New Homes
New Homes
Starting over on a floater
For more than 20 years, former Winnipegger Doug McClelland and Irish native Anthony Tucker lived on a floating home in Coal Harbour, B.C.
For them, it was the ultimate West Coast lifestyle, surrounded by water and boats, parks and mountains, yet intimate and friendly. "It's like living in a small town, just down the shore from the big city," says McClelland.
Then it all went sideways -- literally. On Christmas Day in 2008, while McClelland and Tucker were away on vacation, a blizzard in Vancouver dumped so much snow on the roof of the home it became unstable and tipped over onto a neighbouring sailboat.
A restoration firm their insurance company hired managed to rescue their computers and photo albums from the top floor, but the house and most of the contents were destroyed.
Last fall, a sleek new home built to replace it finally arrived in Coal Harbour. Constructed on land in a Richmond marina, it was lifted by an enormous boat hoist, lowered into the Fraser River and then towed by tugboat to Coal Harbour. The entire process has been filmed for the British documentary television series Monster Moves.
The first floating home built under the city's new design guidelines for marine and floating homes, "it has cost a fortune and taken forever," says McClelland. "Our architect, Russ Chernoff, got us through this."
Chernoff, a principal of Chernoff Thompson Architects who once lived on a boat, has designed numerous floating homes and has spoken on the topic internationally. The silver lining was that they were able to redesign and improve the house, says McClelland.
"We got to build in all those things that you accumulate in the back of your mind over 20 years living someplace."
The decks are more sculpted, the exterior is more elaborate, and there's an extra bathroom and a separate office. Instead of a ladder to the roof, there is now an indoor stairway. The gleaming new kitchen has white granite countertops, a counter-depth Blomberg fridge and Adel Ikea cabinets in a Shaker style to match the doors throughout the house.
All the furniture is new, from Dekora. As before, there are two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, with the kitchen, living and dining room downstairs. However, the kitchen is now on an inside wall, so the exterior walls can all be glass.
Decks on all three levels (off the living room, the master bedroom and on the roof) along with copious windows and skylights expand the 1,157-square-foot living space both visually and physically, as well as connecting it to its environment. Deck railings are glass, although the bottom deck is open to the water. Chernoff discovered decks less than two feet above the next surface down, in this case the water, do not need railings.
Other aspects of the design guidelines and building code were more challenging -- and expensive. Apart from size, height and stability considerations, they covered design details like the exterior colour, materials and nautical elements. Vinyl siding, although lightweight and water-resistant, is not a natural material, so the home is clad in cedar and aluminum, which resembles the corrugated steel used in boat sheds.
The guidelines required portholes, achieved here with conventional round windows, rather than the marine variety. Window placement was affected by what will be next to each side of the home, and a certain percentage of a house must be a fireproof wall, limiting the total amount of glass.
To increase the glass, the Shaker-style front doors were custom-made with special double-glazed windows reinforced with wire mesh at a cost of almost $4,000. Berth sizes have changed, so moorage will increase to almost $2,000 a month to accommodate a minimum four-foot distance between the house and neighbouring boats. The house is earthquake-proof and built with two-by-sixes instead of two-by-fours to accommodate more insulation.
"It's got pros in the long term," says McClelland. "It's a better house; it's more secure; it uses less energy." On the other hand, it is more costly. As a result, he and Tucker have reluctantly decided to sell the home instead of moving in, an outcome McClelland describes as bittersweet.
"It's sort of a dream project to build your own house from scratch and to have built this fabulous house," says McClelland. "We'd still be happily living in our more economical house if the catastrophe hadn't happened, but we always knew at some point we'd have to sell because once you retire, your life changes." Now that Tucker has retired from his job in psychiatric assessment at Children's Hospital, he and McClelland, who works at Marquis Wine Cellars, have more time to travel. "And it's not really good to leave the floating homes alone, as we found out before," says McClelland with a rueful laugh. The loan on the house and higher moorage fees would have stretched them financially, plus friends in real estate advised it's better to sell something new than used. "So then the decision was between live in it for a year and take the pleasure of that or make a better business decision," he says.
"In the end, we did the numbers and said, 'Let's go to Buenos Aires instead.'" They will miss Coal Harbour, which they have seen transformed from a rustic working marina to berth-place for yachts of the rich and famous.
