Environmentally conscious buildings in Edmonton

Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel is the face behind the city’s green urban planning initiatives. His dedication to improving the Capital Region’s infrastructure is evident through Edmonton’s multiple redevelopment plans.Through modifications to procedures by the City administration, Edmonton has connected with internal and external architectural firms for the careful design of new city structures. Working with the Edmonton Design Committee, architectural firms, as well as the Edmonton Arts Council, local design standards were raised. New city projects also received an incorporation of public art. Yet not all infrastructure developments are destined for Edmonton’s downtown core.

Numerous suburban projects were also approved in hopes of enhancing local neighbourhoods, beginning with a series of multipurpose recreational facilities. Scheduled to open in 2014, The Meadows Community Recreation Centre & The Meadows Library will feature a massive facility with indoor and outdoor recreational services for residents in the Silver Berry neighbourhood and surrounding area. The recreational centre will be open year-round and is being constructed with the use of natural materials. Edmonton’s incorporation of natural materials are largely due to Mayor Stephen Mandel’s push for environmentally friendly buildings aimed at LEED Silver or more certification.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The green building rating system was originally developed in the U.S., yet has been adopted by Canadians as a way to recognize and assess the environmental sustainability found in new structures. LEED has seven topic areas with 110 possible points awarded: Site Development, Water Efficiency, Material Selection, Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation in Design and Regional Priority. A designer’s building is awarded a Silver performance rating, if they receive 50 to 59 points.

Edmonton’s commitment to environmental stewardship is a prime example of the urban revitalization and growth city residents will witness in the years to come. These structural amenities and their features will enhance the already attractive Edmonton real estate market. If you are searching for an Edmonton home near any of the future real estate hot spots, contact Terry Paranych. With years of industry experience, he can help you buy or sell your Edmonton home.

Recently on Paranych TV, Terry Paranych sat down with Michael Kryton to discuss the change to the national mortgage policy that came into effect as of July 9, 2012. There are two key changes that every Edmonton home buyer should know about:

1. The maximum amortization allowed for government-backed mortgages was reduced from 30 years to 25 years.
2. Home real estate purchases of over $1 million are no longer guaranteed by the CMHC.

Many people in Canada’s real estate industry are still talking about how these changes will affect the market, whether they are positive or negative overall, and &ndash in particular – what this means for first time home buyers trying to break into the market. Terry and Michael talk at length about these impacts and the discipline needed to save the down payment for a home when the maximum amortization period is 25 years. Overall, Terry has always been an advocate of a shorter amortization period, and encourages all first time buyers serious about getting into the Edmonton real estate market to save as much of a down payment as they can.

Checkout the full Paranych TV video about Canada’s new mortgage policies below:

If you’re a first time Edmonton home buyer and want to know more about breaking into the local real estate market, give the Paranych team a call for more info! In addition to knowing the ins and outs of the market, we can refer you to top Edmonton mortgage brokers who can better help you understand what kind of mortgage you could qualify for.

Found in the luxurious Windermere area, Ambleside is a chic southwest Edmonton neighbourhood. The community blends classic elegance, modern style and country charm, with a city convenience in a magnificent atmosphere. North of Ambleside is the Anthony Henday Drive, so residents are close to major amenities. Since its inception, Ambleside has grown in popularity among Edmontonians. Currently, it boasts a population of 10,800 residents in over 4,500 homes.

Houses in the area include beautiful single-family homes, apartment complexes, townhouses, rowhouses and breathtaking estate triplex. Ambleside also has residential areas solely for adult living. With the wide variety of homes available the community appeals to families, first-time home buyers, or retirees. Ambleside has been carefully developed to have a balanced rural feel with the incorporation of a city convenience. Many Ambleside homes come with lovely views of the ravine or streetscapes. The luxurious feel of this area and the architectural beauty and grace of its homes, make Ambleside a highly-sought after Edmonton neighbourhood. With the recent launch of a new phase, the area will soon see the development of 200 lots for single-family homes.

