Michael Sasges
Sun
CREDIT: Peter Battistoni, Vancouver Sun Palatial homes (above, and below) in Burnaby off Government Street, across from Charles Rummel Park, are the products of one man’s determination.
CREDIT: Peter Battistoni, Vancouver Sun Palatial homes (above, and below) in Burnaby off Government Street, across from Charles Rummel Park, are the products of one man’s determination.
CREDIT: Peter Battistoni, Vancouver Sun Ensuite bathroom of palatial home in Burnaby shows great attention to detail.
Yes, the Winsford Court homes are big and expensive, absolutely and relatively. But what makes these seven news and not the 30 or so other manorial Burnaby homes on MLS listed for between $1 million and $2 million?
Their possible/probable singularity is one answer. Their expression of one man’s determination over 10 years is another.
In his 20 years in the real estate business, agent Preston Fisk reports, Winsford Court is “the first large lot . . . cul-de-sac I have seen off Government Street.”
”Most lots are infill in established areas, which is to say, if you build in these areas, whether in Burnaby or Vancouver, you may have an older or dated home beside you. These lots have a building scheme attached, which ensures consistency in the homes.”
Fisk started pursuing what would become Winsford Court 10 years ago. ”I first became involved with the property in 1995, when I brought an offer from another buyer for the three lots, in order to put together a subdivision.”
That assembly went nowhere because one of the owners did not want her two properties divided and sold them to another buyer. That buyer wanted to build a ”a large estate home,” but never did.
His next attempts at creating the subdivision occurred in ’97, ’98 and ’99, but went nowhere mostly because of price disagreements.
”In 2003 the planets aligned, and I brought an offer from Noort Homes for the three lots, which were all finally accepted in multiple offers.
”I have always thought of this area as the ‘sweet spot’ of Government Road and always believed, as did Noort Homes, in the subdivision potential.”
The developer, Noort Homes, has been developing and building residential and commercial properties for more than 40 years in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
Its Winsford Court homes are two-storey residences with full basement, four bedrooms up. Inclusion of ”miles of granite,” a commercial range, two pantries, a kitchen, a nook and a dining room in the one home currently listed on MLS suggests these homes might appeal to a big family with big appetites.
”Over the years I have met many people who have purchased a townhome or a single-family-detached home from Noort Homes, and when they are in the position to upgrade, they seek out Noort to build them a new home or to purchase a completed property, as they were so happy with their first homes,” Fisk reports.
Outside the homes, he says, educational and recreational, including shopping, opportunities abound.
”My favourite thing about the neighbourhood is that you can run an unbroken 11 kilometres around Burnaby Lake,” Fisk says.
”This trail is great for bird watching or just enjoying a gorgeous wilderness setting. You are minutes away from the Burnaby Lake Equestrian Centre which I have ridden at for years. . . . SFU is no more than 10 minutes away. Skytrain is within walking distance.”
About homes that start at 5,200 square feet of living space, Fisk comments:
”Homes on 33 [foot] by 120 [foot] lots can only be 2,400 square feet. Most of the lots on Vancouver‘s eastside, and many on the city’s westside, are this size.
”Homes on 50 by 120 lots can only be 3,600 square feet. Most new single-family-detached homes are built on lots in this range. Homes on 60 by 120 lots can only be around 4,300 square feet to a maximum of 4,700 square feet. So homes in the 5,000-plus-square-foot range on a cul-de-sac that have beautiful homes surrounding them are unique.”
© The Vancouver Sun 2005