Parade of Homes

>> "There's a real advan- tage to living in River Park South," states Cam Ftoma of Gino's Homes. "All the ser- vices are there and you know exactly what you're getting. It's an established communi- ty, the landscaping's mature and there's a limited amount of construction traffic. Neigh- bours are friendly, open and helpful." River Park South is located just south of St. Vital Centre, between St. Mary's Road and St. Anne's Road; the show homes and new home sites are along its southern edge. It presents a rare opportu- nity to scale up or down in an existing neighbourhood and Ftoma claims that the response has been "fantastic." He says the new phase of River Park South is appealing to a mix of folks, from first- time buyers to empty-nesters who are downsizing to those who are moving up and building their dream home. Particularly interested are people currently living in older, dated homes that don't have all the advances and conveniences of new home design. Ftoma states, "You find good, solid family homes throughout River Park South," and observes that homes here have a track record of building equity and delivering value. Gino's, a custom-home builder, has honed its ability to deliver quality for a reasonable price and to design a person's dream home to make it specifically theirs. "It runs the full gamut, from working within a budget for a modestly priced home to build- ing someone's spectacular dream home," Ftoma states. He says that Ginos' show home, open at 176 Hallfield Bay, is a bungalow with a super concept that has generated very posi- tive feedback. "Our bungalow show home in River Park South is a huge draw for many reasons: The look of it, the style of it and the fact that in our aging society, bungalows are becoming more and more popular," Ftoma notes. A Big Group of Show Homes Eric Vogan of Qualico Communities advises that lots in the new phases of River Park South could be sold out as early as next year. For now, lot and home packages across the price spectrum are still available, generally from the mid-$300,000s and up. Lot sizes range from just under 40 feet to just under 60 feet. Average home size is about 2,000 square feet but dream homes come in all sizes, from 1,400-square-foot bungalows to luxurious, 2,500-square-foot two-storeys. "In addition to Gino's, there are several other custom and classic builders involved in River Park South," Vogan says, adding, "they've all been doing a great job there and are work- ing hard to keep up with the demand." Show homes by A&S Homes, Ventura, Broad- view, Sterling, Randall and Kensington are also open on Wainwright Crescent, just off Aldgate Road. Vogan calls River Park South "a complete community that has everything you could want," from competing lawn bowling leagues to the Jonathan Toews Community Centre, a fully equipped facility with twin arenas. River Park Village is located in the centre of the community and includes a Sobeys and Bank of Nova Scotia as well as medical, dental and legal services. St. Vital Centre, with over 160 stores, lies just north of River Park South. The community offers plenty of opportunity for outdoor activity as well, with over 150 acres of parkland and a chain of lakes bor- dered by walking trails that span almost two kilometres between St. Anne's and St. Mary's Road. The Seine River trail network is also adjacent to the area. Always popular, River Park South is growing again but it appears that soon, the window of opportunity to build a new home in this established community will close. a window of oPPortunity BUILD IN POPULAR RIVER PARK SOUTH by Lynne Mustard for Qualico Communities 118 Parade of Homes Spring 2014

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