Willow + Oak 11272 240th Street Maple Ridge 54 two, three and four bedroom townhouses by Main Street Homes
Willow + Oak a draw for first-time buyers
Simon Briault
The Vancouver Sun
Willow + Oak
Project location: 11272 – 240th Street, Maple Ridge
Project size and prices: 59 homes – 54 townhouses and five single-family homes. Townhomes range in size from 1,385 to 2,000 square feet. The two-bedroom homes start at $479,980, three-bedroom homes and den begin at $499,980, four-bedroom homes with side-by-side double garages at $639,980; Single-family homes to be released for sale in 2020
Developer: Main Street Homes
Architect: Formwerks Architectural
Interior designer: Leanne Leon, E2 Homes Ltd.
Sales centre: 11272 240th street
Sales centre hours: noon — 6 p.m., daily
Sales phone: 604-463-8880
Website: www.willowandoak.ca
Build it and they will come. Not too long ago, that’s pretty much all a developer of multi-family housing in the Lower Mainland had to do. These days, with home sales falling and buyers being more discerning about where they put their money, the market is much more complicated. But Janine Mackie, sales manager at Main Street Homes, believes there’s still healthy demand for homes that offer real value, particularly for first-time buyers.
Main Street Homes is the developer behind a new townhome development in Maple Ridge called Willow + Oak, which has been doing a roaring trade with young couples and millennials.
“You hear so much doom and gloom in the media about homes not selling, but it’s all about offering something where people can see some real value with a great price point and good quality product,” Mackie said. “Before we came to market here in Maple Ridge, we did a lot of research. When you have a grand opening, you don’t want to be sitting there and nobody coming in. We felt there was nothing comparable out there for under $550,000 so we launched on opening day with homes starting at $479,980 and people just didn’t stop coming in all day.”
When it’s fully built out, Willow + Oak will be a community of 59 homes – 54 townhouses and five single-family homes. Two-bedroom townhomes start at the above-mentioned $479,980, three-bedroom and den homes begin at $499,980, and four-bedroom homes at $639,980. The single-family homes will be released for sale in 2020.
“First-time buyers have been forgotten in the market or have been unable to find a home at a price point that they can afford,” Mackie added. “There’s been a lot of excitement – young people coming in having thought they couldn’t afford a home or would have to stay in a condo, people telling us they just had to get out of their parents’ basement.”
Alison and Ryan Charters have bought a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom townhome at Willow + Oak and will be moving from North Vancouver into their new home this summer. It’s no surprise that the more affordable price played a big part in their decision.
“My husband works in Maple Ridge,” Alison Charters said. “He’s been watching the developments being built from the ground up and was very interested in Willow + Oak even before we knew the price point.”
“Ryan is looking forward to a much shorter commute, which will go from about an hour and a half to five minutes, which is a big bonus for him,” Charters added. “I’m originally from Ontario, so the whole region is new to me, but what I’m looking forward to about Maple Ridge is that it’s supposed to be a really family-oriented area. I think we’ll find a lot of people in our situation – young families and first-time homebuyers. We’ll have our baby growing up with people the same age.”
The neighbourhood that Charters will be moving to has a lot to offer, according to Mackie. Willow + Oak is located in a rapidly growing area of Maple Ridge, with a new Starbucks and a Save-On-Foods just down the street and plans for more commercial outlets coming soon.
“A lot of our buyers don’t have a history in Maple Ridge, but they’re willing to move from places like North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Surrey, Burnaby or New Westminster with a sense of adventure about what this area has to offer,” Mackie said. “There’s excellent access to nature here and a great town centre with all different ethnicities represented in the restaurant scene.”
“Right outside your door you can catch a bus that connects you directly with the West Coast Express for a stress-free commute to work,” Mackie added. “The Kanaka Creek Regional Park is five minutes from your door and our site is actually bordered by a protected green space. It’s also only about 15 minutes away from Golden Ears Park. There’s definitely a natural, laid-back, small-town feel here.”
Most homes at Willow + Oak have side-by-side garages. There are rear decks or patios to expand the living spaces, powder rooms on the main floors and Tudor-inspired exterior finishes. Kitchens come with custom Shaker-style cabinetry, soft-close doors and drawers, engineered quartz countertops, gas ranges and Samsung appliance packages.
Bathrooms feature four-foot walk-in showers, quartz countertops, dual vanities in all ensuites and hand-set ceramic tiles.
Instead of standard electric baseboard heaters, homes at Willow + Oak will have a new kind of convection heating that can, according to Mackie, save homeowners up to 40 per cent on their heating bills.
“On the main floors we’ve got a really nice open concept and it really feels and flows like a single-family home with high ceilings and oversized windows,” said Mackie. “We’ve fine-tuned our specifications to be able to offer great value. People want to be able to get into the market and that’s exactly what we’re offering.”
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