When the area was redeveloped, they convinced city council to ensure Marathon Realty would accommodate the six pre-existing floating homes. "We were two kind of young guys when we started, and our life sort of gentrified over the same period," says McClelland. "We used to have a couple of motorcycles, and now we have a couple of BMWs. We kind of evolved with the neighbourhood." The new house will be right at home.
-- Postmedia News
SIDEBAR
Floating homes have deep history
Floating homes have a long history on the West Coast.
The first ones were log cabins on log floats built in the 1800s.
Locally, most are moored in marinas or on private properties along the Fraser River in Ladner, Richmond, New Westminster and Langley, says Sutton real estate agent Ricki Willing, who specializes in the sale of floating homes.
There are also 19 floating homes in North Vancouver's Mosquito Creek Marina, with plans for 16 more.
The City of Vancouver has just 12 legal floating homes on Granville Island and six in Coal Harbour.
Although floating homes can be moved, they rarely are; unlike houseboats, most do not have motors. Moorage fees in marinas start at about $700 a month, depending on the size of the float and the location; stratatitled water lots start at $250,000.
House sizes range from 400 to 3,000 square feet, with purchase prices from $50,000 to $1 million.
For more information on floating homes, visit floathomesales.com; www.floathomepacific.com; www.floatinghomes.com; www.floatinghomes. org; www.seattlefloatinghomes.org
-- Postmedia News
New Homes
Spring Parade of Homes features 36 builders
The 2012 Spring Parade of Homes officially opens at noon today, Saturday, March 3 and runs through Sunday, March 25. The Manitoba Home Builders' Association is proud to present 103 new homes on display for everyone to enjoy.
Show home hours are: Monday through Thursday from 3-8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from noon-6 p.m. Show homes are closed on Fridays except by prior appointment.
Sales staff are in each home, ready to explain the unique and special features of that home. Feel free to ask lots of questions about the various builders and suppliers. After all, MHBA new homebuilders pride themselves on building the best new homes in Canada.
Each visitor is sure to come away with new ideas and concepts to incorporate into their new home.
This year, 36 different builders are featuring the finest new homes in 24 separate subdivisions. Both single-family detached homes and condominiums are on display. In addition to Winnipeg, there will be show homes located in eight other cities and towns, thereby expanding and serving a larger audience. Quality, choice and affordability are all key components for each new home.
The Spring Parade of Homes has something for everyone. If you're looking for that first new home, this is your opportunity to see the widest variety at one time. If you're considering selling your existing home for more space, less space, more yard, less yard, newer amenities and a different design, everything you could possibly be looking for is featured at the Spring Parade of Homes.
If you're thinking of making some changes in your existing home, nowhere else will you see so many new and dynamic building styles and techniques as the Spring Parade of Homes. If you just want to see the best of the best and envision your dream home, this is the place to do it. Your new-home dream starts with the Spring Parade of Homes.
If you missed the Parade magazine in your Winnipeg Free Press home delivery, it is available online at www.winnipegfreepress.com or www.homebuilders.mb.ca
You can also pick up a copy at any Steinbach Credit Union.
Come early and come often to the Spring Parade of Homes.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
Spring is parading just around the corner
No, Punxsatawney Phil and Wiarton Willie didn't change their minds about their shadows, nor did a Chinook suddenly sweep across the Prairies, although our weather this winter has been nothing short of remarkable.
This is much bigger news. The Spring Parade of Homes starts on Saturday, March 3 and runs through Sunday, March 25. This annual display of the best new homes of the season is the surest sign that spring is just around the corner.
Tens of thousands of people will descend upon an assortment of neighbourhoods to see what's new this year; to learn about design and materials and to discover their new dream home. All of this begins to happen in just one week.
So, what does this year's Spring Parade of Homes have to offer? For starters, there will be 103 uniquely different new homes on display. That's 103 different designs, styles and tastes being presented.
When one considers that some of the larger Parades in other municipal centres of Canada max out at 30 homes, having 103 available here is truly astounding. Nowhere else in Canada is so much variety and selection on display.
These 103 homes can be found in 23 subdivisions. Therefore, not only can you look for the price and style of your new home, you can also investigate a wide variety of neighbourhoods in which to locate it. There is outstanding selection both within and outside the City of Winnipeg.
The discerning buyer can observe nearby amenities such as schools, shopping centres and recreational facilities, in addition to transportation routes associated with each location.
