250-712-9664Testimonials
Marnee & Dan Barrette
KELOWNA DAILY COURIER – Residential Development
Advertorial – March 26, 2011
Sonoma Pines Buyer Determined to Downsize
When Dan and Marnee Barrette visited Sonoma Pines they were already living their retirement dreams. “We had moved into a 2700 square foot home in a gated community that overlooked Okanagan Lake. The neighbourhood was just close enough to a major arterial roadway that sitting on our expansive outdoor patio all you could hear was the sound of motorcycles and transport trucks,” recalls Dan.
“Now,” explains Marnee as she gestures her arm towards the view beyond the living room window of their Sonoma Pines home, “we hear the bells from Mission Hill.”
Even though they surrendered their panoramic view of the lake with their move, they are much happier with what they see everyday outside their oversized windows. “This is a living canvas,” says Marnee. “This spring we noticed a pair of hawks nesting on that tree right outside our dining room. We watched them raise their young, it was very exciting. In the twilight hours you can spot the shy coyotes slink out from the edge of the trees and even if you don’t catch a glimpse of them, you can hear them yipping in the distance.”
But it wasn’t just the traffic noise that drove the Barrettes from their dream home. “We thought living in a gated community would be a good start to retirement,” explains Marnee. “But, what we soon discovered is, we’re still too young to be doing that.” She smiles. “Here in Sonoma there’s such a lovely mix of age groups. There are no age restrictions like the gated communities. So simply taking our dog out for a walk is enjoyable because you run into such a diverse group of people who are friendly and lead interesting lives.”
STRESSFREE LIVING
After meeting with Harty Podewils, Sales Manager, it didn’t take the Barrettes long to choose the perfect home for them. “Harty was great,” Dan says. “He came and visited us in our gated community. He helped us choose the right floorplan for us.” The Barrettes chose the Tahoe style with the great room concept and the oversize windows. Dan still works from home and they both like having the walkout basement. With their grandkids visiting from Calgary and Vancouver it’s really convenient to have the extra space with the recreation room and the additional bathroom downstairs to comfortably fit everyone.
The Barrettes visited the construction site almost daily watching their new home take shape. “I was completely blown away by the professionalism of the construction crew,” says Marnee. “We’re from Alberta and we built a few homes during the boom times. I was so worried about things going haywire here but that definitely was not the case.”
Dan laughs, “I think from the evidence of the license plates in this community, a lot of the residents are from Alberta! But, seriously, we have experienced minimum deficiencies and we are so pleased and proud of this home. We wouldn’t change a thing.”
DOWNSIZE WITHOUT COMPROMISE
After carrying two mortgages for six months they finally sold their home in the gated community. “Our friends couldn’t believe we would go ahead and build a home before selling our first one,” Dan admits. “But it is so worth it to be in a home that you enjoy, near everything convenient like services and shopping. I play golf a couple days of week, my grandkids love visiting here, Marnee’s happy. We can park our motorhome overnight to pack it up for our trips, It’s low maintenance for me and it’s friendly for both of us.”
They stopped by the Sales Centre to tell Harty the good news. “We wanted to let him know we were finally back to a one mortgage, “Dan laughs, “a much smaller one too.”
FRESH NEW NEIGHBOURHOODS
Harty was thrilled at their news. “Buyers today are taking advantage of the market.” He explains. “When we launched phase seven we introduced 18 one-level townhomes in our community, a ‘fresh new neighbourhood’ is what we call it. We’ve only got four units left and they are ready for occupancy. This is an exceptional value from $319,900 for a two-bedroom street-level townhome with a garage facing the 14th fairway on Two Eagles Golf Course. I encourage anyone looking at purchasing a home to come and take a look at these last remaining units before they are all gone.”
LUXURY LAKEVIEW HOMES
The Barrettes’ Tahoe style home is featured in phase eight where there are four unique floorplans that range from 1200 – 1500 square feet on each floor with unfinished walkout basements priced from $369,900. It’s a perfect time to come and choose your lot, your floorplan, and your perfect view.
