Family matters

Minerva and Glenn Kraushar plunged head first into homeownership in family-friendly Evanston

Eight years ago, Edmontonians Minerva and Glenn Kraushar tied the knot and then travelled south down the QEII to begin an exciting new adventure in Calgary. Glenn was beginning medical school at the University of Calgary and Minerva was finishing off her marketing degree. While in school, the couple bounced from rental home to rental home, their lives contingent upon the whims of landlords.

Two years ago, as Glenn was finishing his residency, yet another landlord informed them of a house sale, giving them six months notice. The couple, who at the time had a four-year-old son and another son on the way, decided enough was enough. It was time to take matters into their own hands and plunge into homeownership. They purchased a three-bedroom spec home by Jayman BUILT in the northwest community of Evanston. Now, almost two years later, this busy young family couldn't be happier.

CREB®Now: What was on your must-have list?

Minerva Kraushar: Both Glenn and I grew up in Edmonton in neighbourhoods where there were families and kids everywhere – my best friend lived across the street and today we still talk fairly frequently. We really wanted that kind of experience for our kids, so it was really important to be in a community with lots of young families. We were also looking for lots of green space and bigger yards.

CREB®Now: What makes your home stand out for you?

Courtesy Kelly Vincent Gibbons

Minerva Kraushar: As soon as we walked through the door, we were like, "this is the one." The lot is huge and it is on a corner, so we get so much light and can see the sunrise from two sides of the home. The home also had lots of room for the boys to play – an upstairs bonus room, which is now the Lego room, and an unfinished basement that is this wide-open space that they can run around in. And the kitchen is really beautiful. We are in there all the time, it has this giant island.

CREB®Now: What attracted you to Evanston?

Minerva Kraushar: My brother lives in Evanston, so that was a big draw. In fact, we ended up buying really close to him – he's only two minutes away. We looked at a few other areas, but it was really the feel of Evanston that we loved. We just knew that it was the place for us. The people seemed so friendly and open.

CREB®Now: Now that you are settled into your new home, how is it working for you and your family?

Minerva Kraushar: We are so happy here. We've built so many friendships. We don't ever want to leave. We love our neighbours. We just had a dinner party for 60 people and invited the whole block. It was so much fun.

The amenities in Evanston are awesome. The owners of all the local restaurants live in Evanston, so that is really cool, and they are all really active in the community. They want people to feel like it is their place, their local hang out.

Plus, we are a minute away from Stoney Trail, so access is great. We are always in the mountains, having a picnic or going on a hike or off to Calaway Park. We can get all over the city easily. And my husband is 15 minutes door-to-door from his office in Airdrie.