Steve Randall
REP

The high home prices in Vancouver have spilled over into other municipalities in British Columbia, CMHC reports.

Cities within easy commuting distance of Vancouver have been most affected but the agency’s report suggests others further out could also see price rises as buyers make a trade-off between distance to Vancouver and the home they can afford.

“Our estimates show that on average a 1.0 per cent increase in house prices in the City of Vancouver was immediately transmitted to places like Burnaby, Richmond, and the North Shore resulting in price increase of 0.45 per cent in Burnaby and Richmond and 0.73 per cent in the North Shore,” commented Braden Batch, CHMC’s senior market analyst.

But the ripple effects of higher (or lower) house prices in Vancouver are not seen in the surrounding centres for some time.

“Price changes in the City of Vancouver are linked to prices in other municipalities, both on the way up and on the way down. The spillover effects take years to fully work through other markets and have varying degrees of strength,” Batch explained.

Copyright © 2017 Key Media Pty Ltd

Nature infuses Lumina Brentwood

Mary Frances Hill
The Province

Lumina Brentwood

Project Address: 2425 Beta Ave., Burnaby

Project Scope: Almost 1,000 new homes in Brentwood, with the first tower, Waterfall, featuring one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites

Residence sizes and prices: 521 — 1,084 square feet; penthouse collection 956 — 2,146 square feet; starting in the $380,000s

Developer and builder: Thind Properties Ltd.

Sales centre: 2463 Beta Ave., Burnaby

Centre hours: Coming soon

Good design captures the essence of the personalities of the people who live in a space, so when Cheryl Broadhead approached the interior design work on the display homes at Lumina Brentwood — Thind Properties’ new community in Burnaby — she made sure every material, every finish and every furnishing told a story of character and warmth.

In one kitchen, varied subtle shades of white adorn the finishes. Broadhead, a principal of Bob’s Your Uncle (BYU) Design, and her team fashioned the entire suite like this: as a clean canvas, ready for a retro touch. Light brown leather chairs are placed at the island and brown leather wing chairs in the adjacent living room, giving the space a masculine, homey warmth.

 “The display with the leather chairs was designed for a single man, so we were trying to evoke a masculine feel with the leather,” Broadhead says. “There is not a lot of colour in the unit, so we were trying to warm it up through finishes and textures.
“If we went with something sleek and dark it would have given the space a much colder feel, while something with a more textured and light colour would have a more feminine feel than what we were going for.”
While designers and developers usually tend to appeal to universal tastes, Broadhead and the BYU team recognize that touches personality interest visitors. A small collection of framed images arranged in a collage on one bedroom wall offers character and depth, as if it’s telling the story of a well-rounded life.

 “Collages are a great way to add a lot of visual interest and really speak to the personality of the occupant,” she says. “They tell a story. They reference the old salon style of hanging art, which didn’t give more importance to one piece over another. A single painting can be stunning and evoke powerful emotions, but doesn’t always tell a well-rounded story.”

The Lumina Brentwood community will take an enviable position: a seven-minute walk from the Brentwood SkyTrain station and a future busy retail hub. It will also overlook an eventual 13.3-acre park. The nature theme inspired the architects in their design of Waterfall, the first building, propelling Broadhead and BYU to incorporate accents of wood, water and stone throughout the building.
“All of the units have a natural feature, but they are very different from one another. The studio has the wood wall covering throughout the entryway working into the kitchen which ties the entry millwork in and gives the space a larger feel.”

A mirrored cabinet opens to reveal a back with a wooden panel, an elegant, grown-up look that incorporates the standard finish for all the suites. “In this case, the wood helps the bathroom feel warm and inviting and really ties in with the rest of the unit.”

© 2017 Postmedia Network Inc.

Andrea Nazarian
REW

Gone are the days of sticking a “for sale” sign on the front lawn to sell your home. A relatively new marketing trend is emerging in the LA luxury real estate world and it’s a racy one. Some high-end home owners in LA are commissioning high-budget, super sexy, movie-like “trailers” to market and sell their homes. The latest (and most outrageous) example of this is the trailer for the 20,000-plus-square-foot “Opus” home in Beverly Hills.