#1 in NEW HOME SALES IN THE OKANAGAN VALLEY
Harty sums up why Sonoma Pines continues to be the sales leader in new home sales in the Okanagan Valley. “The Barrettes are a perfect example of the 320 residents who live in this community. They are active people who want to simplify their lives without surrendering their quality of life.”
Dan and Marnee Barrette couldn’t agree more. “We love it here.”
Sales Centre Open Daily: Noon-5:00PM
www.sonompines.com
Jean and Dennis Wandler
Jean and Dennis Wandler’s first view of Sonoma Pines was in 2004. They were sitting on the patio of the golf course enjoying lunch on a perfect Okanagan summer day.
Jean recalls: “We were so impressed with what we saw that we visited the sales centre and picked up some information from salesman Harty Podewils.”
Then a couple of years ago their daughter, who lives in Kelowna, reminded them about Sonoma Pines.
“When we returned to the development we couldn’t believe how nice it was.” Dennis says. “It hadn’t aged a bit. Matter of fact, it was even better than before.”
“And Harty was still there.” Jean says with a smile. “He’s such a professional. There was no pressure with him, no surprises, he encouraged us to take our time and look at other developments.”
Wrapped around the fairways of Two Eagles Golf Course and overlooking the shores of Okanagan Lake, the colourful Sante Fe style development offers single family, multi-level, or innovative one-level townhome options for over 300 residents. Located minutes from the retail hub of West Kelowna and nearby to beaches, wineries, and parks, the development is a quiet oasis within a busy urban centre.
LARGER THAN CONDO LIVING
After living in a small condo in Peachland, relocating to a townhome in Sonoma Pines was an easy decision for both Dennis and Jean. “We wanted to be closer to family and to everything else,” explains Jean. “I work part-time at the mall and with the new bridge it takes me 12 minutes to get to work which is fantastic.”
“I wanted my garage back,” says Dennis. “Plus, quality is really important to me. And we are very pleased with the quality of construction here, it’s second-to-none.” Although they enjoyed living in phase four when phase six opened up they went back to the sales centre and had another conversation with Harty.
Now the sales manager at Sonoma Pines, Harty recommended a new floor plan to the Wandlers.
The Santa Rosa is expansive with 1,242 square feet on the main floor and the unfinished walkout basement plus it has a standard two car garage.
“We wanted a walk-out basement for the grandkids to have room to play in,” Jean explains. “Plus, the view here is incredible and we wanted to improve upon our view.”
Harty showed them a corner lot perched on the southeast slope overlooking both the fairway and the lake with Mission Hill Family Estate Winery towering on the hill above.
“We bought the lot last June and moved in this spring,” says Dennis. “We had only five items on our deficiency list, which is practically unheard of and they were all taken care of immediately.”
Sonoma‘s Newest Neighbourhood – A View to the Good Life
Harty stresses. “Phase six is now sold out, and phases seven and eight are experiencing strong sales. Now is a great opportunity to visit the site and select your view, personalize your interior colours, and start thinking about how you would like to finish your basement. These homes are the Okanagan’s best real estate value starting from $369,900.”
Phase eight offers four different home styles including the Wandler’s Santa Rosa floor plan. It is a popular choice for couples like the Wandlers who have children living nearby who come and bring the grand children for visits.
“Sonoma Pines is the perfect location for couples who still want to have space but not the hassle of maintenance,” admits Harty.
Dennis Wandler doesn’t argue with that.
“I knew when we drove in here six years later and the place still looked like new that my strata fees were being taken care of and wouldn’t be going up any time in the distant future. That means a lot too.”
One-level Townhomes – Apartment Size Living with Street Level Convenience
As successful as phase eight is for the home buyer looking for a bit of space, the apartment sized units that are defined as one-level townhomes in phase seven have practically sold themselves into extinction. Out of the original 18 townhomes available, only four remain.
“These are the perfect alternative for buyers looking at condo living,” explains Harty. “They are conveniently at street level and range from 1,100-1,235 square feet. Prices start from $309,900 -$319,900 with one or two-car garages.”
