Hawthorne Homes, however, may have the answer for renters looking to break into the homeowner market without breaking the bank.

Calgary was handed the dubious honour by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) as having the most expensive rental housing in the country, and in October 2007 average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment was pegged at $1,089. This compared to $1,084 in Vancouver and $1,061 in Toronto (Edmonton is a distant fifth at $958).

The future for renters looks even tougher as vacancy rates are at a disheartening 1.6 percent, the third-lowest in the country.

But given that owning a home is out of the question for many of the newcomers to the city who are fuelling its growth, Hawthorne Homes has come up with a project that may hold the key to the housing quandary. A new apartment-style condo will begin construction in the southeast community of New Brighton by next spring and can be seen as one of the more creative solutions to Calgary’s pressing housing problem.

Hawthorne Homes’ marketing manager, Kate Lario, says the Motif three-storey apartment-style condo building will have 72 total suites ranging from 824 square-feet to 1,202 square-feet.

“This project is designed to be an entry-level product at a lower price point in order to allow more people to enter the market,” Lario says. “It also has some appeal to the move-down buyer, people who are downsizing from a larger home and no longer want to deal with stairs and exterior maintenance like shovelling snow and mowing the lawn.”

There will be seven different floor plans for buyers to select from to fit their individual lifestyles. With prices starting at $227,900 plus GST, it looks to be a very affordable way of escaping rental headaches.

Floor plans feature open designs that maximize the space provided. The Trenton is 824 square-feet with two bedrooms (one of which can be easily converted into a den), one bathroom and welcome in-suite laundry. The kitchen is a study in economy and style with a central island that makes a great focal point for entertaining and a convenient stage for quick meals on the go.

The Townsend is 944 square-feet with two bedrooms and two baths, a plan perfect for a young family starting life together. But what these designs all share is they are not your typical studio-style apartments, but instead were thoughtfully designed to be lived in—rather than just a pit stop from work.

Lario adds that the Motif will suit perfectly the needs of young singles and couples aged 25 to 34, but will also appeal to the move-down buyer (50-plus).

In addition, buyers also get all the benefits of living in New Brighton, one of the most carefully developed communities in Calgary.

“Hawthorne Homes is a division of Carma Developers LP which built (the community of) New Brighton, so buyers get the extra peace of mind that they will be living in one of our master-planned communities. Every homeowner in New Brighton also has access to the New Brighton Club with year-round amenities and activities,” she says. “We are close to schools, shopping, restaurants and other amenities that make life easier.”

There will be a new sales centre on the actual site opening in spring/summer 2008, but currently the project is being sold out of the New Brighton Mosaic site at 55 New Brighton Gardens S.E. “We have a registration page for people seeking information at http://www.hawthorneliving.ca, and they can also email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address),” Lario says. 

New Brighton Community

New Brighton seems like a perfect setting for tea socials and croquet matches, where a horse-drawn carriage would not seem out of place; it captures that Old English countryside character down to a tee.

Developed by award-winning residential community developer, Carma, New Brighton has become one of the more established neighbourhoods in the southeast with plenty of nearby amenities—including plenty of nearby shopping centers and restaurants—yet still retain that peaceful serenity that is so rare in city life today.

One of the best things going for New Brighton is its golden location. With the Marquis of Lorne Trail and Deerfoot Trail nearby and the newly improved 52 Street right outside its entrance, residents have easy access to the rest of the city and the advantage of living at a good jumping point for a quick weekend getaway to Kananaskis.

Carma says all 640 acres of New Brighton will have a “vast amount of open green spaces that will include various gardens, parks, tot-lots, pathways and three sites available for future school and playground development.”

One of its many advantages is the New Brighton Club, a community association facility with a modern approach to what a community hall should be like, complete with a water park area, tennis and basketball courts and a children’s play area.

New Brighton is one of the youngest communities in the city and as might be expected, there are still no schools within the community, itself. But education for the children is pretty handy, as there is a wide selection of schools—public, separate or even French Immersion—in neighbouring communities.