Last week, GQ ran a story on the larger-than-life virtual home tour. Though the trailer features quite a bit of scandalous content, we’ve pulled out some key frames that showcase this magnificent place in all its glory. 

Here’s the full tour video, and it’s not for the faint of heart. You have been warned! 

© 2017 REW.ca

Housing starts trend higher

Steve Randall
REP

The 6-month trend of Canadian housing starts was up in April, reaching 213,768 units compared to 210,702 in March.

CMHC figures show that the standalone seasonally-adjusted annual rate was 214,098, down from 225,305 in March with urban starts down 15.3 per cent.

“New housing construction increased in Canada, with seasonally adjusted data exceeding 200,000 units for five months in a row”, said Bob Dugan, CMHC’s Chief Economist. “The increase in the trend was mainly due to apartment construction in British Columbia and Québec, which was partly offset by a decline in Ontario’s multiple starts.”

In Toronto, there was an increase in low-rise starts but a fall in the apartments sector; overall starts remained stable as demand for new homes continues to be accelerated by low supply of resale units.

Strong demand in Metro Vancouver has led to an uptick in starts, the first rise in the trend for four months.

There was a significant jump in new multiple starts for Halifax with a 169 per cent rise compared to April 2016.

Quebec saw a lower overall trend in housing starts but there was a 30 per cent increase for the first four months of 2017 in urban centres with building in Montreal and Quebec areas showing particular strength in the rental unit sector.

It was a similar story in Gatineau where seniors’ housing was the driver of higher year-to-date starts.

Copyright © 2017 Key Media Pty Ltd

How has restrictions in China’s domestic property market impacted Chinese homebuyers?

other

Chinese buyers bought a record ¥9.9 trillion ($1.4 trillion) worth of real estate in China last year, up 36.1% y-o-y.¹

That goes to show how much value Chinese place on property, which has long been considered as one of the safest and most favoured choice of investment for most Chinese.

The Chinese passion for owning property is so strong that by the end of 2016, rampant demand from Chinese buyers drove a stunning increase in China’s housing prices, with hotspots like Shenzhen and Beijing seeing pricing increases of 23.5% and 25.9% y-o-y.²

China unleashes strictest property controls yet

Let’s face it, China’s property market is red hot, and the continued buying frenzy by mainland Chinese is a cause of concern for the Chinese government.

Hence, it came as no surprise when over 20 city governments in China imposed even more restrictions on top of the existing property rulings in a bid to rein in property price growth.

Here’s a brief lowdown on some of the new policies – some of the strictest controls to date – below:

 

• Higher minimum downpayments: First-time buyers will now have to put down much more to secure a property in China. Minimum required downpayments in Beijing have now been raised to 30% from 20%, while buyers looking to acquire a second home face even tougher rules – minimum downpayments increased to 60% from 50%, and even higher to 80% from 70% for high-end properties.³
   
• Tighter liquidity raises mortgage rates: Over the past year, China’s central bank has urged banks to strengthen mortgage risk management to stem the flow of credit to the real estate market. The result? The Beijing branches of six major Chinese banks have hiked up interest rates on housing loans for first- and second-home buyers, effective from 1 May 2017 onwards.⁴ Leading mortgage lenders, such as China Construction Bank, has removed its discounts for first-time home buyers, while the Agriculture Bank of China has also discontinued its preferential mortgage rates for first-home buyers as well.⁵
   
• Curbs on inter-city investment and multi-home ownership: Property investors looking to buy property across China to build a diversified portfolio have been stymied by new qualifying criteria for home loans. For example, Suzhou has made loan applications conditional on evidence of at least one year of tax returns in the city, plus evidence of residence and employment, making it nigh on impossible for non-resident buyers to invest in the market.

 

Targeted policies, nationwide scope

These kinds of restrictions on real estate investment have spread far and wide in China, ranging from tier-1 cities of Beijing and Shanghai, to lower-tier locations such as Chengdu, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou.