The community of Ambleside has numerous amenities and recreational options for its residents. It is situated a short distance from the Fairway Drive Community Police Station, Fire station and hospitals such as the Grey Nuns and the University of Alberta. Retail options can be found in the shopping plaza, Currents of Windermere, which is a short walk away. Currents of Windermere features a fully-licensed VIP Theatre, the first of its kind in Alberta. Further development of the commercial area near the community of Ambleside is expected. Homeowners can also access South Edmonton Common shopping plaza or the popular West Edmonton MAll through the Anthony Henday Drive.

Living in Ambleside satisfies outdoor-enthusiasts and active residents alike. The community is surrounded by natural settings with a number of naturalized constructed ponds and a network of paths for walking, cycling or running. Nearby golf courses include: Windermere Golf and Country Club, Red Tail Landing, River Ridge Golf and Country Club. Recreational facilities such as the Terwillegar Rec Centre are a short drive away.

Nearby Schools:
Lillian Osborne High School | Esther Starkman School | Westbrook School | Vernon Barford School (Junior High) | Monsignor William Irwin Catholic School | Archbishop Joseph MacNeil Catholic School

Start searching Ambleside Homes for sale in Edmonton on our Luxury Homes website.

Sherwood Park is a unique municipality full of possibilities. With near zero crime rates, scenic streetscapes and recreational parks, Sherwood Park is an excellent location to raise a family. The community provides numerous jobs to its residents largely due to its bustling oil and natural gas industries. Currently, over 70% of Canada’s petrochemical refining occurs in Sherwood Park. This number will increase after the implementation of the Alberta Plus campaign.

Situated within Strathcona County, Sherwood Park shares its borders with east Edmonton. With a bustling population of 65,000 residents,  it is known as Alberta’s third largest and fastest growing municipality. To meet the needs of their population, Sherwood Park is developing areas which include apartments, condos, housing as well as business centres. Currently, there are 32,000 homes in Sherwood Park. Housing options range from single-family homes to large estate homes. With the wide range of housing available, there’s something for everyone at Sherwood Park’s communities. Residents have access to the country lifestyle with urban features. The hamlet is proud of the living style it provides its residents. Areas are easily accessible for wheelchairs, cyclists, joggers and pedestrians.

Basic amenities are available at Sherwood Park such as shopping and restaurants. With the City of Edmonton minutes away, homeowners can easily visit the city’s big-name businesses. Sherwood Park’s convenient location, provides easy access to numerous lifestyle options. The Sherwood Park Arena and Sports Centre features two indoor arenas, two meeting rooms, as well as a Sports Centre with seating for up to 600 fans.

Strathcona County is known for its protected natural areas, wildlife and beautiful parks, which satisfies outdoor-enthusiasts. East of Sherwood Park is the Strathcona Wilderness Centre. Featuring 550 acres of outdoor adventure, visitors can camp, cross-country ski or hike at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre. 40 minutes north of Sherwood Park is Elke Island National Park of Canada. Protecting one Canada’s most endangered animals, Elke Island provides visitors the opportunity to view elk, deer, moose and bison in their natural habitats.

Nearby Schools:
Elk Island Public Schools | Elk Island Catholic Schools | Archbishop Jordan High School | F. R Haythorne School | Holy Spirit Catholic School

Visit our Sherwood Park stats and news page to see current market information for this community and browse nearby amenities, or start searching Sherwood Park Homes for sale in Edmonton.

The New Home Buyer Protection Act introduced last month, offers home owners a greater peace of mind. So, if you’re looking to build a home, now may be a good time. Bill 5 presents the best home warranty coverage Canadians have ever seen. For Albertans that have faced costly repairs or evictions, that’s music to their ears. After numerous complaints and ongoing battles between home builders and owners, the New Home Buyer Protection Act has been introduced. Let’s take a look at how the New Home Warranty Protection Program could benefit you and your family:

Mandatory warranty coverage.
All new homes in Alberta would receive home warranty coverage from builders. Protection would commence in the fall of 2013.

