`EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE'
Deal made to buy new condo at Gates II in Quarry Park if she got asking price on house sale
Committing to a new home purchase before selling an existing property can be risky business. At least it was for Cheryl Stubbings when she was looking to move from her home in New Brighton to a condo in Gates II by Remington Development Corp. in Quarry Park.
“I didn't know what my home would sell for. I told Remington that I was interested, but I didn't want to take a colossal loss. They gave me time to find out what I could get for it and put a hold on a condo,” says Stubbings, who owns a home-based pet and house-sitting business.
Five years ago, when life circumstances precipitated a move from Diamond Cove Estates in southeast Calgary, Stubbings had set her sights on nearby Quarry Park. However, there was nothing at that time in her price range, so she bought in New Brighton further south on Deerfoot Trail. In early 2021, she revisited Quarry Park to see what was new and discovered Gates II, the second of two condo buildings by Remington. Gates II had several move-in ready suites, all in her price range.
If, and only if, she got what she wanted for her home.
“Everything fell into place. There was a bidding war over my house and it went for over list. I hit the sweet spot because I got a good selling price and Remington honoured the price they quoted before the real estate market heated up. I feel someone should pinch me. Usually, I'm not this lucky,” she says.
Stubbings originally thought a two-bedroom suite would do nicely until she walked into the 1,310-square-foot, three-bedroom H floor plan during her first visit.
“My jaw dropped. It was game over when I saw the third bedroom,” she says, happy to have an extra bedroom and dedicated space for her home office.
The former show suite on the second floor was designed with a darker colour palette, which Stubbings wanted, and a north orientation facing an attractive water feature. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom H plan has two balconies — one off the living space and one off the second bedroom. It's a popular plan and there is only one left in the three-storey 32-unit Gates II building.
“We don't have a lot left but we do have a decent inventory of floor plan types. There are one-bedroom plus den, two-bedroom two-bathroom and one three-bedroom, two-bathroom, which aren't always readily available in Calgary,” says Remington residential sales associate Angie Herback.
Remaining units are 760 to 1,310 square feet and are priced from $295,000 to $460,000 plus GST. The two-bedroom, two-bath E floor plan won a 2020 Building Industry Land Development (BILD) Calgary Region Award at the annual ceremonies in May, voted best new multi-family home design 900 square feet to 1,199 square feet.
Herback says she believes the open floor plan and flow of the E corner unit, with its two outdoor spaces and bedrooms placed at opposite corners of the suite, caught the vote of the BILD judging panel.
Other residential projects for Remington, as builder and developer of Quarry Park, include deville, a three-tower purpose-built rental development next to the Market at Quarry Park.
Herback says the builder is diversifying to follow market trends among some millennials and empty nesters who want more freedom with their time and money.
“Some segments of this demographic want to move at a moment's notice and not be tied to yard work and prefer to keep their funds liquid. They still want a very nice to place to live. The purpose-built rental market has taken a new look. It's more contemporary with high-end specifications and finishings. It's a strong market as well,” Herback says.
Finally settled in Quarry Park, Stubbings is thrilled to be close to the river pathways, to shopping and restaurants and is adjusting well to multi-family living in a building she says is full of quiet, respectful people. Lawn mowers, garden hoses and shovels are distant memories.
“To not do all those things you have to do this time of year? I'm loving it,” she says.