Showhomes Cochrane

Calgary Herald Fireside Special Feature

Janssen Homes Fireside Available Homes Special Offers Cochrane

These days, home and community mean everything. They are our safe harbour and shelter from the storm. La Vita Land, the developer of Fireside of Cochrane, strives every day to deepen the connection between home and community and to deepen this connection with its residents.

The Fireside neighbourhood, on the west side of Hwy. 22, has been under development since 2010. La Vita Land has ensured Fireside has every amenity that new home buyers want in a community, and more. This includes everything from preserved natural spaces, walking trails and views, to a school, shopping and playgrounds. It also features a variety of home types, including townhomes for first-time buyers and move-up homes on larger amenity lots.

Phase 6 of Fireside, which was released in 2018, marked the first release of estate-sized lots in the community. At widths of 38 feet to 44 feet, the lots are wide enough for two-storey front-drive homes with double- or triple-car garages, as well as bungalows with double-attached garages. Two pie-shaped lots, adjacent to a brand new park and preserved wetland, are among the available homesites in this phase.

Pam Goldfeldt, marketing manager for La Vita Land, says the size and location of the lots in Phase 6 is unique.

“We won’t have homesites like this again for quite a few years in Fireside. This is an opportunity for a buyer to move up to a larger home on a much larger lot,” she explains.

The builder group in Fireside consists of Calbridge Homes, Janssen Homes and NuVista Homes, which are building home styles in all price points.

Fireside has a variety of home types available, including single-family, front-drive homes. SUPPLIED

All three builders in the community have front-drive floor plans, specifically for the distinctive lots in Phase 6 starting in the low $500,000s — a price point that compares favourably with a similar house and lot in the city.

While larger homesites are available in Phase 6, there are many prime options for street towns, duplexes, laned and move-up homes in Fireside, with prices starting in the low $300,000s.

Calbridge’s Vantage townhomes in Fireside have bungalow and two- and three-storey units priced from the $190,000s.

Clearbrook Meadows of Fireside offers bungalow villas by Calbridge Homes. This exclusive 28-home enclave offers a low-maintenance lifestyle, perfect for downsizers, and start in the mid-$400,000s.

“Interest rates are virtually at a record low, creating a fantastic opportunity to get into a new home,” Goldfeldt says. “Whether someone is upsizing or downsizing, there is a great variety of product and prices to truly suit anybody.”

As getting out to walk is vital in these times of physical distancing, Fireside’s 13 hectares (32 acres) of parks and pathways make it easy to find the space you need to enjoy the outdoors. As well, a new park with community garden plots, where residents can grow their own food, is scheduled to open this summer.

Fireside School, a K-8 public facility, is within walking distance of every residence and a high school is located in the next community over. The local commercial plaza, The Embers, has a new pub, pizza restaurant and café, a gas station and select services for residents.

Vibrant downtown Cochrane is just down the hill from Fireside with local shopping, a community health centre and town services.

As the builder group in Fireside promotes its products online or works with new home buyers on a personal, one-on-one basis, La Vita Land ambitiously plans for the future of Fireside.

“We will have new show homes this fall, being built as we speak. It’s full steam ahead and we’re excited to watch them take shape,” says Goldfeldt.

Visit firesidecochrane.com for more information.

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of La Vita Land.

Fewer Homes On The Market Could Mean Bargains For Covid-19 Buyers

Janssen Homes Cochrane Discounts

Fewer homes on the market could mean bargains for buyers still on the hunt during COVID-19

Real estate market has slowed to a halt, leaving buyer's market during COVID-19 pandemic.

Buying or selling a home in Alberta is becoming increasingly challenging. Some Alberta realtors are seeing sales plummet due to social distancing measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, just when the spring market is normally heating up.

"My phone isn't ringing as much and there's really no showings," said Brad Van De Walle, a Calgary-based realtor who has been in the business for more than a decade. "Realtors that I'm talking to are in tears because they don't know what they're going to do." Some clients are taking their homes off the market.

"Even with social distancing, we found a lot of people don't want their homes to be shown over fear the virus might come in their home," he said. Some realtors are turning to video conferencing or FaceTime calls to take clients inside a home, or only taking clients to vacant properties.

In the midst of the current slowdown, some people still need to sell quickly — and that could be good news for stable-income buyers. Calgary-based mortgage broker Josh Tagg said there are many factors to take into account such as unpredictable interest rates and the day-to-day uncertainty that comes with the pandemic.

"We will likely see a downward movement in prices, and we'll see sellers who really, really need to get out," Tagg said. "As a buyer, you'd have a stronger negotiating position." With open houses now banned, most listings are being marketed online, said realtor Steve Kabachia.

"We're definitely seeing higher traffic for people browsing online," Kabachia said. "The number of people saying they're ready to buy is down a bit, but those that are ready to buy, they're really committed."

Kabachia said the increased online traffic means that for sellers, it's more important than ever to make sure a listing is well presented with staging and photos. "We're seeing how important it is to have good quality photos," Kabachia said. "Making sure that people who are looking online can see how the space works, the dimensions of the room, and how the space can be used."

Van De Walle said the next 60 days will significantly impact the future of the market. "The benefit of doing it now, is because people are fearful," he said. "Like, look at the stock market. The reason why the stock market went down is because everybody went and pulled out their money. So, if people are sitting here and they have to sell their house and they're worried about not being able to afford it, you might be able to catch somebody and you might be able to catch a good deal right now."

Here at Janssen Homes we’ve got multiple special Builder’s Offers and Discounts on our available homes and upcoming builds. Contact us today to find out more about our special offers and promotions.

Buying A Home During The Coronavirus Pandemic

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From virtual showings to online notaries, the homebuying process is finally going digital

Coronavirus might be forcing the long-predicted digital revolution in the real estate transaction

Boston-area realtor Melony Swasey was in the process of closing on a home when the spread of COVID-19 forced state courts to close without notice. Court buildings hold many registries and deeds needed to record the sale of a house.

“We weren’t sure as of first thing in the morning whether we were going to be able to complete the closing,” she said. “We were able to record the closing electronically because our attorney has that technology. The state was allowing limited electronic recordings yesterday so ours got through.”

Situations like this are playing out all over North America. Canadian real estate professionals are having to find innovative ways to finish transactions that were already underway and create a path forward for future sales.

Some consider the traditional real estate transaction to be an antiqued process that relies on redundant paperwork and in-person meetings for things like notarizing paperwork, appraisal, inspection, and final walkthroughs. None of those elements allow for easy social distancing.

Fortunately for the real estate industry and future home buyers, digital technology can solve these problems. The industry has been slow to adopt these technologies, relying on dated traditional methods, but COVID-19 has turned digital technologies from a novelty into a necessity, and it could end up being what finally forces the real estate industry into the digital age.

“We’ve been working on a lot of these technologies and integrating them into our business [prior to the pandemic],” says Ben Nicholson, chief operating officer of homebuilder Janssen Homes. “We always felt like this was where the industry was going long term. I think this situation has just created a catalyst to move forward even more aggressively.”

Virtual 3D home tours have become a staple of home shopping since the outbreak of the pandemic. Zillow allows sellers, agents, landlords, and property managers to create 3D home tours using a panoramic photo taken on a smart phone. The company reported a near doubling of the number of 3D tours created in the week after the pandemic took hold, and a one-day jump of 326 percent on March 20.

Janssen Homes has digital tools for people buying a custom home. Customers can design their homes and preview existing homes using a digital tools, look at a map of where their house falls in a community, and watch videos of the construction site as the build progresses.

As well agents that work with Janssen Homes are doing initial showings over video chat services like FaceTime or Zoom, and in-person visits by appointment are still available for all showrooms with additional cleaning precautions and one to one tours.

We’ve got lots of digital options available for both home buyers on available homes and building your next dream home. Contact us today and we can discuss the digital tools and options available via conference call or Zoom video call.

Showhomes By Private Appointment Only

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In light of the current global situation our showhomes and our current available homes are now open by private appointment only. Our representatives are standing by and would love to help you book a private appointment to learn more about our offerings and building best practices.

To find out more about our floorplans and current home listings call (403) 614-6704 or click here to contact us, our representatives are more than happy to video conference or book a call.

How to Declutter Your Bathroom to Get a Spa Look

Getting rid of extra supplies and toiletries is the first step in making your bath a more relaxing space,

One of my favourite pastimes is looking through photos and tagging ones that resemble my dream bathroom. A bathroom is a place to refresh and relax, so my ideal bath would look and feel like a spa.

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Of course, these photos don’t display the cleaning supplies and big-box-store-size toilet paper packs that are the unglamorous but realistic parts of daily living. But even with these necessities, it’s possible to create a space that is both efficient for your morning routine and rejuvenating after you’ve had a long, tiring day. The first step is decluttering your bathroom to remove excess items. Here’s how to do it. Bathrooms are usually multipurpose storage centres of toiletries, linens, cleaning supplies and medicines. To declutter, I recommend separating everything into categories (also sub-categories if necessary) and purging items in each category before moving on to the next.

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1. Cosmetics and Toiletries

This is one category I find myself editing all the time. My toiletries multiply quickly, whether I’m purchasing new products to try or receiving gifts from thoughtful friends. If you are like me and can’t seem to use these items as fast as you accrue them, you may need to take a realistic look at what you’re not using.

If you find it hard to discard perfectly good, unused toiletries, take heart — most shelters need and welcome unopened toiletries. Some shelters will even accept gently used dry beauty products, such as eye shadows, though not wet ones such as liquid eyeliners. Research online to find local drop-off or mail-in donation locations.

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2. Hair Products and Tools

Styling tools take up a lot of room yet may be challenging to pare down because each tool seems to have a slightly different purpose, such as the curling iron, curling wand, flat iron and hot rollers. So consider which tools you use often, which tools may be redundant and which tools can multitask.

For example, my curling iron seemed like a good idea until I realized it took me an hour to curl all of my hair. My hot rollers heat up in one minute, and I can roll my entire head in 10 minutes and let it set while I am doing something else. The result was close enough, and definitely worth the time savings. So I parted with my curling iron.

I’m not really sure how my hairbrush and comb collection grows, but somehow it does. I kept two that I use daily, and put a third in my travel kit. Getting rid of the remaining brushes felt pretty risk-free. Also fair game for tossing: hair elastics that have lost their elasticity, broken clips, rusted pins and worn fabric headbands.

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3. Medicines and First Aid

Medications have expiration dates, so disposing of expired prescription and over-the-counter drugs is relatively straightforward (check with your pharmacy or the FDA website to find safe disposal sites). But how about adhesive bandages? If yours are old, they may be no longer sticky, or they may be too sticky from degraded adhesive. The same is true for wraps designed for sprains.

Note: When you sort these items, be sure to gather them all from throughout your house before reviewing. One of the general keys to organization is to keep like items together in one spot. This is a good time to assess where the best medicine center is in your home. It should be a cool, dry spot away from sunlight.

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4. Cleaning Supplies

In my house, I make an exception to the “one spot” rule when it comes to cleaning supplies. To encourage my family to keep their bathrooms clean, and to make it as easy as possible for them to do so, I have a full set of supplies (including brushes) under each sink. It isn’t the most efficient use of space to have duplicate sets, but in this case I am sacrificing space for action. Your organization system has to work with your lifestyle and priorities.

To save space, I limit the supplies to the basics — toilet cleaner, multipurpose bathroom cleaner, magic eraser (excellent for tub grime), grout brush and toilet brush — and I don’t buy extras to store. Instead, I replenish when necessary.

When editing your cleaning supplies, work toward keeping just the basics — one product may be able to do many jobs, minimizing the products you have to store. A multipurpose cleaner may be able to take the place of several specialty cleaners, such as glass cleaner and soap scum remover. Specific cleaners may work a little more effectively at its one given job, but I am satisfied with the balance between cleanliness and space savings.

Janssen homes cochrane bathroom ideas

Once you’ve condensed your items, you can organize them in your drawers and cabinets. The most frequently used items should be easily accessible and convenient for you. There are so many categories of bathroom items that it’s best to keep like items together in smaller categories to stay organized. For example, rather than having a general makeup drawer, use compartmentalized containers to separate categories such as eye makeup, lip products, foundations and blushes. Make a conscious effort to put items where they belong right away to maintain your organized space.

Share: Do you like a spa-like bathroom? Post a picture in the Comments!

Three Major Decorating Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Get solutions to the challenges that cause many homeowners to put off interior design projects

A huge reason many people don’t get around to tackling a decorating project is because they’re afraid to make a costly mistake. To give you the confidence to start your own dream design, I’ve put together a list of seven major design mistakes that can affect your entire project, along with photos of rooms that do it right. Browse these for guidance and ideas, and then look for an interior designer who’s in tune with your vision and can help make your dreams a reality.

Janssen Homes Cochrane Homes For Sale

1. Choosing Paint First

While paint is in many ways one of the biggest parts of your design (particularly in terms of pure square footage), that doesn’t mean it should necessarily be the first thing you pick. For example, the well-coordinated furnishings and decor in this room by Design No. 5 could work with a number of paint colours.

Solution: Once you’ve settled on some of your essential fabric furnishings (rugs, pillows, draperies, upholstery), it’s relatively easy to pick a coordinating color from a fan deck or set of paint chips. Finding fabrics you truly love after already committing to a paint scheme is much tougher.

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2. Buying Furniture Without Measuring

It’s hard to judge the scale of furniture when it’s sitting on a vast showroom floor. That’s why homeowners are sometimes shocked to find that the beautiful sectional or coffee table they saw in a showroom looks as though it eats up the entire room when it’s sitting in their living room.

Solution: If you know what measurements you’re shopping for, you can let the cold hard numbers guide you when your eyes might be playing tricks. Measure (or even mark with tape) the area available for each major piece so that you can figure out an acceptable size range. Bring these measurements with you when furniture shopping and stick to them. If you fall in love with something out of your size range, ask if it comes in different sizes, or have it measured and bring the measurements home to tape off in your space to make sure it’s a size you are happy with.

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3. Never Making a Bold Choice

While nobody wants to spend an extra weekend painting over last weekend’s mistake, being fearful of ever making an adventurous decision can result in a space that feels bland or unsatisfying. In contrast, this bedroom by Slightly Quirky Ltd. shows the excitement that a feature wall and bold accent colours can bring to a room.


Solution: Take a risk every now and then. Rest assured that if you do choose a dramatic wall treatment, you can always layer over it with light and breezy pieces (such as white wall art or neutral-colored furniture) to tame the look until it feels livable. And if you ultimately grow tired of it, you can change it someday.



Is Cochrane a Good Investment?

Cochrane Alberta Janssen Homes, Home Builder

Is Cochrane a Good Investment?

The real estate market means different things to different people. For some, getting into real estate is about home ownership. These people are often eager to buy a home and start putting their rent money into their own pocket. They want to put down roots, make new friends and maybe raise a family in a welcoming community with great schools and amenities. If they plan to rent part of their home to help off-set mortgage payments, they may select a Cochrane community where secondary suites are legitimately allowed.

For others, real estate is more about getting into the market and anticipating equity growth in their largest personal investment. Sure, they want a home but equity growth is an important consideration they seek to maximize.

Over the past 10 years, Cochrane’s population has exploded; growing by over 82%. It’s been one of Alberta’s fastest growing towns. Cochrane is considerably more affordable than Calgary, often allowing you to get into an equivalently sized home for 10-20% less than Calgary.

Cochrane hosts a diverse real estate community with an extensive selection of developers and builders to choose from. In Cochrane, you’ll find everything from apartment style condos, to duplexes and unique live-work townhomes and single family homes ranging from affordable starters to large estate homes with 3 car garages. This growing town boasts a huge variety of lifestyle options at nearly every price point.

Aside from the variety of home styles available, at least part of Cochrane’s growth has come from the town’s progressive, educated and affluent population along with a like-minded municipal government who’ve made Cochrane a modern and attractive place to live, work and own a business. Did you know Cochrane has no business tax (although you do pay tax on property the business owns https://www.cochrane.ca/336/Property-Taxes ) and secondary suites are encouraged? This combination of desirable factors resulted in the rapid expansion of new residents, amenities and businesses who keep compounding the benefits of living in Cochrane.

How ever you approach the real estate market, Cochrane is a very attractive alternative to Calgary and worthy of a closer look!