The new round of policies has limited access to one of Chinese investors few domestic investment channels, and one that has delivered stellar returns during the past ten years. Already, China has few alternative options compared to the US and Europe because its capital markets are much less developed.

However, with Chinese perceiving real estate being to be a solid bet, many have been looking for other ways to continue buying property over the past few years, including divorce, a popular option that has resulted in a surge of ‘paper divorces’ (fake divorces) nationwide in China purely for the sake of buying a property.⁵

Why such measures? Here’s an example to explain why.

In Shanghai, a couple buying their first property can do so with a 30% deposit, while buying a second property requires a massive downpayment of between 50% and 70%. When divorced, however, one half of the couple is still eligible for the 30% first-time buyer rule, should the husband or wife do not own any property or mortgage under their names.⁶

With Shanghai property prices already sky high, it makes much sense for couples to willingly divorce in order to qualify for the 30% deposit policy, which makes it more affordable for them to purchase a second property to diversify their investment porfolio.

While it sounds farfetched, the fact remains that registration offices both in Shanghai and across the country have been overwhelmed with Chinese couples rushing to divorce last year, prompting the municipal governments in Shanghai and Beijing to recently impose new rulings to close that loophole.⁷

It’s against this backdrop of narrowing opportunities in the domestic market that overseas property is becoming an eminently enticing option for Chinese investors.

Juwai.com saw a 47.2% increase in Chinese buyer views for Canada property, a 42.7% uptick in US property views, and a 32.5% y-o-y jump in UK property views in February 2017.⁸

Furthermore, although China’s government has introduced capital controls, Chinese investors are adapting by shifting the focus of their searches to lower-priced property, leaning more on overseas mortgage financing, and pooling transfer allowances to build enough for a deposit on an overseas property.  

 

4 rising overseas property market alternatives for Chinese

With a narrower range of domestic choices, especially when compared with more attractive overseas market alternatives, as well as the opportunity to invest abroad whether for a new life overseas, educational reasons or retirement, it’s clear that the drivers are in place for a solid increase in demand from Chinese buyers for overseas property.

In fact, Juwai.com saw a 6.7% y-o-y increase in overall Chinese buyer enquiries for international property in March 2017.⁸

We share 4 up-and-coming real estate markets abroad that may benefit from growing Chinese buyer interest this year:
 

#1 Portugal

Golden Visas in Portugal are available to international investors for as low as €350,000.⁹ Besides attractive pricing, Portugal offers excellent lifestyle standards, low cost of living, and popular locations like Lisbon and The Algarve, which are highly attractive to Chinese investors. Last year saw Chinese buyers investing €874 million in Portugal’s Golden Visa, and seeing as property prices in Portugal are expected to grow at least 4% in 2017¹⁰, a steady flow of enquiries by Chinese buyers looks quite likely.

#2 Florida, US

Seven of the top 10 US real estate markets for 2017 are in Florida, and with good reason too. New direct flight links to China, excellent climate, clean air, and yields of around 10% make Florida a highly attractive location for Chinese buyers. In fact, Juwai.com charted an 894% and 199% y-o-y growth in Chinese buyer searches for properties in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in 2016⁸, and China President Xi Jinping’s recent trip to Mar-a-Lago at Florida’s Palm Beach has helped boost Florida in the eyes of Chinese as well.

#3 Gold Coast, Australia

A favourite with Chinese travellers to Australia, Gold Coast is a strong contender for Chinese buyer attention. Gold Coast ranked as the fourth most searched-for Australian location on Juwai.com in 2016, and offers great potential for development. Total Chinese visitors topped 295,000 last year¹¹, but an expanded range of direct flights to mainland China is likely to drive more Chinese to visit Gold Coast and – should they fall in love with its sunny beaches and lifestyle – perhaps purchase a home there.

