
LEFT The Cavalier-Z certainly adds a statuesque presence in Livingston’s streetscape, but an option to have a widened driveway makes this tandem garage home work better. “We also wanted to make our debut in Livingston because we felt that this community has the same family-oriented values that we at Daytona Homes believe in.” Daytona is also introducing on-slab three-storey townhouse with third floor mountain view balconies in Livingston soon. NL
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GEM OF THE WEST Coveted west Calgary location, family-friendly design are key to The Rise’s appeal n WRITTEN BY
Pepper Rodriguez
AXINYA AND MAXIM love it for its west-side location, Megan and Steve says its proximity to their toddler’s school perfectly suits their needs, while Kayla and Russell marvel at the wide selection of restaurants, groceries and entertainment amenities available close by. All three families are among the growing number of residents that call The Rise home, as this “hidden gem” of a southwest neighbourhood approaches build out and continues to find success through Calgary’s slow housing market. “Our downtown apartment became too small for our needs and all of our toys. We love everything about the west side. It’s the perfect location between downtown and the mountains and has all the amenities only minutes away,” says Axinya Safronova. “Maxim and I really like the clean, modern look of the community with beautiful homes, parks and pathways and the reasonable price really caught our attention!” In addition to its proximity to their child’s school, Megan and Steve Berman say The Rise also allows them to be around younger families. “It has numerous parks and walking paths and we liked the idea of being around younger families. The price point also really grabbed our attention and we feel we got very good value,” they say.
Brookfield Residential
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While Kayla Kaluzny and Russell Bell say that they had just initially followed their friends who had moved to The Rise, they have found themselves falling in love with the community developed by Bri-mor Developments “We had a friend move into the neighbourhood so we followed on his coattails. We love the location to so many amenities — restaurants, groceries and public transit. The location of The Rise makes for a reduced commute to downtown. It was really nice moving into a community that was already developed. There is a lot of care and attention going into all of the greenspaces and walking paths. Our home, backing onto a greenspace was a huge win!” Kayla says. Since it was introduced in 2017, The Rise has seen remarkable growth that defied the
Cedarglen Homes
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The Rise
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community profile
ed homes which reflect the family unit, while maintaining the estate like feel and level of detail prescribed by COMMUNITY: The Rise at West Grove Estates the developer. Ultimately, we DEVELOPER: Bri-mor Developments are partners and believe that BUILDERS: Brookfield Residential, Cedarglen we all share a strong commitHomes ment to building a best in class community and putting STYLE: Bungalows and two-storey attached our homeowners first.” garage semi-estate homes With prices starting from SIZE: Two-storey from 2,000 sq. ft. and 1,250 sq. the mid $700,000s, the ft. for a bungalow bungalow and two-storey PRICE: Starts in the mid $700,000s attached garage move-up DIRECTIONS: From Bow Trail going west, turn homes offered here are quite right on 85th Street, right on Wentworth Drive the steal, especially given which becomes 11th Avenue and follow the signs. what the community is naturally endowed with. HOURS: Monday to Thursday 2 to 8 p.m., “We are living in a new weekends and holidays noon to 5 p.m. economic reality in the City WEB: www.risewestgroveestates.com and purchasers are still in the market, but they have become more discriminating. Consumers now simply look for ‘real value,’ that means great quality, lifestyle, curb appeal, amenities, and greenspaces. Even in the midst of economic uncertainty, you can get a truly successful project like The Rise when you deliver real value to purchasers,” Dhanani says. Russell and Kayla The Rise at West Grove Estates provides homeowners not only with an inner-city lifestyle, being 15 minutes to downtown, but also the tranquility that comes with living outside of the downtown core and only 60 minutes to the mountains. Minutes away from the vibrant West Springs and Aspen community shopping nodes, including West 85th and Aspen Landing, the Rise has all the lifestyle amenities homeowners would desire. “With grocery stores, great restaurants, health and recreation service options, such as West Side Rec, daycares and great schools all in the area, families never have to leave the Calgary’s West End oasis. The twinning of Bow Trail also adds to the ease and speed of homeowner’s commute to downtown,” Dhanani says. The Rise encompasses seven acres of greenspace including a reflective park, a play park with equipment for young children, and an activated park that includes a junior soccer field for older children, outdoor exercise equipment, a chessboard and an outdoor stage for community programming which was just completed. The community is now fully built out and ready for homeowners to enjoy everything the Rise has to offer from the moment they move in. The Rise forms the last two phases of Bri-mor’s successful West Grove Estates, which adds 96 homes. The full community has nearly 300 homes. NL
