After shopping for about four months for the perfect condo to invest in, logistics coordinator Janelle discovered Bucci’s second Bridges project, and purchased a studio condo on the spot. She will be moving into her new home in spring 2006.

While shopping for a condo, Janelle was most concerned with simply making a good investment. “I was looking for equity,” she says. She shopped mainly in the inner city, focusing on Bridgeland, Mission and the downtown core, but did look outside of the core as well.

She says that after seeing a few of her downtown options, she was a little shocked at how much she would be paying for a relatively small condo. Because of this, she adjusted her vision of her future home, realizing that she would need to shop for a smaller floor plan than she originally thought.

Janelle stumbled across Bella Lusso quite by accident. One day as she was showing her parents some of her options, she suggested they look at some of the projects in The Bridges to get a taste of what  Janelle simply could not afford. Little did they know that Janelle would fall in love with Bella Lusso and buy the building’s last remaining studio suite that same day.

“I decided on the spot, this is what I want,” says Janelle. Because the real estate market in Calgary moves so fast, she advises buyers to act fast if they like what they see. “If you like it, buy immediately – don’t look back.”

In order to do this, of course, Janelle points out that it is important to be pre-approved for a mortgage before you start shopping. This is always a good idea, as it is horrible to find the perfect home and not know whether or not you will be able to purchase it. Not to mention that while you are waiting to be approved, it might be snatched right out from under you.

When Janelle purchased her Bella Lusso condo in the winter of 2005, she knew that she would have to wait a year before moving into her new home. This gave her the chance to experience a couple of bouts of cold feet, but now, she says, she is very happy that she bought the condo she did, when she did. “The year has flown by,” she says, adding that she is excited about seeing the finished product.

Since she bought off concept, she admits that she only has a general idea of what her condo will look like in the end. But this doesn’t seem to bother Janelle – instead, she says, “it’s going to be fun” to see what it actually looks like.

And of course she is looking forward to getting settled into her new home and enjoying the lifestyle that she expects will come with living in The Bridges community, surrounded by shops and, hopefully, other young professionals. “I like that it is urban, and young, and there are people all around my age,” she says.

Before looking at Bella Lusso, Janelle checked out the Olive showsuite, also in the Bridges project. It was there that perhaps, her real priorities came to light. She says, “when I went to look at the Olive, I said, ‘Are there cute boys in the area?’” She now hopes to befriend some of her cute neighbours, and says it will be a bonus if they also have a great view, so that she can enjoy it when she visits. Her condo does not have an unobstructed view of downtown, but faces inward toward Bella Lusso’s courtyard.

It’s not just the community in The Bridges that Janelle is looking forward to. “I do like that there are all these restaurants just down the street,” she says, adding that there are a variety of other shops and services she plans to frequent right there in
the neighbourhood.

Despite her brief feelings of uncertainty, Janelle says that she is confident that her condo was a smart investment. She feels that because of the appeal of the overall Bridges community plan, it will be easy to sublet or sell her condo if Europe calls in the future.

Of course, it was Bella Lusso that Janelle fell in love with immediately, and she says that this was due in large part to the standard specifications of the building. Features that would often be upgrades in a new condo building, such as a gas fireplace, garburetor, nine foot. ceilings, heated flooring and stainless steel appliances, were all standard at Bella Lusso. Janelle loved that she didn’t have to purchase even one upgrade to make the suite her dream home; although she says that she is now seriously considering adding a washer and dryer to her condo, which will increase the cost.

She also says that the 74-suite project has a very European feel to it. Given that she has fallen in love with the European look and lifestyle over the past year, this is perfect for Janelle.

Bucci Development Ltd. also built Bella Citta, which is also located in The Bridges. Both Bella Citta and Bella Lusso are
sold out.    CL