#4 New Zealand

Christchurch and Auckland make New Zealand another up-and-coming darling for Chinese buyers. As the fifth most popular country for Chinese property investors on Juwai.com, New Zealand saw a 112% y-o-y increase in Chinese buyer searches in 2016.⁸ Fired by closer flight links, longer visa validity, an outstanding climate, a range of outdoor lifestyle option, and Westpac’s estimate of at least 5% growth in property values in 2017, we perceive New Zealand to see solid demand this year as well.¹²

 

Agents, make your move

With overseas property purchase being the most popular form of overseas investment for China’s high net worth individuals (HNWIs)¹³, and with competition rapidly increasing in this battle for Chinese buyers, you need to be at the top of your game to stake a claim for this highly lucrative market.

Undoubtedly, online listings offer an efficient, targeted way of accessing China’s colossal online market of 731 million internet users¹⁴ but it doesn’t just stop there – a social media presence on platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and QQ is also vital, since social media is the first port of call for Chinese real estate investors when searching for overseas property.

Your offline strategy matters as well. With Chinese travelling overseas in greater numbers than ever, getting your ground game right is also crucial, so be sure you tailor you property tours for Chinese, as it’s an excellent way to educate and guide prospective clients.

That said, considering Chinese are expected to spend an estimated $225 billion on overseas property by 2025¹⁵, it could be well worth your while to factor in these tips, and form a multi-channel approach within your China market strategy.

Sources: 1. National Bureau of Statistics: Economic data 2016; 2. National Bureau of Statistics: Real Estate Price Index, December 2016; 3. SCMP: Beijing rolls out harshest ever home buyer down payment; 4. Reuters: China banks hike lending rates for Beijing home buyers; 5. SCMP: China’s interest rates poised for a quick rise, in response to US moves; 6. BBC: Why are Shanghai’s happy couples getting divorced?; 7. SCMP: China mortgage rules tightened to curb people divorcing to qualify to buy second homes; 8. Juwai IQ Data; 9. Ideal Homes: Property prices set to rise further; 10. Gold Cost Bulletin: An extra 100,000 Chinese tourists visited the Gold Coast in 2017; 11. Stuff: Chasing the Chinese dollar; 12. Mortgage Express: What can we expect in 2017?; 13. Hurun Report “Immigration and the Chinese HNWI 2016; 14. Tech In Asia: China now has 731 million internet users, 95% access from their phones; 15. Auction.com: Top four reasons Chinese buyers invest in U.S. real estate;

2017 © Juwai

Irina Sfranciog and Rachael Segal
REM

In Canada, resident sellers of a principal residence are usually eligible for an exemption from the capital gains tax that would otherwise be triggered by the sale of a principal residence. Non-resident sellers must pay a capital gains tax of 25 per cent on the profits from the sale of a residential property.

In Mao v Liu (2017 BCSC 226), the court was asked to determine whether a notary public was negligent and therefore obligated to pay the capital gains tax triggered by the sale of a residential property. The negligent act in question was the notary public’s failure to confirm whether the seller was a Canadian resident.

The facts underlying the Mao v. Liu action were relatively straightforward. In the period following the execution of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale for a residential property, the lawyer for the seller was asked for but refused to sign a statutory declaration regarding the residency of the seller. Upon closing, with no clearance certificate and no holdback in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale, the Canadian Revenue Agency required that the buyer pay the capital gains tax owing in the amount of $695,000. The buyer then sued the notary public seeking damages associated with this payment.

This case turned upon the question of whether the notary public had a duty to make further inquiries to determine the residency of the seller and whether that duty was breached.

In the decision, Justice Affleck stated: “In my view the defendants agreed to make the ‘reasonable inquiry’… but failed to do so, and failed to advise the plaintiffs of their potential tax liability.” Ultimately Justice Affleck found the notary public liable to the buyers for the full amount of the capital gains tax triggered by the sale of the property.

The law is clear that buyers are required to be diligent and make reasonable inquiries to ascertain the tax residency status of sellers. If the buyer fails to make reasonable inquiries, the buyer and his or her agent can be assessed for the entirety of the capital gains tax.

Conducting fulsome due diligence at the outset of a real estate transaction cannot be disregarded, as the penalties for failing to do so can be significant. It is now possible that a court could find that notaries’ public and real estate duties go beyond general inquiries and must determine whether there are any potential liabilities for their clients. This duty puts the onus on both buyers and their agents and representatives to ensure specific inquiries are made that previous to this decision, would have been expected only from a lawyer.

