Detached homes in Victoria Highlands are popular both with young families and people who are looking to retire.
VICTORIA HIGHLANDS
LOCATION Mount Albert, Ont.
BUILDER/DEVELOPER Averton Homes
SIZE 1,798 to 4,391 square feet
PRICE Mid-$400,000s to more than $800,000
SALES CENTRE 19103 Highway 48 and Mount Albert Road. Open Monday to Thursday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday by appointment; weekends and holidays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
CONTACT Phone 416-924-0110 or visit victoriahighlands.com
After more than a decade of marketing a master-planned community in the town of East Gwillimbury, Averton Homes is still luring buyers seeking affordable, modern homes in a rural setting within a 30-minute drive of major urban centres.
Detached homes at Victoria Highlands in Mount Albert will start from the mid-$400,000s.
"The beauty of the site is that it's surrounded by greenbelt and moraine, so there's not a lot of new developments that are going to be brought into the area," says Peter D'Ambrosio, president of Averton Homes, which unites Ontario's Beaverbook Homes and Alberta's Westbrook Homes.
"So it's got a country feel, but you're very close to all the amenities and conveniently located to the highway and access to GO stations so you can connect with the city."
This new release of 280 homes will be located at Ninth Line and King Street East, just east of the north end of Highway 404, allowing residents to commute to Newmarket and Markham within 10 and 20 minutes respectively.
However, visitors will find the small town supports many local attractions, such as shops, schools, a library, community centre and parks like Millennium Garden, as well as annual events, such as the Santa Claus Parade, and Sports Day and Spring Fair.
"It's been extremely popular with young families and people that have been in the area looking to retire there," Mr. D'Ambrosio added.
About 470 purchasers now occupy homes in three previous phases of Averton's low-rise community, which will grow to house 820 residences surrounded by tree-lined streets and spacious backyards.
"The lots are traditional lots, not what you see on the market today with depths of under 100 feet," Mr. D'Ambrosio states. "We actually have traditional lots that go anywhere from 33 feet in width up to 65 feet in width, and depths go anywhere from 105 [-foot] depths to almost 300 in depth."
A sense of grandeur will also be created within models of this phase with a wide range of bungalows and two-storey residences with double and triple garages.
"They're stone and brick elevations, which is a bit more upscale than previous phases, and we've incorporated similar designs, but tweaked them to be more modern," Mr. D'Ambrosio said. "There are a lot of open-concept designs with flow between rooms, which is certainly very appealing to purchasers."
For instance, plans will offer contemporary, eat-in kitchens and open family rooms, including some with double-height ceilings, as well as dens, living and dining rooms in some cases.
Carrying out daily chores and routines will be easier with ensuite bathrooms and laundry facilities on the main or upper levels.
As a bonus to buyers, each home will be built to Energy Star standards with high-efficiency furnaces, water-conserving fixtures and environmentally friendly materials.
Purchasers at Victoria Highlands can move in next spring, 2014.