Ajax Pickering Real Estate Blog

From New Home and Condos

The charm of old Kentucky is thriving at Heathwood Homes’ Lexington County neighbourhood in Ajax. The company’s Colonial-style residences have proven a real hit with purchasers who appreciate the community’s location, as well as Heathwood’s signature design and outstanding value. This neighbourhood beckons you to come “Home at Last” to an outstanding Heathwood home in outstanding surroundings.

This master-planned community nestled amid rolling topography on Audley Road between Kingston Road East and Rossland Road West. Lexington is just perfect for homeowners who want to live in the midst of comprehensive amenities. A short drive takes you to a number of golf courses, recreation centres, libraries, excellent schools, tempting shopping centres and of course, Lake Ontario and one of the prettiest segments of the Waterfront Trail. In addition, Ajax encompasses over 465 acres of parkland and natural areas plus nearly 38 km of walking trails.

Lexington County will project itself as a unique community with ranch-style stone entrance gates and white rail fences framing the homes, parks, green spaces, playgrounds, country gazebo, plus a large pond and walking trails to a wooded ravine bisected by Carruthers Creek. Home exteriors enhance their surroundings with architectural focal points that reflect southern charisma. Among the various designs you’ll find peaked gables, accent windows, shutters, brick arches and porches – all making you feel at home from first glance.

When you step inside, the appeal continues with luxurious standards such as custom-designed extra-height kitchen cabinets, breakfast bars, imported ceramics, 9-foot main floor ceilings, thick broadloom, oak pickets and handrails, colonial-style doors, gas fireplaces and much, much more.

The 2,216-sq.-ft. Richmond (Elevation A) priced from $305,900 is one of Heathwood’s most popular designs at Lexington County. This homestead is adorned with a covered balcony nestled into a peaked gable that has attractive vertical trim. An elliptical transom tops French doors sheltered by a barrel ceiling and cradled behind railings and columns.

The sunken foyer includes a step up to the artfully designed main floor accentuated by decorative columns and half walls. Two windows and French doors leading to the balcony bathe the immense raised two-storey Great Room in natural light. With the large dining room adjacent to the kitchen, formal entertaining is convenient. Or, for more casual snacks, a breakfast bar is really handy. At the back of the home, the family room is warmed by a gas fireplace flanked by windows. To access the backyard deck, families can use the sliding doors in the breakfast room. The laundry room is located on the main floor, as is a powder room.

Head upstairs via the gracious curving stairway and discover a comfortable haven in the owner’s suite. The walk-in closet is large, and the ensuite offers an oval tub and separate shower. From the hallway railing, the view to the Great Room below is stunning.

Even better the Richmond is available with a finished lower level – adding 567 sq .ft. for only $11,000 more! Just imaging moving into a home that is fully finished – top to bottom – and never having to worry about the mess, hassle or expense of doing it later!

Heathwood’s two-storey homes range in size from 1,926 to 3,092 sq. ft. and are priced from $274,900. You’ll also find a brand new bungalow design at 1,784 sq. ft. priced from just $264,900. Be sure to ask a sales representative about The Winner’s Circle – a bonus offer that allows you to add up to $16,000 worth of upgrades to your home choice for just a fraction of the cost, as well as the company’s H.O.M.E. Program that makes it possible for you to save thousands.

When you purchase a Heathwood home at Lexington County, you can relax knowing that for more than 20 years, the company has excelled at meeting and exceeding homeowner expectations in fine communities across the
GTA. Heathwood’s commitment extends to building homes with the same sense of pride that the families who live in them experience.

Project Name: Lexington County
Location: Ajax
Housing Type: Detached bungalow and two storey homes from 1,784 to 2,392 sq. ft.
Starting Price: $264,900

New Homes & Condos Magazine is an excellent source of housing information for those looking for information on new homes in Ontario, Canada. We offer the most up-to-date information on new communities across the Greater Toronto Area.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information - 416-388-1960

From New Home and Condos

Imagine this – a community where unique homes line the quiet cul-de-sacs, crescents and enclosed enclaves; where no thoroughfare traffic means a safe place to walk the dog and for the kids to play; where urban conveniences await around every corner; all set on a backdrop of natural beauty and rural charm.

You can imagine it, or you can see it with your own eyes by visiting the aptly named Tribute community, Imagination – a new neighbourhood in Ajax where country meets convenience to bring you everything you want in a community and in a home. With the six new show homes at Imagination, imagining all the possibilities for your dream home is easy.

At Imagination, it’s easy to picture nature as part of your daily life (which is increasingly difficult to do with urban sprawl). Ajax boasts more than 465 acres of parkland and natural areas, and many of the town’s neighbourhood parks include naturalized areas where plants and flowers are allowed to thrive. Residents of Ajax also appreciate the local waterways like Duffins and Carruthers Creek. A certain hotspot also includes the sparkling shores of Lake Ontario, which features six kilometres of Lake Ontario waterfront – the longest undeveloped waterfront in the Toronto area that’s accessible to the public, and is ideal for picnicking, relaxing or getting active on the many walking/biking pathways.

The Town of Ajax also has a dynamic, rapidly growing business community, with over 1,500 businesses. Hwy. 407 is just to the north and Hwy. 401 is to the south, so getting to Toronto and beyond is a breeze.

