Villa living in small-town serenity

The Parkhouses in Okotoks to launch May 1

A "pocket neighbourhood" in the popular Okotoks community of Drake Landing will be offering active, mature homebuyers an alternative to constricted apartment-style living.

The Parkhouses, a unique 50-plus adult-living project by Lifestyle Homes, will launch sales May 1.

The neighbourhood will include 31 semi-detached villa-style bungalows with front porches and rear-attached garages that will all face inward to a common park space for residents.
This pocket neighbourhood designed to promote social interaction between neighbours will be a first for the town just 18 kilometres south of Calgary. "There is a shortage of options like villas because of the demographic changes," said Anna Zajac, a REALTOR® with Realty Executives Apex. "Baby boomers (including empty-nesters) and professionals are looking for a quiet, no-maintenance lifestyle. So this kind of project is increasingly in demand."

Zajac, who will help market the new project for Lifestyle Homes, said The Parkhouses reflect smaller villa projects done elsewhere with specially created shared areas for buyers, coming for the first time within the well-designed Drake Landing.

Drake Landing is situated above Okotoks' picturesque town centre and overlooks the Sheep River Valley with views of the Rocky Mountains and rolling foothills.

In The Parkhouses, two clusters of homes will surround common courtyard parks with shared amenities, encouraging homeowners to get to know each other while enhancing safety and security within the tightly knit community.

The bungalow or loft-bungalow style villas will follow the high architectural standards set in Drake Landing, and range in size from 1,269 to 1,633 square feet. Prices will start from $525,000 to the $650,000s. Expected move-in for homebuyers is the end of 2015.

Zajac encourages potential buyers to act quickly to get the finishings they want in their home, as Lifestyle Homes is offering that opportunity at the onset rather than making pre-selection choices itself.

"That opportunity is right now for a purchaser to customize some choices for interior finishes prior to the builder doing it for them," said the Realty Executives Apex sales associate, who predicts prices could be going up down the road.

While the outside of the homes will entice buyers with an inviting front porch, a private inner courtyard and low-maintenance exterior materials such as James Hardie siding, the homes' interiors will be of equal quality with granite/quartz kitchen countertops, elongated fireplaces, hardwood floors and tile and vaulted ceilings throughout the main living areas.

Zajac anticipates a strong response to the sales launch — pre-registrations are already being taken — not only because of the style of product, but also because of its location in the expanding community of Drake Landing in Okotoks.

"Villas are a convenience with their no-maintenance living, and these have quick accessibility to the pathways system and a wide selection of established shopping. Everything you need is here," she said.

Zajac added residents will enjoy a laid-back lifestyle through an abundance of green spaces, with added landscaping design features to include sitting areas, a fire pit, pathways and open gathering spaces.

As part of Drake Landing, The Parkhouses project site also benefits from numerous established amenities, including the nearby Okotoks Recreation Centre, Crystal Ridge Golf Centre and an extensive walking trail system. It also offers residents easy access to a variety of established small shops and major retailers via 32 Street E.

Drake Landing features a ravine complete with a naturalized pond frequented by wildlife and residents. There is also an off-leash dog park and neighbourhood playgrounds and pathways, all within walking distance of Seaman Stadium, the home of the Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Club.

"Residents of The Parkhouses will have almost everything they need within a brief five-minute drive," said Zajac.

She added living in Okotoks is becoming more attractive with its quiet lifestyle compared to the hectic pace (and growing lack of land for residential expansion) of Calgary.

The town of more than 27,000 residents is just a short 15-minute drive away from the city, while offering buyers more affordable home prices, said Zajac.

Lifestyle Homes has established an "enviable reputation for building homes of unrivaled quality in variety of exceptional neighborhoods," she added, and The Parkhouses will continue that quality, while offering a diversified product to Okotoks.

Lifestyle also builds in Cooper's Crossing in Airdrie, Legacy in southeast Calgary and Westmere in Chestermere Lake.

To get to Drake Landing, follow Highway 2 south to Okotoks, turn east on Milligan Drive and follow the road to Drake Landing. The site of The Parkhouses is in the heart of an existing community with entry off Drake Landing Heights.

For more information, contact Anna Zajac of Realty Executives Apex at 403-650-5062 or email am.zajac@hotmail.com. For Lifestyle Homes, contact Karen at 403-938-2504 or email drakelanding@lifestylehomes.ca.

Tagged: Okotoks | Parkhouses | Sponsored