‘A STUNNING COMMUNITY’
CastleRock offers ‘serenity’
To be truthful, there’s much more to the Redelback family’s decision to buy and build in the CastleRock community than being close to their favourite pizza shop.
A decade ago, Scott and Flo, their two daughters Kaylee and Jadyn, and Diezel the dog had all logged enough miles in the family chariot driving to the Columbia Valley and beyond from their Calgary home to decide the 124-hectare development by CastleRock Estates Development Corp., just five minutes from downtown Invermere, B.C., was where they wanted to set down their escape-destination roots.
Scott Redelback says the family wanted something that offered a balance of nature and the convenience of being a part of the town. At CastleRock, they are within the town limits so they can use the town utilities and services like garbage pickup and other services, but far enough away to avoid the summertime hustle and bustle that is the downtown.
“A half-serious consideration in the family was that we had to live somewhere close enough that our pizza would still be piping hot when we arrived home,” he adds.
CastleRock is a master-planned community located on the southwest corner of Invermere overlooking Lake Windermere and a five-minute drive from the town’s core.
Now in the third phase of development, it has already developed and sold 173 lots and holds 37 more in inventory in Phase 3, according to company CEO Mark Himmelspach. The 124-hectare commu-
nity has been approved for 1,000 homes.
It offers a mix of single-family homes, acreages and duplexes, and a selection of lots. Duplexes and townhouse prices range from $330,000 to $525,000. Singlefamily homes are priced from $500,000 to $1.8 million, singlefamily lots start at $79,000 and acreage lots from $250,000.
And, says Himmelspach, the blend of pricing, location, walking trails and parks, and ease of access have made CastleRock a popular destination for many looking for a valley address — including Albertans.
“We have seen a significant resurgence of people looking in the Columbia Valley and the purchase of lots and homes over the past year,” he says. “Albertans represent the largest segment of our buyers at present, with Calgarians being the largest single group of Albertans buying in CastleRock. The increases in energy prices and the relative stability returning to the energy sector is buoying people’s confidence and inspiring them to look for moveup and recreational properties.”
Buyers are also coming from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, the United States, and from the Okanagan Valley and others regions of B.C.
As for the profile of those buyers, Himmelspach has seen a change in the overall makeup.
“Pre-2009, CastleRock had a large proportion of second home and recreational buyers. Since then, most of our sales have been to people looking for a beautiful place to work from with the ultimate goal of retirement,” he says.
He does, though, expect that as the market continues to improve and more affordable price options are brought on the number of recreational buyers will grow.
Retirement, though, in CastleRock is the longer-term vision of the Redelbacks.
“A major consideration in choosing Invermere and CastleRock is that it aligned with our plan for utilizing the home as a vacation property with the intent to retire there in the coming years,” says Scott.
To that end, the Redelbacks are moving within the development to further plans for retirement.
“In 2016, with prices being extremely attractive, we purchased a gorgeous lakeview lot in Phase 3 that we had our eyes on for some time. Our plan is to build a 2,000to 2,500-square-foot walkout bungalow that will incorporate many of the features of our existing homes in Calgary and CastleRock,” says Scott.
And then there is the location of the development itself that continues to hold its appeal with the family.
“It’s a stunning community nestled between the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Purcell Mountains on the west. The serenity of the area is second to none. We are always hearing from guests how quiet the community is yearround,” says Scott.