No parking, no problem

For Sue and Jason Bissonnette, East Village condo investment was too good to pass up

Forty-somethings Sue and Jason Bissonnette love to travel and experience new things. They own vacation properties around the world, including a three-season recreation trailer at B.C.'s Moyie Lake and two timeshare properties in the Caribbean. When they're not travelling, they spend most of their time hanging out in Airdrie, where they own a two-storey, 2,000-square-foot home that they share with their two kids – a 19-year-old daughter and a 22-year-old son. Always on the lookout for new investment opportunities, the couple couldn't resist exploring the options when they were introduced to Knightsbridge Homes' N3 condominium project. They were attracted to its East Village location – steps away from the downtown core and the LRT – and the car-free lifestyle. A Car2Go membership, furniture package from Ikea and a Biria urban bicycle sweetened the deal. In the end, the Bissonnettes purchased a 498-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bathroom condo on the 14th floor. CREB®Now: What attracted you to N3 and how did you find out about it?

Sue Bissonnette: We met the salesperson through our campsite out in Moyie and she knew that we were looking for an investment property. We went to check it out during the grand opening weekend two years ago. My immediate thought was "oh, these places are very small," but when I started to really look and move around, I realized that the floor plans made really good use of space.

Knightsbridge Homes' N3 condo project has no available parking - a first among Calgary condo developments.
Courtesy Calgary Municipal Land Corporation

I didn't find that the home was lacking anything. The kitchen is all on one side in an extra-wide hallway that leads to the living room. It has a ceramic stovetop, which looks great, and an apartment-style washer and dryer in a cupboard. And there is plenty of room for a moveable island.

I really liked all the amenities. If I were going to live there, I would love it – the rooftop fire pits, barbecues and gathering spaces.

CREB®Now: What inspired you to purchase a condo downtown?

Sue Bissonnette: Initially, we were looking for a condominium for our 19-year-old daughter who is living at home with us. But when we realized that she wasn't quite ready to move out and take on the financial responsibility, we didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to purchase at N3 because the price and location were really great. So, we fell into this as an investment property and are renting it out until our daughter is ready to move in a few years.

CREB®Now: What are your thoughts on the car-free condo lifestyle that N3 offers?

Sue Bissonnette: Originally, we thought "wow, that's a different concept." We have friends who live downtown with no car and they use transit for everything. If they need groceries, they just use Car2Go, and they love it.

At one point, we had our home up for sale in Airdrie and we were entertaining the idea of putting our stuff in storage and moving into the condo. But I would need more room. I could downsize everything in my home to fit except for my quilting room. I have a long-arm machine – it's a 12–foot machine – and there would be no room for it. But it is perfect for singles or young families. The second room is great for a child.