The Spring Parade of Homes is delighted to present show homes built by 35 distinctly unique builders. Each builder has brought their own special design, style and craft to each home. The best of the best is on display at this year's event.
It's no secret that Manitoba new homes are the best built and most energy efficient in Canada. Having such a vast selection on display makes this the perfect market for local consumers.
Look for the Spring Parade of Homes magazine in the March 3 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press and at any Steinbach Credit Union. After that date, it will also be accessible online at www.winnipegfreepress.com or www.homebuilders.mb.ca.
Don't miss the 2012 Spring Parade of Homes, your first true sign of spring.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
Let's all replace NIMBY with harmony
Early in the first act of the musical Avenue Q, the characters sing a song entitled Everyone's a Little Bit Racist that essentially states that no matter how honourable our intentions, we all harbour some form of preconceived prejudice that surfaces from time to time.
Playing on that theme, I would like to alter it a bit and state that I believe that "Everyone's a Little Bit NIMBY." NIMBY, as you know, stands for Not In My Back Yard and comes to the surface every time someone is building something new, changing the existing or considering something that we feel may affect us.
In Winnipeg, we have witnessed numerous examples of this recently with reaction to proposals for municipal golf courses, new housing developments, street expansions, community club restructuring and downtown development. We all want what's best for our city; just as long as it doesn't affect or inconvenience us.
We're elated that Winnipeg is projected to grow by 180,000 people over the next 20 years. The increased tax base, new schools, additional skilled labour and new consumers are all good news. The problem is that we can't agree on where to put all of these people; we just know that we don't want these changes to impact us, our lifestyle or our perceived needs.
We want some people to live downtown but recognize that existing infrastructure cannot accommodate too great an influx. We like the new condos and mixed use housing, but can't agree on the business/housing mix.
We have groups that speak out against urban sprawl but then speak out against converting existing under-utilized tax supported land into housing.
We agree that we have too many community clubs, curling clubs, ice rinks and golf courses, but don't want those we use targeted. Faster, cheaper and greener transportation is good; as long as it's not in our neighbourhood and doesn't inconvenience our drive to our routine stops.
I don't have all the answers. In fact, I admit to being just as NIMBY as the next person. That's why we have professionals and elected officials to look out for the welfare of the city.
With apologies to the Avenue Q lyricists, "Everyone's a little bit NIMBY; it's true. But everyone is just about as NIMBY as you! If we all could just admit that we are NIMBY a little bit, and everyone stopped being so PC; maybe we could live in -- Harmony!"
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
Code green
Changes to provincial building codes to improve energy efficiency mean other programs that currently exceed its standards -- such as Energy Star and R-2000 -- will now get much tougher, too.
The aim? Slash consumption and save on energy costs.
The greening of the housing industry has gone mainstream, with Manitoba and three other provinces now making it mandatory for all builders to wrap and insulate homes to toughened energy standards.
Starting on Jan. 1, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and British Columbia changed their respective building codes, requiring big and little contractors as well as custom, urban and suburban builders to up the insulation factor, install air-exchange fans and eliminate drafts by ensuring work crews carefully wrap all new homes in a tight vapour barrier.
The new guidelines virtually replicate levels under Energy Star, a highly successful voluntary program launched in 2004 by Natural Resources Canada that cut energy bills by 25 per cent compared to the building code that just expired at the end of 2011.
So what's next?
Now, Energy Star and the more stringent R-2000 program will get even tougher. Committees of federal and provincial officials and building-industry representatives are meeting to determine new guidelines that will be introduced by July and then phased in.
The new, deeper-green Energy Star program will produce homes that save homeowners 20 per cent more on energy, compared to the new 2012 building code, while the new and tougher R-2000 standards will deliver savings of 50 per cent. Officials will also revisit the revised Energy Star and R-2000 standards in 2014.
And work is being done to green the National Building Code, bringing it up to the new Ontario levels by next January.
In Canada, building standards can get confusing because provinces can either accept the national code or set their own standards.
"This is good news," said Howard Orr, the grandfather of R-2000 and the first energy-smart home in North America, the Saskatchewan Conservation Home in 1977.
"The best news is if every province and every builder in Canada would adopt these standards," added Orr, wryly noting that his push for higher building standards 35 years ago was labelled crazy by his superiors at the National Research Council.
An internal report by Orr with recommended building practices was not published for a number of years after that first home opened to rave reviews, and then it was only available as an internal document.
Why?
