Buoyed by a seller’s real estate market, new home building is humming along in Southern Georgian Bay as buyers, primarily from the GTA, cash out of the hot city market and look for their perfect weekend or retirement retreat
story by Marc Huminilowycz ❧ illustration by Robert Carter
It is a fact that the majority of new home buyers in our region are from the Greater Toronto Area. Whether they are Boomers planning to retire here or young families looking for a weekend retreat amid our many recreational amenities, they are coming in droves for a laid-back lifestyle “far from the madding crowd” (without being too far), replete with fresh air and limitless diversions.
Over the years, some of our local real estate developers have experienced a roller coaster ride, trying to lure buyers by offering the right product at the right price point. Fortunately, the local development industry has survived and thrived, meeting the demands of the GTA’s varied buyer demographics. Today, the region’s developments offer a variety of new home options, ranging from 1,200-square-foot bungalow townhomes to luxurious 2,500-plus-square-foot single family homes.
On The Bay interviewed several local developers to get their insights into the current new home market in Southern Georgian Bay and learn about their new home offerings.
The Shipyards development in Collingwood, approved many years ago, is a purposefully-designed high-density development that has succeeded in appealing to buyers looking for maintenance-free living within walking distance to downtown shops, restaurants and amenities.
“Our goal has always been to create a sense of community here,” says director of sales Tara Parsons. “We appeal to the 50-plus market from outside Collingwood and the GTA – people who have owned many homes, done renos and want what they want. They are looking for quality, upscale finishes as standard, and efficient design with flexible space to accommodate their lifestyles.”
With 135 units currently occupied, The Shipyards will be launching 16 new bungalow towns this summer, which will feature brick and stone construction and 1,600 square feet of main floor space including a large great room, master bedroom and two bathrooms. Private double garages will be conveniently accessible from lanes in the rear of the buildings. The developer plans to offer the new towns for sale after breaking ground and beginning work on servicing and roads this summer. A model home will be available for viewing as soon as possible.
Elsewhere in Collingwood, other developers are building communities with higher densities and a mixed offering of home styles. Appealing primarily to downsizing retirees and “ski families” from the GTA, MacPherson Builders’ Blue Fairways development offers a collection of 83 townhomes ranging from 1,217 to 1,473 square feet. All of the developer’s bungalow towns are sold out, with 50 per cent of its two-storey towns still available for purchase.
MacPherson’s second development, Windrose Estates, is made up exclusively of large single-family homes on one- to two-acre lots. At press time, only 32 lots remained. Both developments are offering generous standard features and purchase incentives such as upgrade allowances, appliance/furniture vouchers and landscape packages.
The company’s interior designer, Michelle Pasquale, says developers in Southern Georgian Bay are reaping the benefits of a seller’s market, primarily due to lack of inventory in the resale home market, the increased energy efficiency of new construction, and the convenience of choosing desirable home features.
“I see increased demand in the future for the four-season lifestyle our developments have to offer,” says Pasquale. “They suit our target buyers perfectly – from young families looking for adventure to retired empty-nesters to professional couples desiring privacy, space and luxury.” As to the future of single-family homes, Pasquale predicts that demand will continue to be strong in the region.
Melinda Anley-Grams, sales manager at Grandview Homes, agrees with this view. “We’ve sold more single-family homes over 2,500 square feet in the past two years than we have in the past five years,” she declares. “I believe this is because buyers are getting a lot more for their dollar here than in the city.”
Situated at the south end of Collingwood, Grandview’s Mountaincroft development has had a successful run. With its phase 3 sold out, the developer is now marketing phase 4 – 60 lots with bungalow and raised bungalow homes featuring full brick or full wood siding construction, offering new standard features and buyer incentives.
“The market is crazy here!” Anley-Grams exclaims. “We have a huge waiting list of buyers – 187 people. Most are coming from the GTA, and our demographics include everybody: weekenders, Boomers, people looking to relocate or work from home, and people commuting to Barrie and even Toronto.”
Another new development in Collingwood is geared exclusively to people over 55 and exemplifies mixed-use residential development with a wide range of housing options in one location. Balmoral Village is the brainchild of Thomas Vincent, a successful entrepreneur in global corporate hospitality who was inspired to develop this community through a combination of family responsibilities and contacts in Ontario’s healthcare field.