Determining the residency status of the seller should be completed well before the closing date and should go beyond a simple conversation. It would be prudent for buyers and their agents to request that evidence of the seller’s residency status be a condition of the purchase. Alternatively, agents should also consider a clause in their retainer agreement releasing the agent of all liability associated with any unpaid taxes after “reasonable inquiries” have been made. The problem with this is that the purchaser, the party in the transaction who should be held at the lowest possible standard when it comes to assessing risk, would still remain liable to CRA for the unpaid taxes. While buyers are able to withhold a portion of the purchase price in situations where the seller is known to be a non-resident, an avenue to withhold part of the purchase price when the seller’s residency is unknown should be adopted as well.

Whether you are an agent or a buyer, the bottom line in buying real estate in Canada is to take extra precautions when purchasing from a non-resident. Be certain to ascertain the legal residency status of sellers prior to the closing date.

© 2017 REM Real Estate Magazine

Eleven West merges old and new in Kitsilano project

Shawn Conner
The Vancouver Sun

Eleven West

Project Address: 2655 Maple St.

Project Size: 10 homes, 815 — 1,973 square feet

Bedrooms: two one-bedroom-and-den artist’s studios, two two-bedroom townhomes, one three-bedroom townhome, five three-bedroom condos

Price: starting at $978,000

Developer: Nadeau Developments

Architect: Ankenman Marchand Architects

Interior designer: Eleven West Group

Contact name: Cheryl Nadeau

Contact phone: 604-802-0001

Sales centre: 2126 W. 41st Avenue

Centre’s hours: by appointment

Website: elevenwest.ca

Completion date: August 2018

Developer Cheryl Nadeau can’t conceal her enthusiasm over her latest project — and doesn’t try to.

The reason for her excitement is Eleven West. A collection of homes at Maple and West 11th Avenue in Kitsilano, the project is modest (“boutique” in marketing terms) in size by developer standards, comprising 10 homes. But it has a neighbourhood-friendly concept, Nadeau says: they’re keeping and renovating an on-site structure that is a neighbourhood icon, while planning an entirely new building.

“It’s one of the last Spanish Colonial Revival buildings in Vancouver,” Nadeau said. She and her husband and business partner, Duane, went before city council to have the building, built in 1929, deemed heritage and turn it into artists’ studios. “They were so thrilled we were going to keep it,” she said. “It cost us a lot of money, and a lot of time.”

 “I would hear this all the time, ‘I biked by there all the time as a kid,’ or ‘I bike by there now and I see it.”

Buyer Markus Chernoff is well aware of the site’s iconic status, both for the Spanish heritage building on the lot, as well as the heritage building next door: the 83-year-old Bessborough Armoury.

“It’s such a cool Art Deco-looking building,” he said.

“Being right next door (to the armoury), I see the project as a complementary thing. Even though there’s a contradiction in terms of the modern portion, it seems to be so complementary to the entire neighbourhood, including the Bessborough Armoury. Some of the other buildings in that neighbourhood don’t have the same kind of architectural design or stature as the concept in this one. It just seemed to be kind of a superior design development. It also gave me the opportunity to think about what I could do in my portion.”

Chernoff has bought an artist’s studio in the preserved building, which will house two studios with one bedroom and a den and the studio out front.

Another building has been demolished to make way for the new build, and although it had no heritage value, it too had a history of housing artists, Nadeau says. “For years, it’s been an artisan type of building, nothing big but with really creative people.” She notes that building was once home to the studio of Wendy Williams Watt; here, the designer created her signature “big love balls,” giant balls inscribed with the word “LOVE” that are sometimes seen at events in town like Diner en Blanc.

When complete, the new building will house both townhomes and condos. There are two two-bedroom townhomes and one three-bedroom; the latter, a 1,200-square-foot home, is on the southwest end of the building. A 1,068-square-foot two-bedroom takes up the middle, and a 1,038-square-foot home is on the northwest corner. This home has a unique feature, Nadeau notes: it’s the only townhome that can be accessed by the elevator.