fast facts
Axinya and Maxim
Megan and Steve
cooling real estate market in Calgary, a cooling that was felt especially in the move-up single-family homes that The Rise offered. According to Bri-mor’s Managing Director, Aleem Dhanani, The Rise had been shielded from the slow market by offering the right product at the right price. “The Rise has been impacted less than other communities given the most attractive price point offered without having to trade off the quality of home and lifestyle choices. The market agreed, the first phase of 111 lots at The Rise was so successful that we brought on an additional 89 lots ahead of schedule and now we are almost sold out,” he tells New Home Living. “Knowing we have the product they desire, homeowners can get more home for the price, in the area they want and with the all lifestyle amenities they need, versus having to pay historically higher starting prices for a home in West Calgary,” Dhanani adds. There is only about 25 per cent left of the total 200 lots they have, and demand has not abated. Dhanani credits a big part of their success is due to their carefully chosen builder partners for the community. “Brookfield Residential and Cedarglen Homes are the exclusive builders for this community,” he says. “They were chosen due to their extraordinary attention to detail and each has specifically designed and constructCALGARYHOMELIVING.COM
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Boxing Day deals Where to go to get the best deals this holiday season n WRITTEN BY
Brandi Holmes
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ith the holiday shopping season among us, we are all looking around for a good deal. Boxing Day is always a great time to scoop up those extra expensive presents that maybe Santa couldn’t bring. In our great country, Boxing Day isn’t as serious as that of our neighbours, but that doesn’t mean we still don’t have great deals. We’ve all heard the boxing day horror stories or have watched viral videos of people getting trampled during door dashers; it’s a serious contact sport that some of us may not be cut out for. Big box stores have adopted the whole ‘boxing week’ phenomena with some releasing a new sale each day — which really makes it a marathon. There has to be people out there that are totally entranced with getting the best deal that they go out every single day to get the next ‘boxing day deal’. Major retailers aside, Calgary also has a great boutique shopping scene that may be forgotten during the high times of the holidays — but these stores have great sales too! Sometimes the sales are even better than those of their bigger counter parts — it’s always worth checking out. Online stores also can’t be over looked in this day and age. With the extreme popularity of Amazon and eBay and convenient one-day shipping — the way we shop Boxing Day and even black Friday has almost changed completely. Using online platforms to shop the same products you would in big box stores, but without all the pushing and shoving of all the other shoppers
trying to get that last 32-inch TV or queen pillow top memory foam mattress. With the added convenience of right to your door delivery and even one-day shipping if you are lucky enough, you don’t even have to get out of your cosy new holiday pyjamas. Toys, gadgets and clothing aside — we still need to eat — so aren’t we lucky that even grocery stores host Boxing Day deals. Food is quite the expense in most households and when given the chance to stock up on essentials it should be taken! Perhaps not to the point of a fully stocked dooms day bunker though. A lot of grocery stores offer sales around the holidays — be it two for ones or half price products, consumers can really cash in on all the deals of the holiday season. And most grocery stores offer online ordering and right to your door delivery! What is the world coming to when you don’t even have to go out to get groceries anymore! With the holidays comes family time — a lot of family time — and whether or not you need a break from you extended family or just want to cash in on mega deals, Boxing Week is certainly the time to do it. NL
Holiday Events Parade of Lights – Check out Mahogany’s parade of lights on December 8. A Christmas Carol – At Theatre Calgary from November 29 to December 23 enjoy the classic Dickens’ tale of Christmas pat, present and future. Once Upon a Christmas – Held at Heritage Park, get into the true spirit of Christmas with a horse-drawn wagon ride, carollers, live historical theatre and a visit from Saint Nick and his reindeer!
