Sonoma Pines Buyer Determined to Downsize
When Dan and Marnee Barrette visited Sonoma Pines they were already living their retirement dreams. “We had moved into a 2700 square foot home in a gated community that overlooked Okanagan Lake. The neighbourhood was just close enough to a major arterial roadway that sitting on our expansive outdoor patio all you could hear was the sound of motorcycles and transport trucks,” recalls Dan.
“Now,” explains Marnee as she gestures her arm towards the view beyond the living room window of their Sonoma Pines home, “we hear the bells from Mission Hill.”
Even though they surrendered their panoramic view of the lake with their move, they are much happier with what they see everyday outside their oversized windows. “This is a living canvas,” says Marnee. “This spring we noticed a pair of hawks nesting on that tree right outside our dining room. We watched them raise their young, it was very exciting. In the twilight hours you can spot the shy coyotes slink out from the edge of the trees and even if you don’t catch a glimpse of them, you can hear them yipping in the distance.”
But it wasn’t just the traffic noise that drove the Barrettes from their dream home. “We thought living in a gated community would be a good start to retirement,” explains Marnee. “But, what we soon discovered is, we’re still too young to be doing that.” She smiles. “Here in Sonoma there’s such a lovely mix of age groups. There are no age restrictions like the gated communities. So simply taking our dog out for a walk is enjoyable because you run into such a diverse group of people who are friendly and lead interesting lives.”
STRESS FREE LIVING
After meeting with Harty Podewils, Sales Manager, it didn’t take the Barrettes long to choose the perfect home for them. “Harty was great,” Dan says. “He came and visited us in our gated community. He helped us choose the right floorplan for us.” The Barrettes chose the Tahoe style with the great room concept and the oversize windows. Dan still works from home and they both like having the walkout basement. With their grandkids visiting from Calgary and Vancouver it’s really convenient to have the extra space with the recreation room and the additional bathroom downstairs to comfortably fit everyone.
The Barrettes visited the construction site almost daily watching their new home take shape. “I was completely blown away by the professionalism of the construction crew,” says Marnee. “We’re from Alberta and we built a few homes during the boom times. I was so worried about things going haywire here but that definitely was not the case.”
Dan laughs, “I think from the evidence of the license plates in this community, a lot of the residents are from Alberta! But, seriously, we have experienced minimum deficiencies and we are so pleased and proud of this home. We wouldn’t change a thing.”
DOWNSIZE WITHOUT COMPROMISE
After carrying two mortgages for six months they finally sold their home in the gated community. “Our friends couldn’t believe we would go ahead and build a home before selling our first one,” Dan admits. “But it is so worth it to be in a home that you enjoy, near everything convenient like services and shopping. I play golf a couple days of week, my grandkids love visiting here, Marnee’s happy. We can park our motorhome overnight to pack it up for our trips, It’s low maintenance for me and it’s friendly for both of us.”
They stopped by the Sales Centre to tell Harty the good news. “We wanted to let him know we were finally back to a one mortgage, “Dan laughs, “a much smaller one too.”
FRESH NEW NEIGHBOURHOODS
Harty was thrilled at their news. “Buyers today are taking advantage of the market.” He explains. “When we launched phase seven we introduced 18 one-level townhomes in our community, a ‘fresh new neighbourhood’ is what we call it. We’ve only got four units left and they are ready for occupancy. This is an exceptional value from $319,900 for a two-bedroom street-level townhome with a garage facing the 14th fairway on Two Eagles Golf Course. I encourage anyone looking at purchasing a home to come and take a look at these last remaining units before they are all gone.”
LUXURY LAKEVIEW HOMES
The Barrettes’ Tahoe style home is featured in phase eight where there are four unique floorplans that range from 1200 – 1500 square feet on each floor with unfinished walkout basements priced from $369,900. It’s a perfect time to come and choose your lot, your floorplan, and your perfect view.
#1 in NEW HOME SALES IN THE OKANAGAN VALLEY
Harty sums up why Sonoma Pines continues to be the sales leader in new home sales in the Okanagan Valley. “The Barrettes are a perfect example of the 320 residents who live in this community. They are active people who want to simplify their lives without surrendering their quality of life.”
Dan and Marnee Barrette couldn’t agree more. “We love it here.”