Types of warranties

• 1-2 years: Protection from any discrepancies with labour and materials. This covers issues such as: improper insulation, painting and workmanship.
• 5 years: Building protection. Everybody makes mistakes. Even subcontractors who are hired for electrical and plumbing jobs. Unfortunately, some mistakes are bigger than others. With the New Home Buyer Protection Act, owners won’t pay out-of-pocket for faulty wiring.
• 10 years: Structural components. From the foundation to the roof, a home’s skeletal structure is protected.

To build or not to build
The booming Alberta economy has resulted in rising housing developments and builders are rushing to keep up. Through initiatives such as the New Home Buyer Protection Act, builders are held responsible for their actions. It raises the bar on quality control and pushes bad builders out the door. Although building your own home is an intimate experience, consider all of your options and resources first. Make sure you are financially prepared and educated on the building process. Terry Paranych and his team can help advise you on all your options. Contact Terry Paranych today for more information.

Edmonton and Calgary are taking the real estate industry by storm. A recent report by PwC and the Urban Land Institute, states both cities have surpassed Toronto and Vancouver in overall real estate prospects. The news of Edmonton and Calgary’s top-rankings could transform the province of Alberta into a real estate hot-spot.

Calgary’s bright future
The Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp reported an increase of more than 33% in Calgary’s total housing. With 12,400 units completed, Calgary’s housing numbers are the highest since 2007. As a result of their growing economy, their workforce is expected to grow by 2.8% next year; even more so if the Keystone XL Pipeline Project is approved. Add in rumours of downtown office developments and this white-collar-city could dominate the Canadian real estate industry in years to come.

Edmonton’s bustling downtown
Despite landing the number two slot on the report, Edmonton did rank highest in home building prospects. Furthermore, their bustling downtown could make a difference in the future. Over the last five years, Edmonton has seen an increase in downtown developments. The Ultima, The Pearl and The Fox towers have all been constructed in the heart of the city. If the Edmonton Arena is approved, the downtown core could be revitalized into something great.

Vancouver & Toronto falling short
Perhaps its the expensive homes in Vancouver, or the fact that Toronto residents pay much more in property taxes. Either way these two metropolitan cities are trailing behind Alberta’s major cities

Make your home energy efficient

As the temperature drops, follow Team Paranych’s energy saving tips to keep your utility bills from rising. The holiday season is right around the corner and The City of Edmonton will soon see a beautiful display of outdoor decorations on Edmonton homes. It can be easy to get caught up in the holiday cheer and forget about keeping your home energy efficient.
Indoor
When the sun goes down, close the blinds and turn the heat down a little. Lowering your home’s temperature by three degrees when you’re sleeping or away, will reduce your household greenhouse gas emissions by one tonne. If you get cold, refrain from turning up the heat. Slip on a sweater or grab an extra blanket for your bed. Closing the drapes will help cut down on your home’s heat loss. Another way to cut back on heat loss is by installing pipe insulation on you home’s hot water pipes.

Outdoor
Unless they live on Candy Cane Lane, most Edmonton home owners sprinkle decorations on their homes. Before you do, check if your holiday lights are LED. Using 90% less energy than other holiday lights, LED bulbs are energy efficient and less of a fire hazard. To save even more, try motion sensor lighting to illuminate your home’s entrance. Did you know you can also make your vehicle energy efficient? Simply install timers and power saving cords on your car’s block heaters. After all, your vehicle only needs to be plugged in for three hours prior to starting it.

What are your energy saving tricks? Comment below and share your own tips!

Everyone knows moving is a lot of work, especially if your family includes children or pets, and the best way to make sure moving day goes smoothly is to plan (and pack!) ahead. In past posts we’ve talked about how to make your Edmonton move easier on your pets, strategies for packing and what to pack last, and how to start getting to know a new neighbourhood or city after you’ve relocated. Today, we want to provide some tips for planning your move ahead of time to make sure things go as smoothly as possible.

Planning: The Days Leading Up To Your Move

If you plan to pack and move yourself, you will most likely need to make arrangements to rent a moving truck or van. During the busy seasons, it can take weeks before a truck becomes available, and if you’re moving near the end of month it can be particularly difficult to make a booking. Make sure to confirm your booking a few days before, and confirm what location and time you will be picking up your truck at: many companies have several locations throughout the city, so make sure you know which one you’re appointment is at.

