Southfork draws homebuyers to Leduc, where the living is easy
Larger lots draw buyers to Leduc
On a warm, sun-kissed day, the signs of spring are everywhere in the thriving residential community of Southfork, just south of Edmonton.
Buds are poised to burst open on the young trees lining the boulevards. The grass on the toboggan hill in a neighbourhood park is finally greening up after the disappearance of the last of the snow.
Colourful umbrellas pop up like giant flowers behind backyard fences and kids’ trikes and bicycles stand at the ready in the shady recesses of covered front verandas.
Southfork is in the city of Leduc, approximately a 10-minute drive from south Edmonton, and its appeal is growing fast.
“I think what really sells it at the end of the day is the sense of community,” says Marcel de Moissac, area sales manager in Southfork with Jayman MasterBuilt homes.
“We constantly have families opening their doors to have big community parties. Everyone seems to know everyone.”
With kilometres of walking trails, an abundance of green space and playgrounds, and a stormwater pond that sprays sparkling water from centre fountains, residents have good reason to get out and explore their home turf.
Tamani Communities, Southfork’s developer, is boosting the area’s outdoor attractions even further, says the company’s marketing co- ordinator Nicole Westman.
“We’re working on our third park in the community,” Westman says. “We’re calling it a super park. We’re going to have barbecues in it and a big waterfall.”
Southfork’s architectural theme is contemporary heritage, with house designs ranging from Craftsman and Prairie to Georgian and Colonial. All homes are sided in deep, rich colours, with black roofs and white trim.
The area attracts people of all ages, says Heather Rae, area manager in Southfork with Dolce Vita Homes.
“We’re getting a lot of young families, definitely,” says Rae. “We also are getting a lot of the downsizers as well and people who do a lot of travelling.
“We do more sales here in Southfork than all the other subdivisions in Leduc combined.”
That’s partly because Leduc’s house prices are generally lower than Edmonton’s, de Moissac says.
“Price is definitely the No. 1 factor that draws people out here. There is generally a $40to $60,000 price difference.
“So you can build a 2,500-square-foot home backing onto a five-acre park out here for the same price as a house in Edmonton that’s just on a regular lot.”
Cheryl Tetreau, area sales manager for Southfork with Homes by Avi, agrees.
“You’re saving money because the lots are a lot less out here in Leduc than they are in Edmonton.”
Location adds to Southfork’s allure, says Tetreau.
“Leduc is a very quick-growing community and we’re very close to the city, so you can have that small-town feeling with that big-city attitude.”
Southfork is selling lots in Stages Four and Five, and is preparing to welcome visitors Saturday, June 1 with the grand opening of brand-new show homes by Jayman, Homes by Avi and Dolce Vita.
They include six front-drive houses, six semi-detached and some town houses.
People can tour them from noon until 5 p.m. and grab a bite to eat from a food truck stationed in one of the parks.
Many of the lots up for sale back onto park space and pathways, says Westman.
“And right now we are selling town homes that are backing onto the lake,” she notes. “Avi Homes and Jayman will be building the town homes.”
There is much to see in the new show homes, where builders have incorporated features such as bonus rooms, chef-inspired kitchens, floor-to-ceiling windows and luxurious ensuites.
Offerings from Homes by Avi will include a 1,900-squarefoot single-family house.
“It would be perfect for a starter home or for people who are retiring and that want to downsize a little bit,” says Tetreau, who adds that Avi will also have duplexes and row housing in the community.
Jayman will be showing off a variety of styles, including side-by-side duplexes, ranging from 1,600 to 1,900 square feet, says de Moissac.
“They (duplexes) have bonus rooms, the larger house has a 10-and-a-half-foot ceiling in the bonus room. There’s a double-attached garage on the big one and single-attached garage on the smaller ones.”
Dolce Vita Homes has single-family show homes starting at about 2,200 square feet and duplexes with single- and double-attached garages.
One of them features a great room, open to the second floor.
“We’re treating it like highend homes that just happen to be duplexes,” says Rae.
To reach Southfork, take Highway Two south to Exit 516 toward Wetaskiwin. At the first set of lights, turn right.