BOUTIQUE community with room to BREATHE
After living near substantial growth, Bryan So and Jade Frost were ready for a change of pace.
The couple built their first home on the western edge of the city six years ago. Seeing increased density and bustle, they looked into options that better suited their taste.
Artesia at Heritage Pointe gave them the quiet, yet well-connected location, they had in mind.
So, an account manager for Microsoft, says part of the appeal of Artesia is that it’s boutique in size.
“When they cap out the community, they’re less than 300 homes total,” he says. “That’s a big thing for us.”
In fact, Artesia will build out to only 279 homes. The community itself is developed with breathing room, earmarking 27.5 hectares (68 acres) of its 55 hectares (137 acres) to open space, linear parkways and trails, environmental reserve, water features and private amenities.
The couple enjoys going for runs with their dog — a greyhound and Labrador cross named Tyson — and look forward to the scenic backdrop Artesia provides.
“There will be nice views,” says Frost, adding that the water features and fountains will be a refreshing upgrade from what they’re used to.
The award-winning estate community by Heritage Pointe Properties sits just south of Calgary city limits and offers single-family homes by Albi Luxury by Brookfield Residential, Homes by Avi, and Augusta Fine Homes.
The community is selling into its third of four phases where prices on single- family homes start from the $850,000s. “With relatively low mortgage rates, we still see interest in the higher-end housing market, but buyers are more discerning and are certainly taking more time in making their home purchase decision,” says Bill MacDonald, project manager for land development at Heritage Pointe Properties. “Although there is more sensitivity surrounding cost and what is a realistic price ceiling, buyers today want unique style, flexible spacing, easy maintenance and ample community amenities. “There are limited opportunities to find communities that offer all this,” he adds. “Folks are realizing that if they purchased their existing home several years ago, they are still coming out ahead on resale, and they are able to capitalize on very competitive, limited time pricing now in order to build new.”
While considering their options on where to buy next, So and Frost thought about acreages, as well. This would have addressed their space concerns, but lacked the convenience of fully serviced land, which is available in Artesia.
Single-family lots in the community eclipse what’s typically seen in estate communities in Calgary, averaging 65 feet wide.
To Frost and So, a larger footprint — with space for a home theatre and generously sized exercise room — made more sense than additional bedrooms. This made a bungalow rather than a two-storey home the better way to go.
In Artesia, bungalows were readily available. Each of the builders in the community have show homes displaying a bungalow plan, located on Waters Edge Drive.
The couple built with Albi, starting with its Catania floor plan as a foundation, but customized it to achieve the dimension and spaces they were looking for.
So, who works from home, is a fan of the large home office that boasts views of a water feature nearby.
The couple also appreciate that Artesia is only a short drive from everything they need in Calgary.
“It’s just outside of the city but you’re still within reach of all of the amenities,” says So. “You’re just far enough out that you don’t have that hustle and bustle that we’ve been experiencing.”
They single out Artesia’s proximity to shopping and restaurants in Mahogany and Seton, and like that a movie theatre will be opening in Seton, too.
“When we drove it, it was less than 10 minutes away from us,” So says.
The commute was another consideration. Frost, who’s in human resources, travels to an office in the Southland area of the city. She likes that the drive from Artesia gives her multiple routes.
“Macleod Trail will be an easy way for me to get to work,” she says. “And if Macleod is messed up on any given day, I can use Deerfoot Trail.
“(From their current home) I’m stuck with Glenmore Trail. That’s my only way to work, so if there is a problem with Glenmore, that’s it for me. It’s nice to have a couple of different options.”
While So works from home, his job sometimes needs him to travel. He looked into what the drive from Artesia to the Calgary International Airport would be like.
“When we mapped it out, where we are in the west right now, there’s no direct route to Deerfoot,” he says. “So we are actually faster, even though we’re further, to the airport.” So says despite more distance between his new home and the airport, he gets there in about half the time.