Last week saw the Province of BC announce new HST Transition Rules. These rules are very positive for new home buyers.

The Government has announced new relief measures that will benefit purchasers of new homes. The B.C. new housing rebate threshold will be increased to $850,000, meaning more than 90 per cent of newly built homes will now be eligible for a provincial HST rebate of up to $42,500. In addition, purchasers of new secondary vacation or recreational homes outside the Greater Vancouver and Capital regional districts priced up to $850,000 will now be eligible to claim a provincial grant of up to $42,500 effective April 1, 2012.

Both of these are welcome improvements to the taxation of new housing. If you are in the market for a new home in Kelowna, 2012 is an even better time to buy!

Email us at sales@southwindatsarsons.com or call us at 250.764.4444 to schedule your private tour, we look forward to meeting you.

We wanted what every project wanted – catchy headlines, sharp advertising, a great sales crew and an abundance of new homeowners. We wanted to achieve these objectives, but did not want to replicate the overused advertising style from back in the pre-2008 real estate boom. We did not want flashy smiles of people playing in a park; we wanted to “sell the truth”. This means just what it sounds like; tell the world why we are offering what we are offering, and why it is in their interest to be part of this community. In our case, we wanted to sell the balance of the homes built back in the boom in order to progress onto our next projects.

The approach has worked. Since April, we have helped 19 couples find a good new fit for a home. With nearly one new homeowner each week, these savvy buyers took advantage of the benefits that Southwind could offer them.

Those benefits are numerous. For one, interest rates continue to be at all time lows. Pricing for new homes is the best it’s been in nearly half a decade, but the quality of construction and finishes are still premium. These advantages combined with the onsite amenities and the great location makes Southwind at Sarsons a quality community. Walking distance to the beach, groceries and shops without a long or congested commute downtown, and no neighboring highways, Southwind’s location benefits everyone.

This may lead you to think that the homes remaining may be priced too high, or are the least favorable. This isn’t the case. We have several variations of 2 bedroom plus den homes remaining, one last townhome and a few vaulted penthouses left. The size of our remaining homes range from 1245 to over 2200 square feet, fitting the needs of all family types.

We’re grateful for all of these great new homeowners in 2010 and 2011, and they can’t be wrong. If you have considered downsizing without moving to an urban or highway oriented location, you need to come visit Southwind. If you have ever thought that taking advantage of this market to downsize represents a once in a lifetime opportunity – you’re right – and you need to come visit Southwind.

Let us help you find the best fit for your next home at Southwind. We are open 7 days a week, 11:00 am through 5:00 pm and are happy to take appointments that fit your schedule. Conveniently located at 4388 Lakeshore Road, in the Lower Mission. Call us at 250.764.4444, visit our website at www.SouthwindAtSarsons.com or drop by. We’re excited to meet you!

When you leave us a message or post, please leave the best method to get back to you. Alternatively you can also send us an email at sales@southwindatsarsons.com Your posts are private, so if you can leave us an email address or phone number, we will be sure to contact you!

Our sale studio is open 7 days per week, 11am through 5pm. We also welcome appointments at your convenience out of those times. Our sales studio is located at 4388 Lakeshore Road, and our phone number is 250-764-4444.

Thanks!

In 2008 as the market was heating and growing significantly, customer’s began to demand higher standards in much of Kelowna’s real estate. While this was initially driven by the out-of-town purchaser, Kelownians too became accustomed to a higher level of finishing and amenities with their new homes. Developers responded to these demands by building ever-increasing quality into their homes and condos. Enter Southwind.

Our construction of the second phase began in 2008, right at the height of the market. We designed and built Southwind to the market demanded, high-end specifications. These specifications include standards throughout such as hardwood flooring, solid granite kitchens, full tiled bathrooms, oversized custom commercial windows, and Kohler bathroom and kitchen fixtures throughout.

Now as the market has changed, prices have adjusted, and developers are bringing more affordable offerings to the market. This is great, but what is even better is what Southwind has. Southwind has all of the old-market luxury, with this new market pricing. The best of both worlds, in all of the 18 remaining homes.

Take a peek at some of this luxury in our photo gallery – or even better, visit our friendly Sotheby’s sales team at Southwind. Give them a shout at 250-764-4444 or stop by at 4388 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna BC.

Classic one: location. With real estate its location, location, location, right? While location is key, consider what you personally need out of your location. What is a priority for you – beaches? Shopping? Conveniences? Maybe close proximity office space.

Consider what you do with your past time. Is the home you are moving to a good fit? If you are a bicyclist, is there ample opportunity for you to use your road bike? If you have a dog, are there good locations such as a dog park, or walking areas? Is the home located in an appropriate area to recreate, or is it alongside a highway.

How about the neighborhood. If you have children, are there schools nearby? What about if you dont have children, and want a quieter more mature atmosphere? Again, ensure the fit is right.