"It might have been the industry and the profit-margin philosophy," suggested the 80-year-old Orr. "We used to have a saying at the NRC that if there was a good idea, it would take 20 years to come to the mainstream market. This has taken 35 years. It's too long, but it's here and that is good."
-- Postmedia News
New Homes
After earning degree, mortgage can be next
If you have just graduated from university with student debts, the prospect of buying your own home may seem remote. Advisers suggest formulating a plan early on to help get on track to qualify for that mortgage.
"For new graduates, once they've got their job and regular income, they need to (pinpoint) what it is they want to buy," says John Nardi, a financial adviser with Edward Jones. "Have a budget in place. Don't get caught up in the emotion of buying a home," which can lead to overspending, he says.
"The last thing you want to be is mortgage poor -- you can't enjoy your life at all."
A mortgage professional can advise on what a lender will be looking for.
"There are three criteria that are really important when you come out of school: No. 1 is credit, No. 2 is employment and then there's the down payment," says Victor Peca, a broker with Mortgage Intelligence.
"At least a year of employment will make the lender see (you) have stability."
Student debt does not have to be all bad news.
"Having some student debt when you graduate isn't necessarily the worst thing," Nardi says. "Having the debt and paying it back on a regular basis, without missing payments, can actually help improve your credit rating."
Peca agrees the key is not whether you have a debt, but how you handle it that is of interest to mortgage lenders.
"The beacon score is really a blueprint of how someone spends. They have to make payments on their debts. It will reflect on their credit report," Peca says. "The lenders view this as the client's first chance to prove they are responsible and credit-worthy."
Nardi says every situation is different, but recent graduates should take tax and financial advice before switching their student loans from the government to a bank or other lender just to secure a lower interest rate.
If your credit score falls short of the rough threshold of 620 required to get a good mortgage deal, Peca says, maintaining payments will help increase the score.
"Do not listen to friends when they say, 'Hey, don't pay it off, it comes off your record in seven years,' " Peca says. Clients with high salaries but low credit scores can struggle to get a good mortgage deal. "(Your low credit score) proved to the bank that you don't like making payments."
Nardi says get rid of all but one of your credit cards. With too many cards, the lender will assume you are making use of all your available credit and will reduce the amount of mortgage lending accordingly. Nardi says try to keep the balance below 15 per cent of your credit limit. "That shows you are disciplined and you've got a strong commitment to paying it back."
If a mainstream lender tells you that you do not qualify at this time, Peca suggests working with a professional to improve your credit score and deposit, rather than get yourself into a situation you cannot afford.
-- Postmedia News
New Homes
March shaping up as ultimate home month
I know that we're only 11 days into February, but I'm already excited about March as it is going to be a terrific month for everything relating to the home. It's going to be so exciting and so busy, planning needs to start now in order to see it all.
From March 3-25, the Spring Parade of Homes returns for another tremendous showing. Although specific details do not get released until the start of Parade, rumour has it that there will be 104 new homes featured this year; an all-time record number.
The ever-popular Parade magazine will be out again and online at the Manitoba Home Builders Association and the Winnipeg Free Press. You will also be able to follow reviews of the various homes on live blogs and Facebook sites.
However, nothing can compare to seeing these fabulous homes in person.
So, get your runners ready and mark off the dates, because you will need the extra time in order to get to all of the spectacular show homes that Manitoba new home builders have to offer.
On Wednesday, March 7, the Winnipeg Realtors Association is hosting the third annual Gimme Shelter fundraiser at the Tijuana Yacht Club for the MREA Shelter Foundation. More information is available on both of their websites concerning donations and tickets to this great event.
Finally, on March 30, 31, and April 1, the 38th annual Home Expressions Home and Garden Show returns to the Winnipeg Convention Centre. Everything you want and need to know about your home can be found under one roof that weekend. By going to www.homeexpressions.ca, you are going to find the hours of operation and ticket information.
As it gets closer to show time, there will be lists of the various exhibitors and the special presentations. What is confirmed now is that the mega-popular Steven and Chris will be here that weekend. Their presentations are always informative, entertaining and sure to delight the audience. Keep an eye on the Home Expressions web site and this column for ticket information to ensure that you see Steven and Chris this year.
Finally, do you know what else is related to home this March? Our Winnipeg Jets have seven home games in their March to the playoffs. March is going to be the ultimate home month for so many reasons.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.