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Canadian Pacific Holiday Train Returning for its 19th year, the Holiday Train has become a staple event to many across the country. You can find the train at various locations around Calgary and area from December 7 to 13. The Nutcracker – Running December 14 to 24 at the Jubilee auditorium. Take in the fairy tale story with unbelievable performances from the Alberta Ballet and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.
Calgary Nativity Pageant Usually running from December 19 to 24 at Heritage Park. A live action presentation of the traditional nativity with live animals, lighting and sound. Christmas Skate – on December 21 come on down to Olympic Oval and enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of skating to Christmas music with friends and family. For more information on holiday events please visit, todocanada.ca
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P H O T O C O U R T E S Y C P H O L I D AY T R A I N
The holiday season brings family and friends together — some from very far out of town. So what is there to do in Calgary this holiday season that is fun for all ages? Here are a few of New Home Living’s favourite things to do.
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By Pepper Rodriguez
Brookfield introduces furnace-less home BROOKFIELD RESIDENTIAL IS building one of the greenest houses ever constructed in Alberta. The “Symons Gate Passiv Haus” will use 90 per cent less energy than a typical new home constructed today. And this prairie house doesn’t come with a furnace! “The catchphrase commonly used to describe a Passive House is ‘you can heat it with a hairdryer and cool it with an ice cube,’” says Doug Owens, Senior Director, Operations with Brookfield Residential’s Calgary Doug Owens Homes team and lead for the pilot project. The Symons Gate Passiv Haus is a living, working demonstration of sustainability and Brookfield Residential’s commitment to innovation. Located at 274 Sage Bluff Drive N.W., the “super-insulated” house is be a sustainability showcase, Prior to selling it, Brookfield plans operate it for a year with plenty of tours for green associations, schools and community groups and government and industry leaders to further the sustainability conversation. Scheduled tours will be available for school, community and industry groups, and other interested parties, while members of the public can visit on the first Friday of every month until September 2019. More information or visits can be booked at www.eventbrite. ca/e/symons-gate-passive-haus-tour-tickets-52054202521.
Trico Homes is one of Best Workplaces in Alberta TRICO HOMES IS pleased to make it to the 2018 List of Best Workplaces in Alberta. Trico received this honour based on a thorough and independent analysis conducted by Great Place to Work®. Companies who make the list are chosen based on direct feedback from their employees. “We believe our most valuable asset is our people and this has helped Trico create a hightrust culture that delivers value and values,” says Wanda Palmer, vice-president, marketing. The list of Best Workplaces™ in Alberta is based on direct feedback from employees of the hundreds of organizations that were surveyed by Great Place to Work®. The data has a 90 per cent confidence and a plus or minus 5 per cent margin of error. To be eligible for this list, organizations must be Great Place to Work Certified™ in the past year, be headquartered in Alberta and have at least 15 employees working in the province that participated in our Trust Index employee survey. Great Place to Work® determined the BEST based the overall Trust Index score from BACK ROW(L-R): Tom Chisholm, President,Eleanor Chiu, CFO. Front Row(L-R): Maaike Ezinga, VP, Human Resources, the employees.
