All posts by Ritika Jain

Oh! Canada

Featured image: ©istockphoto.com / benedek

Canada, a land of beautiful scenery and congenial spirit, balances energetic city life with a calmer, relaxed lifestyle by the water. And if you ask Billie Pat Dall, sales representative at Bernice Whelan Realty Inc., about the real estate market, she’ll tell you that the area in which she sells (the Lake Simcoe and Barrie area of Ontario) is attractive for buyers who are looking for more space.

Only an hour north of Toronto, Barrie offers luxury homes at more affordable prices than in the city, ranging from $2 million to $20 million. Homes are complete with gourmet kitchens, main floor principal suites, home theaters, wine cellars, sports courts, and pools. Residents who live on the water enjoy charming boat houses with guest suites and tranquil water views.

According to Dall, Barrie is also an ideal area to raise a family, as residents have a wide array of outdoor activities at their fingertips.

“It is a place where kids can ride their bikes down to the beach and then over to one of the many tennis courts or to play basketball, and then back home to swim in their backyard pool. All of this is at your doorstep when you live in this region. There is also the added bonus of only being a one-hour drive away from Toronto, so parents can commute if they work in Toronto and visit for a Jays baseball game, theater or concert,” she explains.

Besides athletic endeavors, the Lake Simcoe region also hosts Canada’s largest camping and country music festival, The Hearts and Boots Festival, and Ontario’s biggest waterfront festival, Kempenfest.

Oakville, located just 45 minutes south of Toronto, boasts a thriving market as well, being one of the most densely populated regions in Canada. Lesley Cumming, sales representative at Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, describes Oakville and Burlington as the “home to hikers, bikers, economic trail glazers, casual boaters, and local vendor enthusiasts.”

In Oakville and Burlington, you can find condos situated on the shores of Lake Ontario and 50-plus-acre properties with rolling hills, bank barns, horse stalls, ponds, and paddocks. Locals can head over to lakes, beaches, marinas, and conservation trails to absorb the stunning landscape.

Cumming notes that most new buyers in this region were previously urban dwellers from the Greater Toronto Area, in search of a smaller community with more property space. With varied landscape, cuisine, and population, Oakville and Burlington find a way to keep residents and visitors entertained while also cultivating an at-home feel.

“There is so much that is attractive about our region from the diverse cuisine, our local specialty shops, to our beautiful landscape. We have something for everyone,” Cumming says.

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Experts Report: Park City

Utah is known for its top-rated ski slopes, mountain resorts, and vast natural landscape that lends itself to a slew of outdoor activities.

Park City in particular, located east of Salt Lake City, especially optimizes the exhilarating outdoors, housing three of the best ski resorts in the world as well as Utah Olympic Park. However, skiing doesn’t fully encapsulate the essence of Park City. The terrain also allows for mountain biking, horseback riding, golfing, and paddle boarding, just to name a few.

Park City also specializes in luxury resort living, which blends sumptuous indoor facilities with the expansive outdoors. Promontory Club, a private residential community that is the epitome of luxury living, spans over 6,400 acres and offers a myriad of indoor and outdoor amenities. Chris Messick, the director of real estate sales at Promontory Club, describes it as a four-season private club, with relatively less humid summers and lighter winters.

“As people started spending more time here in the summer, people figured out Park City has more of a four-season feeling than some of the other spots. Summer is as important to us as winter,” Messick explained.

Messick credits Promontory’s appeal to its diverse selection of amenities, all of which occupy 190,000 square feet. Among them are a world-class equestrian center, a clubhouse and spa, multiple golf courses, a beach club, an Outfitter’s Cabin, from which members can embark on a number of outdoor adventures, and over 30 miles of trails.

According to Kerry Oman, associate broker at Summit Sotheby’s International Realty, this lifestyle along with the ongoing pandemic has yielded a booming real estate market in Park City.

“Because of COVID-19, we’ve seen an increase in out-of-state buyers coming and spending longer periods of time or even relocating to Park City. The last 12 months in Park City has been phenomenal with unprecedented growth. The demand has
been extremely high and properties sell really fast,” Oman said.

Along with Promontory Club, Oman speaks highly of Glenwild Country Club, which is rated the No. 1 golf course in Utah, and Deer Valley Resort, one of the world’s best with breathtaking mountain views. The opulence of these resorts are juxtaposed with Park City’s small-town charm. Visitors can venture to Main Street for quality shopping, fine dining, and historic attractions. Both Messick and Oman reiterate that Park City surprises people with its beautiful summers and the accessibility of outdoor activities during the season, making it an ideal, year-round retreat.

Photos courtesy of Promontory Club.

This story originally appeared in Unique Homes Fall ’21 issue. Click here to see the digital version.

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Magnificent Texas Custom Estate Home to be Sold at Auction with Supreme Auctions

Nestled in the highly sought-after Preston Hollow community of north Dallas, the Tudor-style estate of Glen Gables delivers unequaled one-of-a-kind elements, while providing an awe-inspiring sense of comfort and warmth in a quiet and friendly neighborhood. Supreme Auctions will offer this distinctive elegant home at auction on August 28, in cooperation with Danna Morguloff-Hayden of Ebby Halliday, Realtors.

“Glen Gables provides the ideal locale to live, work and play,” stated Jennie Heal, President of Supreme Auctions. “Located on an exclusive street that practically dead-ends, privacy is definitely in abundance. With the property being situated in a community that has a rich history of being home to celebrities, politicians (including George W. Bush), business executives and sports figures, it is no surprise that the Preston Hollow neighborhood is home to Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, and is extremely desired among luxury home buyers.”

 Dreams do come true at Glen Gables, as no detail has been left to chance. The English-style estate encompasses six spacious bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three-car garage, four fireplaces, elevator, whole-house generator, gourmet kitchen, finished recreational basement, wine room, picturesque covered patio, heated saltwater pool/spa, media room, breathtaking great room, formal dining room, private study, and a library. 

“Partnering with Supreme Auctions, with their 100% sales record this year, is an exciting opportunity,” stated Agent, Danna Morguloff-Hayden. “Our knowledge of the Preston Hollow area in Dallas coupled with the firm’s accelerated marketing process will showcase this incredible luxury home to all potential buyers that seek and value custom, quality finishes.”

The new owners of Glen Gables will truly escape from the ordinary with this meticulous property. The spectacular unique touches that make up this home will fill you with a deep feeling of perfect bliss. Each nuance, including the hammer beam ceilings, stained glass windows, and decorative lighting, was painstakingly selected or created to ensure opulence, beauty, and a tranquil state of mind.

“This leafy, quiet neighborhood is delightfully peaceful in the middle of a huge, bustling city,” stated the current owner. “The private schools close by and really nice neighbors made it attractive to us. This home was designed by us from the ground up. We wanted a space to contain our collection of art and objects from our travels around the world; while at the same time being comfortable, welcoming, and inviting without being pretentious or stuffy. Glen Gables provides enough room to house kids and grandkids, host parties, cooking classes, family gatherings and generally be the hub of our enormous family.”

This magical Tudor-style home in Preston Hollow will be sold at auction on August 28. To learn more, contact us at (866) 929-2243 or visit the Property Details page.

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