The show homes for phase seven were opened last spring and the foundations for the sold units are now poured while the streets are roughed in.
“Our newest neighbourhood looks fantastic,” declares Harty. “We are the No. 1 new home selling development in the Okanagan. We have sold over 80 homes in the past 18 months. Smart people are buying in this market. You just have to know where to look.”
Sales Centre open daily from noon to 5 p.m.
www.sonomapines.com
Jeff and Tanis Michaud
“More house for the money than we expected.”
Jeff Michaud
When Jeff and Tanis decided to build their first home on premium lakefront property close to Kelowna’s downtown they wanted to ensure that they hired an established builder. Commuting from his office in Alberta, Jeff knew he wouldn’t be available for day-to-day onsite construction challenges.
“We chose Rykon because of their established nature. The fact that they are a team brings better value; as you know you are getting qualified trades people. One of our biggest concerns was hiring trades that appear one minute than having them disappear to go tanning the next. With a reputable builder you know that the trades won’t burn their bridges with their own team and you know you’re getting quality instead of shopping around for the least expensive.”
The team approach was instrumental for Tanis also. “I was so nervous at the beginning,” she recalls. “I had no idea about the process of construction. But having the team meeting with everyone at the office and being able to review the budget and cross-reference it to the quote made everything so transparent. Plus, working with Billie, our project manager every step of the way made it so easy.”
“We are really grateful for this house,” says Jeff. “This is our first custom built home and it’s nice to make it ours.” The couple assumed complementary roles during the process that taught them a few things about themselves and each other.
“I learned that I would definitely do this again,” Tanis says. “Because I feel much more comfortable and confident with the steps and challenges of construction.”
Jeff learned the value of patience. “I would counsel people building for the first time not to rush it. Enjoy the process and don’t get stressed out,” he advises.
Tanis agrees. “We are so happy to be here. The house was done before schedule which exceeded our expectations. The people were so great to work with — Billie, James and Roy. The relaxed environment was also a pleasant surprise.”
“And the finished product is beyond what we expected too,” adds Jeff. “We would definitely build another home with Rykon.”
“Just not right away,” Tanis laughs. “We want to enjoy this one for a few years.”
Greg and Robyn McGill
2nd Custom Built Home — Wilden (Skylands) Kelowna, BC
“Rykon offers consistency whether it’s a $1Million home or $400,000; you get the same professional attention.”
Robyn McGill
Walking through the front door of the McGill’s beautifully designed and decorated home it’s quickly evident that a substantial amount of consideration was invested in every detail. The sweeping valley vistas from the oversize windows of the Great Room as you step from the front foyer are breathtaking. Robyn has experience at building custom homes and she’s very particular with what she wants.
“I like to know what to expect,” explains Robyn. “Rykon is very good at organizing the construction process.” She is referring to the ‘Home Steps Program’ where each phase of construction is documented in a client binder including contact information for important team members.
Since Greg travels frequently for work, Robyn took the lead in the construction process. “This is our second home with Rykon,” Greg admits. “We had such a good experience the first time and the team hasn’t changed much in the past four years, so it wasn’t really a big decision to build with them again.” Robyn likes their collaborative environment without attitude. “There was never any hesitation if I brought something I discovered at a home show or wanted a fixture from another supplier — it was never a problem.”
The couple waited four years for the lot to become available and once they knew they could build Robyn got busy finalizing house plans. “One of the surprises we’ve experienced since we moved in is how much we love living here,” says Greg.
“The proximity to nature is wonderful,” adds Robyn. “There are lots of trails to walk our dogs. And of course, the view is outstanding.”
Greg points out that Robyn had an additional window installed in the Great Room during the construction phase to capture even more of the vista. “This is where it’s great to be connected with the team,” he explains. “My advice to first time home builders is to do it right the first time. Expect delays and don’t panic. Don’t stress and don’t compromise. You’re going to live with the results of your decision for a long time.”
With her attention to every detail, Robyn readily admits she’s tough to satisfy yet she would definitely build with Rykon again. “The people, the quality, and the experience are what impresses me and keeps me coming back.”