Commercial Plaza slated to open in Redstone in 2019 REDSTONE IN CALGARY’S northeast has been one of Qualico Communities fastest selling communities. This is due to the variety of housing types, green spaces, parks, and access to major roadways. With a commercial plaza projected to open in March of 2019, residents will experience increased convenience in this vibrant community. “Residents truly love Redstone,” says Laura Field, Marketing Coordinator, “and now with the Redstone plaza located right in the community, residents will have even more reason to feel at home in Redstone.” The Redstone Plaza by Groundshakers will feature shops and services that will help round-out the community. The Redstone Plaza features a pizza shop, liquor store, pharmacy, medical clinic, physiotherapy, chiropractor and massage and most exciting a 4000 square-foot grocery store. “Convenience is key, and this is going to be great. I’ve been in the area for a while, and knowing I can walk over to the plaza with the kids in the summer evenings to grab a treat, or some pizza, that’s awesome,” says Redstone resident, Harjit (Harry) Randhawa. “ The community, which first launched in 2009 has been anticipating the arrival of commercial and professional services. “It’s exciting, and it’s going to be well-received,” Randhawa adds. “There are seniors in Redstone who help with grandkids while parents are at work, and the fact that they can walk over to grab what they need, and have access to medical services easily is fantastic.” Redstone was a 2017 BILD Finalist for Community of the Year and is well-recognized as a safe and convenient community. Redstone has the second lowest person crimes per capita in the entire city as listed by Avenue Magazine’s 2018 Neighborhood Guide. NL
Wayne Chiu, CEO, Wanda Palmer, VP, Marketing
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By Mario Toneguzzi
MORTGAGE INSIGHTS What a recent consumer survey tells us of the market
EARLIER THIS FALL, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation released its annual Mortgage Consumer Survey — something it has done since 1999. And the survey is always interesting to look at as it gives a nice snapshot of what’s happening in the nation’s housing market. “Shopping for a mortgage can be overwhelming so the more information you have, the better your experience. We’ve expanded our survey to give us greater detail on what Canadians want when looking for a mortgage and how they go about the process,” said Carla Staresina, VicePresident, Client Relationship Management, CMHC. “We also now have more insight into important groups like millennials and first time buyers. Ultimately, our hope is to help Canadians get the most out of the mortgage shopping experience.” So before drilling down into the survey results here’s some background. It’s the largest survey of its kind — an online survey conducted in April of 4,000 recent mortgage consumers, all prime household decision makers who had undertaken a mortgage transaction in the past 12 months. The CMHC said 68 per cent had renewed their mortgage, 15 per cent had refinanced their mortgage, and 16 per cent had purchased a home with mortgage financing (nine per cent first-time buyers and seven per cent repeat buyers). CALGARYHOMELIVING.COM
The report is very comprehensive but here are some key highlights: • There are many factors that go into the decision-making of what home to buy. The particular neighbourhood, how close the home is to work, and of course the condition of a home are important factors. But almost twice as many first-time buyers say price/ affordability is the most important factor for them; • Buying a home can feel pretty scary for many people and 37 per cent of home buyers continue to feel concern or uncertainty when buying a home. Of course, affordability continues to be the top concern with more than 50 per cent of concerned buyers worrying about paying too much for their home while nearly one-third worry about rising interest rates and mortgage qualification; • 85 per cent of first-time buyers spent the most they could afford on their home purchase and 76 per cent are confident they will be able to meet their future mortgage payment obligations; • The good news is that most people — 60 per cent of first-time buyers - are confident they would have sufficient funds to supplement their needs if they were to run into some financial trouble; • About 50 per cent of home buyers said they would feel comfortable using more technology to arrange their next mortgage transaction but the majority still agree that it is important to meet face-to-face with
their mortgage professional when negotiating and finalizing their mortgage; • The biggest news in the Canadian residential industry this year has been the tighter mortgage qualification rules that came into effect at the beginning of the year. Many say these rules have eliminated many potential homebuyers in the country. The survey found that 52 per cent of homebuyers were aware of the latest mortgage qualification rules and about one in five first-time buyers said the rules impacted their purchase decision with most opting to decrease non-essential expenses, purchase a less expensive home or use savings to increase their down payment. • Despite issues of tighter mortgage regulations and affordability concerns, 80 per cent of people said buying a home is a good long-term investment and 66 per cent think the value of their home will increase in the next year. NL This article was shortened for space considerations. For the full text, visit www.calgaryhomeliving.com