When completed, this master-planned, graduated housing adult lifestyle community will include 96 residential homes, two five-storey condominium buildings, 45 seniors’ independent rental apartments, a 116-suite retirement home, an 8,000-square-foot recreation centre, and a commercial building which will include a medical centre, a pharmacy and perhaps a coffee shop. Royalton Homes, which owns half of the Balmoral property, will be developing all of the residential homes in the project: 46 semi-detached homes and 50 bungalow townhomes.
According to Royalton spokesperson Samer Chaaya, these homes will be built to the highest standards, appealing to retired empty-nesters from Southern Georgian Bay, the GTA and all over Southern Ontario. “On the outside, they will feature a front stone skirt, wood siding and a 40-year roof,” he says.
“Inside, all units will have main floor masters, cathedral ceilings in the great room, hardwood floors and granite countertops. Some will have flush-mounted fireplaces.” To accommodate for accessibility, Chaaya notes that all homes will include 34-inch-wide doors on the main floor and raised toilets in the bathrooms.
“Our semis will be priced from $349,990, and our towns from $299,990,” says Chaaya, adding that Royalton is hoping to open its sales office in Cranberry Mews and to have its semi-detached model home in construction by the beginning of April. The independent apartment building and retirement residence in the Balmoral Village project, to be developed by MTCO Holdings, is scheduled to begin construction this spring. The commercial building and condominium lands in the project have yet to be sold to a developer.
While there may be an increasing need for retirement homes and assisted living as our population ages, judging by the success of another local development near Craigleith, it appears that the demand for single-family homes will not subside anytime soon. Nipissing Ridge, a large tract of land owned by the Fleming family (whose famous ancestor Sir Sandford Fleming proposed worldwide standard time zones) is currently selling phase 3 – a collection of mountain view and ravine lots near the ski hills, a short walk from Georgian Bay.
The new community will feature 53 estate lots on tree-lined streets, with full services, down-light street lights, Escarpment views and trails connecting to Georgian Woodlands (the development’s first phase) and the Georgian Trail. Under a subdivision covenant, those who purchase the lots are required to build homes that are a minimum of 2,400 square feet in size.
Sales have been brisk, according to Barb Picot of Chestnut Park Real Estate, who along with her husband, Ron, is the sales representative for Nipissing Ridge. “There is nothing out there new that is available near the mountain,” she says. “In the first nine months, we sold 21 lots. We’ve had a great deal of interest from potential clients, agents and builders.” She notes Nipissing Ridge appeals to two categories of private buyers: young families who are ski club members looking to eventually retire here, and retirees from the GTA with extended families. The lots, ranging in price from $229,000 to $339,000, are also attracting buyers and builders looking to invest for re-sale, adds Picot.
Over by the mountain, strategically located near the ski slopes and Blue Mountain Village, Windfall Mountain Homes has successfully sold all 37 of its phase 1 single-family homes, which are now in the final stages. Windfall, with a total of six stages approved for development, is now selling phase 2 – a combination of semi-detached and single family homes on 56 residential lots, priced from “the high $300s to the mid $500s.”
Windfall president David Bunston agrees that the new home market in our region is becoming stronger. “Every five years or so, the amenity offerings of Collingwood and The Blue Mountains add a different layer to the market,” he says. “Our typical customers, aged 55 from the GTA, have a long history of coming here for recreation. They’re looking for a secondary home in a great ‘centre ice’ location, with a view to retiring here. We’re always trying to evolve and adapt to the marketplace with new designs.”
According to Bunston, a home does not necessarily have to be large to satisfy the needs of our region’s new home buyers, so long as it provides all the bells and whistles. “While Boomer customers are looking for main floor masters, they come here because of our broad-based four-season lifestyle, with something for every member of the family,” he says. “Collingwood and The Blue Mountains have done a great job linking our amenities with trails. Other places in Ontario just don’t measure up to what we offer.”
This beautiful and dynamic region that many of us call home continues to offer the very best quality of life. As local developers have shown, Southern Georgian Bay is poised for another growth spurt. Buoyed by a strong seller’s market, our region’s developers are strategically building a variety of home types that cater to the desires of a growing and increasingly diverse buyer demographic.
