Dear Friends,
On November 11, we take time to remember our dreams and those who died fighting to protect them. It’s a day when we think about those who have fought, and continue to fight, for our country. In Edmonton, there are quite a few events to choose from. I encourage you to attend, if you want to remember what it takes to win, how tough the battles and the losses can be… and what we’re prepared to do to protect our country, our values and our freedom.
Everyone has dreams, although the day-to-day world can get in the way, sometimes! Yes, the journey is what’s important but it’s good to remind ourselves of exotic and exciting destinations that beckon. With that theme in mind – the prize within the dream -- we’re happy to introduce a new feature, the Luxury Property Report.
We take you inside some of the most extravagant properties on the planet for a look at their features as we enter a new decade of real estate, the (Roaring?) 2020s. The Luxury Property Report begins with a global perspective and then zeroes in on the Edmonton marketplace to identify premium realty, high-end neighbourhoods and pricing considerations if you’re chasing the dream.
As usual, in this newsletter, we’ve got the stats and the inspiration to help in your search for the perfect home, whatever your current price range.
And as always, if you, your friends or family are looking to buy or sell real estate, please keep me in mind.
Edmonton Real Estate Market Update
Rememberance Day - They went to battle to win
– Veterans Affairs Canada
More than 2.3 million Canadians have served our country in World War I (1914 to 1918), World War II (1939 to 1845), the Korean War (1950 to 1953) and other wars and conflicts.
More than 118,000 Canadians have died serving Canada and helping to protect the values of our country and the free world.
Please visit the Veterans Affairs Canada website at veterans.gc.ca for an educational backgrounder on Remembrance Day. It includes the following statement:
“The Canadians who went off to war in distant lands went in the belief that the values and beliefs enjoyed by Canadians were being threatened. They truly believed that "without freedom there can be no ensuring peace and without peace no enduring freedom."
Luxury Property Update - Edmonton Edition
When you think luxury property, what comes to mind?
Are we talking mega mansion with panoramic views and rooftop patio with helicopter pad?
How about a sprawling home gym that more closely resembles a private superspa? What’s that? A superspa usually takes up an entire floor and can come complete with your own team of personal trainers and a movable climbing wall. It features every type of exercise equipment plus wet, dry and infrared saunas, lap pools, massage rooms and meditation gardens. Everything in a superspa is run by smart technology.
Luxury homes with features like this are real. They’re sometimes sold with on-call staff to help run them and these days the list of features is limited only by our imaginations. Luxury homes around the world now run into the hundreds of millions of dollars and often come “fully loaded” with the following:
- IMAX home theatres
- Superspa home gyms
- Fleets of supercars and other premium vehicles
- Showroom-style, glass-walled, multi-level, multi-car garages
- Indoor/outdoor infinity pools with waterfalls and waterslides
- Boutique-style walk-in closets that double as fashion party venues
- Every type of specialty bar (from Irish Pub to Health Bar)
- Park-like landscaping with high-end outdoor sound systems and lighting
- Outdoor kitchens (with seasonal covers) featuring world class grilling equipment
- Pool halls with arcades and DJ booths
- State-of-the-art smart home operating and security systems
- Top-of-the-line weather-proof doors and windows with adjustable tints
- Elevators with panoramic views
Luxury real estate is about making – or borrowing – enough cash to surround yourself in a high style, spare-no-expense new construction (or renovation) that is the absolute expression of what you love most in this world: Architecture, automobiles, sports, fashion, interior design, art, entertainment… you name it!
In Edmonton, luxury real estate often means historical as well as modern mansions on expansive properties with views of the downtown city skyline, the North Saskatchewan River or the river valley’s parkland, which, stretching for 25 km is the longest area of connected parks in North America.
The luxury category here (depending on who you ask, of course) starts at approximately $1 Million. Some of the highest-priced real estate to be found in Edmonton is in the neighbourhoods of Westridge (average active listing price of $3,650,000); Wedgewood Heights ($3,465,580); Brander Gardens ($3,429,333); Richford ($3,250,000) and Windsor Park ($2,301,273).
One of the properties in the luxury price range that’s currently on the market is an $8.5 Million property described in its listing as a “classic English brick Manor” on a .79 acre ravine lot in Westbrook Estates. It’s 19,500 square feet (14,025 above grade; 5,478 walk-out basement), custom-designed and surrounded by nature. It features an indoor pool and hot tub, chef-inspired kitchen, formal living, dining and family room, butler's pantry, crown mouldings, imported tiles, an exceptional upper floor master retreat, large additional “luxury suite” bedrooms, an elevator, media room, fully equipped bar, rec room, wine room, upgraded mechanical and security systems.
Also popular in Edmonton at the moment, as far as luxury features go:
- Soaring ceilings and state-of-the-art skylights
- Beautiful, open (and sometimes flexible) floorplans
- Massive, high-end windows with stunning views and smart tint control
- All architectural styles
- The finest materials, such as (Italian) Carrara marble
- Environmentally-conscious monitoring systems
Here’s a sample luxury mortgage calculation for your monthly payment:
