SYMPHONY ATGARIBALDI HIGHLANDS

Address: 2323 MamquamRoad, SquamishProject size: 30 condomini-umsUnit size: 707 to 1,271square feetP r i c e : $ 1 2 5 , 9 0 0 t o$185,900Developer:Qualex

Architect: Besharat FriarsArchitectsFloor plan shown: This two-bedroom plan with 1,213square feet plus coveredoutdoor balcony space ispriced from $175,900 onthe main floor to $178,900on the second floor.

Project profile

EDITOR STEVE WHYSALL 605-2176 / FAX 605-2521 SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2001 GS E C T I O N

SS TT AA RR PP RR OO PP EE RR TT II EE SS DD EE SS II GG NN FF OO RR LL II VV II NN GGA one-story home offers solid

country appeal page G6Pamela Anderson is headed for

sunny Malibu page G5

NEW HOMES

By BARBARA McQUADE

Pick your favourite out-door sport — kayaking,mountain biking, hiking,rock climbing, fishing,

windsurfing or golfing — youcan find them all in and aroundSquamish, 60 kilometers northof Vancouver.

What Squamish hasn’t haduntil recently is upscale condo-miniums catering to the recre-ational market.

Now Symphony at GaribaldiHighlands, right across from theSquamish Valley Golf and Coun-try Club, offers vacation resortamenities in condos with all thecomforts of a permanent city orWhistler home.

Vancouver developer Roger

Navabi, who had great successwith a project by the same nameat Whistler, believes Squamishhas an excellent future.

“Every single one of the out-door amenities that Whistlerhas, Squamish can match or beat,with the exception of skiing,although ski resorts may bedeveloped there in the future.And yet the prices are some ofthe best, as low as a third ofWhistler prices for real estate,”says Navabi, president of QualexVentures.

For buyers who want the chal-lenge of skiing Whistler’s slopes,the Creekside gondola is a 40-minute drive away.

Symphony condominiums arepriced from $125,900 to $189,900for plans ranging from 707 to

1,271 square feet.Architect Helen Besharat has

given Symphony a mountain-look with pitched roofs and largeoverhangs, heavy post-and-beamwork, covered balconies andwhat looks like cedar siding onthe exterior. A gateway elementwith copper roof at the mainentranceway will welcome visi-tors.

“ I f y o u l o o k a r o u n d i nSquamish you don’t see any oth-er similar architecture,” Besharatsays.

“We wanted to start a newmountain vocabulary. But wealso incorporated the newerbuilding envelope techniquesand used hardiplank sidingwhich is non combustible andmore durable than wood,” says

Besharat.Creating spacious units was

critical to the project. Sympho-ny offers nine floor plans withextra-wide windows to takeadvantage of golf course views tothe south and mountain views tothe north.

Nine-foot ceilings on the mainfloor and vaulted ceilings on thetop floor of the three-storeybuilding will add to the feeling ofspace.

A two-bedroom furnished dis-play suite on the main floor ofthe building has been attractingprospective buyers from Van-couver and Whistler as well asSquamish, according to realtorGerry Halstrom of WindermereSea to Sky Real Estate.

By BARBARA McQUADE

In the 15 years Howard Steiss hasbeen vice-president of marketingfor Adera, he has followed 34

apartment or townhouse condomini-um-developments from the drawingboard through to completion andapproved sales of more than 3,000Adera homes throughout the LowerMainland

Because of his knowledge of thehousing industry, friends and acquain-tances are always asking him what tolook for when buying a home.

Here’s what Steiss considers themost important questions to askbefore buying a townhouse or condo-minium apartment.

1. What is the developer’s trackrecord? Ask for reference letters ortestimonials from past purchasers.Any professional builder should beproud to produce them and direct buy-

ers to previous projects.2. Was a building envelope spe-

cialist part of the building team andwhat is the name of the envelopeconsultant? Whether you follow upwith that consultant may depend onyour comfort level for technology butat least make sure you have a name.

3. Is the project covered by anapproved third party warrantyprovider and who is that provider?Don’t stop there. Make a call to thewarranty company confirming thecoverage and if possible talk to thecompany’s technical advisors whomay be able to comment on that par-ticular builder’s reputation and previ-ous building record.

4. What professional associationsdoes the builder belong to? Mem-

berships in professional associationssuch as the Greater Vancouver HomeBuilders’ Association, the CanadianHome Builders’ Association and/orthe Urban Development Instituteshows the developer’s commitment tothe industry they are a part of. Con-firm that membership with the associ-ation. While you’re at it, check thedeveloper out with the Better BusinessBureau as well.

5. Does the builder offer a financ-ing package through a financialinstitution or professional mort-gage agent? Individuals whether withbanks or a broker should be happy tooffer their professional recommenda-tions on the caliber of the builder theyare associated with.

6. Does the builder have an after-

sales service program and what arethe details of that program? If thedeveloper is a professional who plansto be in business for years to come, afully accessible customer service teamshould be in place, says Steiss. Inquirewhether the company has a mobilefleet of bonded technicians. Ask aboutthe response policy and what is thetypical response time should a defi-ciency arise.

Consumer expectations of servicehave increased dramatically in the past10 years and companies should be pre-pared to accommodate this demand.

Once you have answered all thesequestions satisfactorily, Steiss advisesretaining the services of a qualifiedhome building inspector, someonewith knowledge of current buildingtechnology who will offer an unbiasedthird party opinion on the structuralintegrity of the building.

A housing marketing expert offers a checklist to helpyou avoid the heartache of a bad investment

Squamish Symphony

What to ask when buying a new condominium

See PROJECT G2

See AFTER-SALE G2

Photos by BILL KEAY/VANCOUVER SUN

Symphony design offers high functionality.

Cosy living room is warmed by a cheery fireplace.

Artist’s conception shows the Symphony against the scenic backdrop of mountains around Squamish.

GLENN BAGLO/VANCOUVER SUN

Howard Steiss, Adera’s vice-president ofmarketing on site at The Village.

MarketingExcellenceSince 1980www.fifthav.com

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347442

“In the past we knew a lotof buyers from Vancouverand Whistler came throughour community and didn’tfind what they were lookingfor, and so in this product wewanted to do something dif-ferent,” says Halstrom. “Nowpeople are coming in andsaying we have nailed it.”

The open floor plan fea-tures a large kitchen withwood finish laminate cabi-nets, laminate countertopsand ceramic tile floor andback splashes inset withslate matching the gas fire-place.

Halogen track lighting anda breakfast bar in the archedopening to the living roomare at t ract ive features .Appliances include an 18-cubic-foot fridge, self-cleanelectric range, sink disposaland ultra quiet dishwasher.

The master bedroom hasroom for a queen-sized bed,large dresser, two end-tablesand a chair and ottomanwithout feeling crowded.The ensuite has a deep soak-er tub while the secondbathroom has an oversizedwalk-in shower.

The laundry/storage room

will accommodate a washerand dryer with ample spaceleft over for storage.

Most in-suite heating is bya thermostat-controlled,high-efficiency gas fireplacewith individually controlledelectric baseboard heating inall bedrooms.

A bike locker room andadditional storage space islocated on the ground level.

There is a lso a socia lroom that leads to an out-door patio. Extensive land-scaping, including a puttinggreen in the back for avidgolfers, has been planned byJames Jarvis LandscapeArchitects.

J u s t d o w n M a m q u a mRoad at the junction of High-way 99, construction of anew shopping centre i splanned for the spring. Thiswill put Symphony residentswithin easy walking distanceof shopping, but it is possi-ble to drive anywhere inSquamish in just a few min-utes.

Warranty insurance is byNational Home WarrantyPrograms in compliancewith the Homeowner Pro-tection Act.

Symphony is open week-days from 1 to 4 p.m., week-ends, noon to 4 p.m.

NEW HOMESG2 THE VANCOUVER SUN, SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2001

An exceptional residence.

• Spectacular views• Guest Suite• Concrete construction• Estate landscaped grounds• Entertainment and Games

Room• Business Centre• Exercise facility• 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom

suites from 1091 to 1122sq. ft.

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2780 – 150 St.Call 541-3757

Open 12-5 Daily (except Fridays)

Project meetsbuyers’ approval

Customers from Vancouver andWhistler are finding what they want

BILL KEAY/VANCOUVER SUN

Symphony designs offer cosy dining areas in spacious floor plans.

From G1

Another important consid-eration is maintaining thebui ld ing once you havebecome a homeowner.

Recently Adera has intro-duced a Continuous Protec-tion Plan. “It’s a unique ser-vice providing strata corpo-rations with one-stop shop-ping for their on going main-tenance which is a requiredt o k e e pt h e w a r -ranty cov-e r a g e i nplace,”says Steiss.

“Weknow thebuildingextremelyw e l l a n dare able toprovide avery com-petitiveservice.Part of theprogram iswritteninspectionreportsissuedevery sixmonthsmakingowners aware of the condi-tion of the buildings.”

People never used to con-cern themselves about howthings were going outside ofthere suite but all that haschanged drastically in thelast two years, Steiss says,because of the concernsabout residential construc-tion.

If all this sounds an oner-

ous task, don’t forget tocheck if the builder has anInternet website. If so, youshould be able to obtainanswers to many of thesequestions online or by e-mailing the developer fromthe comfort of your homeoffice.

Steis monitors Adera’s e-mail closely.

“Every e-mail from ourAdera Website comes to me

personally. Il i k e t o b eable to lookat the ques-t i o n . I f Ican’t answerit, I’ll directit to anotherdepartmentt h a t c a nrespondquickly andcompetently.I quite enjoydevelopingconfidencew i t h t h eprospectivehome buyeronline.”

P h o n ea n d f a xinquiriesreceive simi-l a r t r e a t -

ment. Adera is selling condo-

minium apartments at Dako-ta in North Vancouver andCarmel at the Village inBurnaby.

Their current townhouseproject is Monterey at theVillage. In addition the com-pany will be introducingthree new projects th isspring.

After-sale service amajor considerationMaintaining the building is essential

to keep warranties in place

From X1

We know the buildingextremely well and areable to provide a very

competitive service. Partof the program is writteninspection reports issuedevery six months making

owners aware of thecondition of the

buildings.

HOWARD STEISSMarketing manager, Adera

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