Mario Toneguzzi Based in Calgary, Mario Toneguzzi has 37 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald covering sports, crime, politics, health, city and breaking news, and business. For 12 years as a business writer, his main beats were commercial and residential real estate, retail, small business and general economic news. He nows works on his own as a freelance writer and consultant in communications and media relations/training. Email mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com
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advertisers index n
Anthem United Belmont page 2
Genstar Development Carrington page 26
Anthem United Cornerstone page 18
Jayman BUILT page 7
Anthem United D’ARCY pages 24 Apex Developments Heartland page 3 Apex Developments Hillcrest page 22 Apex Developments Carrington South page 29 Brookfield Residential Cranston Riverstone page 4 Cedarglen Homes The Parks of Harvest Hills page 31
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Lifestyle Funiture pages 13 Mattamy Homes back cover Norma Robertson Calgary Home Seller page 26 Qualico Communities Redstone page 19 Outdoor Dental page 28 WestCreek Developments Legacy front cover pages 10-12
CALGARYHOMELIVING.COM
hope at large n
By Marty Hope
“INTER-GENERATIONAL” HOME Cedarglen Homes’ Carbon ZLL designed for extended families
THE COVER OF the Carbon ZLL information sheet shows a typical front-drive home with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. Standard equipment, right? But it’s the two inside pages that tell the real story of this 2,031-square-foot model by Cedarglen Homes. Options available, and there are a few, are likely a big part of the reason the Carbon has been so popular with visitors to the show home parade in southwest Belmont by Anthem United. Take out a front-entry mudroom and put in a bedroom, nudge the pantry back and, presto, an ensuite for the new bedroom. But there’s more. When all the changes have been done, the Carbon now has five bedrooms, the bonus room has been taken from the typical location over the front-drive garage to midway along the second floor, and a side entrance has been added if a separate suite has been built in the basement.
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All without adding to the original 2,031-square-foot footprint. So why do all the customization, what’s with all the pre-designed options being offered to retool the home? “The biggest selling point of the Carbon is the opportunity to modify the plan in unique ways to make each interior specific to the buyers’ expectations. The pre-designed modules that allow for additional bedrooms help to accommodate growing families,” says Cedarglen area sales manager Ryan Christensen. What has been done to the home’s interior makes it possible to have the family grow in place over time, and to provide additional space for what Christensen calls “intergenerational” use. The plan’s popularity, beyond its ideal representation in the show home, relies on people seeing themselves living in the space; they can picture their families turning the house into a home, and they can see past the present to understand the model’s potential in harbouring their own memories as kids grow older and dynamics change,” he says. Let’s take the idea of the main-floor bedroom/ensuite in a two-storey home, for example, and how it might change the family dynamic. “A large demographic in Calgary has their aging
parents living with them, and the opportunity to have a bedroom and full bath on the main floor, plus the reality of not forcing them to use a flight of stairs every day has made the option very popular,” Christensen says. Don’t think a fifth bedroom will be necessary down the road, well how about a home office instead, or leave it has a mudroom, or set it up as some other type of flex area. Customization doesn’t scare Cedarglen, they accept change orders as an inevitable part of doing business. At the same time, the veteran builder also knows how to present a good-looking home. “People love the open feeling of the show home, and most ask us to replicate much of what was done to the main floor in order to maintain that airy concept — one that brings a certain modernity to new homes that makes any given space appear larger,” says Christensen. The base price of the Carbon in Belmont starts at $470,000. The show home, as is, would sell for anywhere between $530,000 and $550,000 depending on the lot. But remember, in this case you can’t tell the book by its cover. NL
Marty Hope. For more than two decades Marty Hope has been reporting on the housing and development industry in Calgary, throughout Alberta, and across Canada. In March, he was presented with the Maple Leaf Award from the Canadian Home Builders’ Association which is given annually to a non-builder member in Canada for contributions to the industry. CALGARYHOMELIVING.COM
PAIRED HOMES NOW SELLING IN
The Parks of Harvest Hills Cedarglen Homes is excited to be selling brand new paired homes in the beautiful community of The Parks of Harvest Hills. There are four spacious models available ranging from 1,778 to 1,993 square feet. These homes will be situated around a central green space in a charming cul-de-sac, advantage of your opportunity to live in this established community. 403.255.2000 www.cedarglenhomes.com
Belmont
Cranston’s Riverstone
Livingston
Seton
The Parks of Harvest Hills
The Rise West Grove Estates
This is a marketing document and subject to change. In the event of a dispute between this document and a contract, the