In the centre of it all, you’ll find Imagination, where the homes themselves are carefully designed and built to bring you high-quality without disrupting the natural surroundings. Nestled on Carruther’s Creek Forest, Imagination features a collection of detached homes on 37-, 45- and 55-ft. conservation lots, ranging from 1,801 to 3,887 sq. ft. and starting from a very affordable $299,990.

The six show homes – Celebration, Imagination, Carson, Galloway, Dali and Van Gogh – let prospective purchasers see what Tribute homes have to offer.

The 3,842-sq.-ft. Van Gogh, Elevation A, is a true work of art. A stylish portico welcomes you and your guests into the foyer, which leads to an elegant dining area to the right, and a sunken living area to the left. The main floor also features a laundry room, a library/home office and a hobby room which offers access to the garage. The Great Room lets you cozy up with your family by the fireplace, where you’ll enjoy every minute of quality time. The designer kitchen is every cook’s dream, featuring plenty of storage space for all of your gourmet goodies and chef’s tools, an island, and a sunny breakfast area – a nice spot to stop for a steaming cup of joe and a quick browse through the morning paper before going to work.

At the end of a stressful day, the master bedroom with a generously sized walk-in closet and luxurious ensuite awaits upstairs – a private escape where you can soak away the cares of the day before turning in for the night. The other three bedrooms are spacious, and feature large walk-in closets and convenient access to two additional bathrooms. The computer area is an out-of-the-way place to surf the Internet or do homework. The basement awaits a future recreation room.

All Tribute Communities homes feature custom quality construction, spectacular interior finishes, trendy colour selection and fabulous finishings. The Tribute Communities-Builder Guarantee, Tarion Warranty Corporation Coverage and superb customer service make the entire home-buying experience one to remember for all the right reasons. Tribute Communities is the recipient of the Tarion 2005 Builder of the Year (High Volume Builder), and has also been recognized as highest in customer satisfaction in an independent customer survey by J.D. Power & Associates.

Location: Ajax
Housing Type: Detached homes on 37, 45 and 55-foot lots
Starting Price: From $299,990

New Homes & Condos Magazine is an excellent source of housing information for those looking for information on new homes in Ontario, Canada. We offer the most up-to-date information on new communities across the Greater Toronto Area.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information - 416-388-1960

Garry Marr, National Post

Guilt aside, is there any real reason for a consumer to go out and seek a so-called green house?

We’re talking an environmentally friendly home, not an enclosed glass room with a bunch of garden vegetables growing inside.

The statistics show builders have not exactly embraced the idea of a green home, despite all the hype.

John Kenward, chief operating officer of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, freely admits most of the association’s members are not building houses to the standard devised by the government in 1982 known as the R-2000 initiative.

To get a house certified as an R-2000, builders have to jump through a number of hoops like making the house energy efficient. That can mean natural gas appliances  and conserving water, among other things.

“It’s true probably much less than 1% of homes are built to the R-2000 standard,” admits Mr. Kenward.

That may sound pathetic but the truth is that houses have become more energy efficient over the past two decades and part of that is being chalked up to builders meeting consumers demands and mandatory building codes for such energy efficient items as thermal windows - all which can be traced back to the R-2000 initiative.

The federal government maintains that the R-2000 initiative has helped reduce energy use in the average Canadian home by 20% since the early 1980s.

“The data shows the way in which we build houses has changed dramatically and much of that change has come from technology that was part of the R-2000 program,” says Mr. Kenward. “I think of all the industries in Canada, housing is the closest to meeting up to the Kyoto targets.”

Peter Norman, an economist with Altus Clayton, a real estate research firm, said builders continue to say they are building to R-2000 standards but don’t bother to get certified. “My impression is there isn’t a stark contrast to a green house and a traditional home,” he says.

Mr. Norman said much of the green home is really just a matter of materials you are using and they keep getting cheaper with technology improvements. “I think home building has become more green almost in spite of itself, not because of the environmental process,” he says.

The real issue comes down to cost and how quickly the upfront costs can be recovered through annual energy savings. Mr. Norman says studies have shown the extra costs associated with green homes can add 5% to 15% to the final purchase price.

“It really depends how much you want to go overboard,” he says.

Add solar panels to your roof and get some of your energy from the sun and you may be able to impress David Suzuki but not your accountant. Solar panels are simply never going to pay for themselves, say most builders.

Brian Johnston, president of Monarch Corp., said over the years he has discovered consumers run when it comes to the final cost for extra features that might be considered efficient.

His company builds subdivisions but when a customer came to him and said he wanted a heating and cooling system that would be energy efficient in the long-term, he agreed to do it.

“We said we’ll do it at cost less 10%. We wanted to see how it would work out and then maybe do it for all our homes,” said Mr. Johnston. “When he saw the final bill he walked away. It really comes down to a question of cost.”

Don Lawby says buyers just don’t care about the issue. “I think it’s about to become an issue, at least that’s my feeling but not right now,” he says. “This has to start from the builder not from the consumer.”

His advice to consumers is not to look for something with a green tag but to be more practical and look at issues like how well a home is insulated and how much reusable material was part of construction.

“It’s still hard for an individual consumer to find a home that is environmentally friendly because it hasn’t been built that way.,” said Mr. Lawby. “Besides for most, it’s still about  location, location not green, green green.”

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information - 416-388-1960