This makes it perfect for an elderly couple who still want to maintain their independence, she says.

“They could have that main-floor living for a caregiver or adult child.” The home also has a wraparound deck.

For the condos, each of which is just over 1,800 square feet (the penthouse is nearly 2,000), Nadeau envisions families or downsizers who “don’t want to do the downtown thing” and “want to stay in the community. It’s the kind of residence you can live in as long as you want. The elevator opens right into your unit, and it’s one-floor living.”

Each three-bedroom condo takes up a floor. The third-storey condo has a wraparound balcony, while the others each have four decks, one of which is enclosed. The penthouse has the entire (1,336 square foot) rooftop deck with seating areas, an outdoor kitchen, room for a hot tub and panoramic views.

“We’ve done quite a bit of droning,” Nadeau said. “The views are city, mountain, water. It’s going to be absolutely spectacular.”

Most of the homes have views, and one of the main features of the homes is “all the glass,” Nadeau said. “Even from the lower floors, you still get views of the city and mountains.”

While they’ll put in “as much glass as possible in order to capitalize on the views,” Nadeau says that the concrete building will have “nothing but the highest quality materials on the outside, rock and brick and metal.”

Most of the homes have open-concept layouts and nine-foot-high ceilings (eight feet in the studios and 10 in the penthouse). Condo features include an integrated Bosch, Sub Zero and Miele appliance package in the kitchen and gas fireplace in the main living space. Townhome kitchen features include a Bosch dual fuel range and integrated fridge and Miele dishwasher, while studio kitchens come with a Liebherr integrated fridge and Porter & Charles dual fuel range. All homes have a generous master bedroom with walk-in closet and spa-like ensuite. 

The two-storey artist suites will feature a funky mix of different influences in finishings, including Spanish and Italian.

“We’re trying to live the space with people in mind, to really make sure we’re capturing a group of people, whether families, downsizers or artists. We really wanted to add into the community.”

A part-time musician, Chernoff says that he is planning to use his studio for a boutique, high-end vintage guitar shop.

“I know a violin-maker occupied the space I’ll be in, and bands have played in those buildings. I know it has quite a history. And I thought, You know what, it would be the perfect space, the perfect neighbourhood, the perfect design, and something I would be super proud to live in.”

He added: “I was born and raised in Vancouver and I’ve seen a lot of beautiful buildings go down, and a

© 2017 Postmedia Network Inc.

Maple Ridge?s Kanaka Hill has been drawing more than a little attention

Shawn Conner
The Vancouver Sun

Kanaka Hill

Project Address: 23539 Gilker Hill Road, Maple Ridge

Project Size: 43 townhomes

Bedrooms: three- and four-bedrooms, four-bedrooms + rec room, all with 3.5 baths

Price: from $594,900

Developer: Quarry Rock Developments

Architect: Atelier Pacific Architecture Inc.

Interior designer: Portico Design Group

Contact name: Chad August

Contact phone: 604-479-2263

Sales centre: 23539 Gilker Hill Road

Hours: by appointment

Website: kanakahill.com

Completion: spring 2018

Even before he saw the plans for Kanaka Hill, Don Hart liked the townhome project.

“I just felt good about it,” said the Maple Ridge-based realtor, who was the first to buy into the project. 

“There was something in me that said, ‘This is the place where you want to be.’ I was the first one there and the first one to buy one, and we’re quite excited about it.”
The development, which comprises 43 townhomes on a hilltop in the Kanaka Creek neighbourhood of Maple Ridge, is near a protected greenbelt, but five minutes from the town centre.

“It’s more of a nature walking path nature interface kind of park,” said Greg Lowe, director of sales for Rare Earth Project Marketing. “It’s a big attraction in that area.”

Lowe rates the location, which sits above an elementary school, as “nine-and-a-half out of 10.”

“It’s a very, very good site,” he said. “Many of the buyers in the Maple Ridge area have been waiting for this project because they know how nice it’s going to be because of the site.”