Alternately, if you’d rather hire an outside company to pack and move your possessions you will need to call around for price quotes, look at customer reviews and check availabilities before booking a company. Make sure you do your homework so there are no surprises on moving day: for example, is there anything they won’t pack? Do they have insurance in case of damage? What is the process for claiming damage, and how long do you have to make a claim? If the company is helping you move across the country, how long will it take for you to receive your belongings at your new residence?

If you can, take a drive around your new neighbourhood. Get a feel for where the local medical centre or hospital is, find the coffee shops and grocery stores, and if you have kids, determine the bus or walking routes to their schools. Knowing where these key services are prior to moving will make the transition into your new home a lot smoother and take away a lot of needless stress.

A few days before your intended moving day, redirect your mail at the post office. Although you should have already called and updated your billing address for your bills and services at this point, some places take a few months for the new address to work its way through their system, and many people forget one or two services that don’t send mail often. Generally you can purchase a 6 or 12 month redirect from Canada Post at about $100 a year. If you are moving to a new city, a receipt from a mail redirect can be used in some cases as proof of residency for some services when establishing yourself in a new area.

On this episode of Inside Real Estate with Terry Paranych, Michael and Terry talk about the Paranych Team and the path Terry took from being one agent to leading a team of top agents in the Edmonton area by creating the best value for our clients, offering more benefits than anyone else working in the market.

“I wanted to set myself apart from the competition when I first started out, and over the years my system has evolved and improved to provide huge value to the client.”

During the discussion, Terry and Michael highlight three of The Paranych Team’s websites, including the flagship Paranych.com where you can search the entire Edmonton MLS® System – even from your smartphone! They also talk about the new Luxury Division of the Paranych Team and our corresponding Edmonton Luxury Homes website, as well as the Paranych Rental properties site.

Watch the Paranych TV video below to learn more about how and why – The Paranych team works so well!

Edmonton’s downtown is growing… up! With all the redevelopment and a resurgence of interest in Edmonton’s downtown, more and more Edmonton home buyers are looking to purchase condo property in the heart of our city. In the last five years, the downtown and Oliver areas have become a much more vibrant and friendly places, and are welcoming more permanent residents. As a result, Edmonton developers are working on delivering more high rise condo developments on some of the downtown’s prime real estate. Three projects in particular have caught our attention: The Pearl, The Fox Towers, and the Ultima.

The Ultima

Located on 103 Street just south of 103 Avenue, the Ultima will stand right across from City Centre and just down the street from the Downtown YMCA. It will be within walking distance of both MacEwan and the future Arena District, and only steps away from the popular 104 Street market and restaurant area. At 32 stories, the Ultima will be a great looking addition to the Edmonton skyline, and will feature a two story lobby and work/live loft units on the first two floors. The building plan include a floor of indoor/outdoor amenities, a gym, and a range of shared entertaining spaces.

The Fox Towers

These two towers are being constructed by the same developer that brought Edmonton the popular Icon towers on 104 Street. These will sit on the northwest corner of 104 Street and 102 Ave and reach 27 and 32 stories high. The bottom floor will feature retail shops, with office space taking up the second floor, while residential units will take up the rest of the tower.

There will be 1 to 3 bedroom suites ranging in size from 650 square feet to over 2,200, making these developments suitable for a wide range of buyers. Sure to be popular due to it’s extremely walkable location on 104 Street, this development will be a great addition to the downtown condo market.

 

The Pearl

Located in Oliver just west of Downtown on Jasper Avenue and 122 Street, The Pearl is already well-underway and a familiar project to those of us who commute along Jasper Ave. With units ranging in size from 575 to over 2,000 square feet, this 35 story tower will quite literally “tower” over everything else in the area.

Close to restaurants, shopping amenities, and the Edmonton River Valley, this development promises astounding views and will surely be one of the Edmonton skyline’s highlight towers.

It’s an exciting time in Edmonton, and the Paranych Team is a huge supporter of our Downtown. If you’re interested in living the urban life in downtown Edmonton and purchasing an Edmonton Downtown Condo, give us a call to learn more about other exciting new developments in the area!