At Southwind, and for that matter when we site any of our projects, these items are a key consideration. The interior finishes can be replicated anywhere at any community; locational and other community cultural aspects cannot.

Come visit our community and learn about Sarsons Beach, the Heritage behind the community site, and the great neighbourhood the Southwind community is part of. We look forward to meeting you and introducing you to these irreplacable features that you can call home.

Give us a call at 250.764.4444 or stop by the studio. We’re open 7 days a week, from 11 am through 5pm at 4388 Lakeshore Road.

Did you know…

That the community at Southwind is starting to have socials, with a BBQ party planned for this summer.

That a wide range of homeowners live at Southwind, ranging from young professionals, young families, empty nesters, out of town vacation-owners, and retirees.

That Sarsons Beach, a public beach, is only a 5 minute walk down Sarsons Road from Southwind.

That there are a dozen wineries and several golf courses within a 5 to 10 minute drive from Southwind.

There is a botique commercial centre, just 10 minutes walking or 2 minutes driving from Southwind, where you can grab a coffee, your groceries, and a bottle of Okanagan Wine!

There is a great indoor pool facility with glass garage doors that open to outside – giving it an outdoor like pool area, great for tanning in the summer!

That Southwind is the homesite of the famous Bob Dow-Reid, the designer of the famous Kelowna Sails and Dolphins of downtown. Those pieces of art were designed and constructed on the Southwind site.

That there is ample bike storage, in addition to your personal storage, for those outdoor enthusiasts.

That there are only 18 suites remaining – 15 have sold in the past three months - but a good variety remains. Visit soon! www.SouthwindatSarsons.com or 250-764-4444.

It all started when we we’re looking at our customer’s questions about the current market. While it was widely agreed that the market is stable, if not improving, we found that there remained concern that prices may still fluctuate. Enter the price guarantee idea.

Your price guarantee creates a stable market at Southwind by guaranteeing that if prices drop further in 2011, you will recieve a refund of the difference. The fine print: your guarantee only covers developer owned suites, not resales from past years. We can’t control the situation of a one off sale, but we can guarantee that you won’t get a better price on our last 20 suites at Southwind. There remains a good cross section of selection, ranging from an 848 square foot one bedroom + den, various two bedroom configurations, and right up to a 2263 square foot penthouse with sweeping lake and mountain views. Great way to get into the Okanagan market while its on the recovery – and protect the downside.

Our sales team has found that this is helping to eliminate last few home-looker’s market concerns. We have sold an additional 20% of the suites this year so far, and expect the balance to be occupied by excited homeowners over the next few months. Oh, and to add some icing to the cake, you get a pretty guarantee certificate, too!

Call or stop by the sales studio for a home tour and for more information on the price guarantee. Call 250.764.4444 or email Michel or Todd at sales@southwindatsarsons.com. We hope to hear from you, and in the mean time, check out some of these new photos from the site!

I see this as a positive movement. Braun Allison (BA) refers to this type of marketing as marketing journalism. So, if you are surprised to hear our current slogans at Southwind – this is why.

We do in fact want you to move in, so that we can move on to start our new project. We are in fact guaranteeing our current prices, so that our new purchasers can see how confident we are in the long term value of the Okanagan market.

Come by our sales studio – were open every day of the week – so that we can show you the real value that can be found right now at Kelowna’s most exclusive homes at Southwind at Sarsons. Call or email us: 250.763.4444 or sales@southwindatsarsons.com.

Aside from corporate pride in winning awards, there actually are benefits that can be illustrated through different award categories. Our team at Southwind at Sarsons in Kelowna has been fortunate enough to take home seven gold Tommie Awards and over ten Silver Tommie Awards. Tommie awards are presented annually to recognize excellent in the development and construction industry by Canadian Home Builders Association. Just a few of the gold awards we won are below, but more importantly are the advantages to you, our customers.

Excellence in Multifamily: This category compares the overall project layout, amenities, and quality. The advantage to owning a home with this award is that you can be sure you are not missing out on the quality of leading edge planning, architecture and design. All elements which help differentiate your home in Southwind from the many other plain-Jane communities out there.

Excellence in Interior Design: This category critiques what it says – interior design. Not only are the suite interiors luxurious in comparison to other more standard homes in Kelowna, but so are the common areas and amenities. You’re in good company when comparing the level of interior finishes at Southwind.

Multifamily home builder of the year: This award was awarded to G Group Developments and Sawchuk. This is the team that developed and construction Southwind at Sarsons. Both companies have been active in the development and construction industries for decades in Kelowna – we know the ‘ins and outs’ if you will. This can bring you confidence that we stand behind our Traveler’s 2, 5 and 10 year warranties, that we build quality into all of our projects, and that we are here to stay.

Come visit our new sales team at Southwind. Our studio is at 4388 Lakeshore Road, we’re open 7 days a week, and can be reached at 250.764.4444 for questions or private appointments. We’re excited to meet you!