In an effort to do justice to the surroundings, developer Quarry Rock borrowed elements from British equestrian country estates, including Tudor elements in the architecture, landscaping and fencing. Details include stone and wood accents, gable roofs and dormers, wrought iron and mullioned windows and entry porches.

Interiors are open and spacious.

 “When I first walked into the show home, the feeling of how expansive it was was quite impressive,” said Dan Thomson, also of Rare Earth. “It feels like a single-family home, with a big living area and kitchen. And the interiors, from the colour schemes to the finishings, are not trendy but classic.”

Kitchen features include plenty of counter space, a large multi-functional island (in most homes), polished quartz countertops and subway-tile backsplash, shaker cabinets with soft-close doors and drawers, and stainless steel undermount double-bowl sinks with pullout spray faucets. The KitchenAid appliance package includes a 36-inch french door Energy Star refrigerator with pull-out drawer freezer, a 24-inch dishwasher and 30-inch gas range with electric oven, chimney hood and fan.

All bathrooms come with polished quartz countertops and backsplash with undermount porcelain basins and dual-flush toilets with soft-close seats. Main bathrooms also include a deep soaker bathtub, vanity drawers with full-width mirror, and porcelain wall and floor tiles.

Ensuites come with in-floor radiant heating, polished quartz double vanity sinks, two-drawer floating vanity with full mirror medicine cabinets for added storage, deep soaker tubs and an oversized frameless glass shower with rain showerhead and separate handheld wand, and well-lit double vanities.

Additional features include private and spacious two-car garages (tandem or side-by-side depending on the home type) and, in most homes, mud rooms off the garage. All homes have private yards, and kitchens open to patios or decks.

Flooring is laminate in living spaces with carpeting in bedrooms, stairs, hallways and basements, although buyers can opt for laminate over carpeting.

Another option is a sizable built-in pantry/cabinetry set that includes a countertop and a tile backsplash.
“The thing about those is, they’re not like a pantry that’s two feet wide,” Thomson said. “I think the smallest one is around 10 feet. It’s quite a spectacular option.”

The interior comes in two colour schemes. Hart picked the lighter one, he says, “because it’s nice and bright.”

The buyer also likes that the community is gated, and that it’s on the east side of Maple Ridge and hence “further out.”

“I actually brought a client in because I felt so good about it and she ended up buying one too,” he said.

Eighty-five per cent of the homes sold within two weeks of going on sale. Most of the buyers have been local to the area, Lowe said.

“We have some downsizers who are attracted to this higher-end product in a very high-quality location. Professional families maybe moving up from a condo in a different community, like the Tri Cities areas, or from within Maple Ridge and getting started with their first townhome.”

Hart and his wife, who are in their late fifties, chose a four-bedroom.

“We’re in a big house now, and we’re not quite ready to downsize yet,” he said. “You know how it is. The nest is never empty. You always expect someone (kids) to come back. Especially nowadays, for kids to get out on there own, if they ever get stuck there’s always a place to say. And we have people from out of town come to stay with us. We like the space.”

Hart likes the outdoors too, and the nearby 10 kilometres of hiking trails, though he says he’s not an “extreme” outdoors person.

“The trails are a two-minute walk away,” he said. “It’s really beautiful.”

The creek itself ensures that the area will be designated protected greenbelt. “The future for that area will include trails and access for the public,” Lowe said. “It will be a very nice thing to live beside.”

Within Kanaka Hill itself, the builder is adding outdoor amenities such as a seating area with hanging swings with a view of Golden Ears Provincial Park. There will be a small playground area, as well as a community garden bordering the greenbelt. “Then the rest of the surrounding area is farmland,” he said. “So there’s a lot of open space around our property.”

Hart is happy to be on the ground floor, so to speak, of the development.

“You know how you get a feeling that this is the one that you want?” he said. “I had my cheque book ready before I even talked to anybody. It was jut one of those things. My wife and I agreed that we were going to buy it and she hadn’t even seen it. I took her up on a Saturday and she goes ‘I love it, I absolutely love it. It’s perfect.’ And I said, ‘Yeah. That’s what I thought. Glad you like it.’”

© 2017 Postmedia Network