Young family takes plunge
Leaves behind life as renters for ownership of duplex in Walden
With a baby boy in tow, a young Calgary couple was looking for a home with space to grow. After searching the south end of the city, Ashley Irving and Mitch Vevang settled on Walden, attracted by its master-planned streetscapes by Genstar Development Co. and its family-friendly atmosphere.
“When we drive around here, we see young couples and young families, and I love the look of it. It looks like a little ski village,” says Irving, 21.
With baby Olen, now eight months, and with a year on the city fire department under Vevang’s belt, they were ready for a home of their own.
“We were finally ready to buy a property, rather than rent,” says Irving. “We plan to be here for five years, just as a starter house, and see from there.”
Having the whole main floor completely open, I can see (the baby) everywhere he goes. He’s not walking, but he’s crawling, and he’s all over the place.”
ASHLEY IRVING
After her maternity leave, Irving would like to return to school to train as a unit clerk. She hopes to work at the nearby South Calgary Health Campus.
The couple found a duplex that suited them in Homes by Avi’s Walden Mix and Match offerings.
They bought a Victor floor plan, with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms, for $341,000. It has hardwood on the main floor and an as yet-unfinished basement.
“It’s about the same size as a regular starter home, about 1,300 square feet,” says Irving. The couple’s home has a detached two-car garage on the back lane.
Some floor plans in the Walden Mix-and-Match duplexes have the kitchen centred in the middle of the main floor, while others have the kitchen at the back of the home.
“Ours is in the middle, so our main floor is completely open,” says Irving.
“Especially with a young baby, having the whole main floor completely open, I can see him everywhere he goes. He’s not walking, but he’s crawling, and he’s all over the place.”
The couple is enjoying home ownership.
“When we were renting, we had roommates and then while we were waiting for the house to be finished, we were living with Mitch’s parents,” says Irving.
“So, just having the freedom of your own house, you can walk around in your pyjamas. I just love how it looks.”
Megan Gaylard is the area sales manager for Homes by Avi’s Walden Mix and Match.
“Because it’s a mix and match, it gives the ability to people to personalize it, make it their own — choose an exterior they like, choose an upper floor they like and personalize this semi-detached product,” says Gaylard.
With each of the five main floor plans, the upper levels come with a further three layout choices: three bedrooms, two bedrooms plus a loft, or double master bedrooms.
The duplexes start in the low $290,000s and range from 1,172 to 1,424 square feet.
This is the second grouping of Mix and Match duplexes by Homes by Avi in the Walden community. The earlier ones are also on Walden Drive S.E., in an earlier phase.
The current phase 11 grouping of about 60 homes, which is about half sold, gave the builder an opportunity to make some changes.
“The ones that Ashley and Mitch live in have the newer updated exteriors and some new floor plan offerings,” says Gaylard. “These ones have seven different exteriors, which is 14 different units, tons of colour options and roof-pitch variations.”
Homes come with a gravel parking pad on the back lane, with the option to buy a two-car detached garage for $23,000.
Gaylard is seeing a lot of interest in the Walden Mix and Match from young professional couples, first-time homebuyers, and downsizers and empty nesters.
“It’s a great product line because it allows us to have a mixed demographic,” says Gaylard.
The community of Walden is walkable, features full-grown trees in some areas and is accessible to nearby Fish Creek Provincial Park.
“One thing that the developer did differently than a lot of communities is it put in place a lot of the commercial and amenity space at the beginning of the community,” says Gaylard.
“So it offers coffee shops, restaurants, banks, basic amenities within the community already. It’s become a fairly selfsufficient community. Once the grocery store (Save on Foods) is open, which is slated for 2013, it becomes that much more selfsufficient.”
The community is growing, and Irving likes the bustle, which was a bit unexpected with such a new neighbourhood.
“Our street is starting to fill up here,” she says.
“There are people walking dogs and babies. There are a lot of people walking around; I’m surprised.”