Mattamy Homes Rounds the Bend into Duffin Heights

I broke this news a few days ago on the Moving into Mattamy Seaton Creekside Forums. What do you mean you missed it? Okay well you need to head there now and check it out.

So what can you expect in my post?

• The details of the planning process that the city and the builders have been working on for what seems like forever now.


• Mattamy Homes' score on the "Sustainable Development Scoring System"


• Previews of the "desired" street scapes, paths, and intersections that will make-up the Duffin Heights portion of Brock Rd. as per the city


• How the mixed-use corridor will situate shops, townhomes and homes

Oh yeah, and also you'll get the EXCLUSIVE on the important dates leading up to Council Approval which seems right around the corner!

All of this comes at the low introductory price of FREE.99!! All you have to do is register for our Forums at the top right of the page and start enjoying all the information listed above!

Things are Playing into the Buyers' Hands More Each Day

Article from the Toronto Star this morning about the large declines in new-home starts. They use a Pickering town-home builder as an example of the struggles that new-home builders are facing right now. Here are some of the highlights:

Roof caves in on housing starts

CMHC forecasts a 22% drop in Ontario this year as global credit crunch takes toll on home builders

If time had been on Murray Koebel's side, there would be 45 new homes built on his Pickering site by this summer. But when he opened his sales office seven months ago, he was just in time for the credit crunch in October that dramatically stalled the market for home builders in
North America. "I don't think this is necessarily even about price – it's about confidence. People are just nervous to buy when you have all this bad news," said Koebel, a veteran builder who has been developing homes since 1981.

Grim outlook for the new home starts

According to a forecast released yesterday by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., housing starts in Ontario are expected to drop by more than 22 per cent this year, to 58,250 units, before rebounding by 1.9 per cent in 2010. Koebel is all too representative of those numbers. He expected to finish work on his site this year, but because of slow sales, has pushed his Steeple Hill development back to 2010. Over the past year, he has dropped the price of his homes three times, in $10,000 increments, and offered incentives such as hardwood upgrades and appliances.

and that sad Pickering builder struggles to get financing...

Koebel said if he started selling a year earlier, he would have been sold out by now. So far, he has sold six of the 45 units. He figures he needs to sell between 10 to 15 units before he obtains bank financing.

Read the entire article in our Forums.

Mark Your Calendars! Update: Agenda looks boring!

Pickering City Hall has posted this little nugget today as something to look forward to in the next 11 days. Could this finally be the meeting that gives the developers the green light to break ground in Duffin Heights? We hope so! Stay Tuned!

Mark this date on your calendar...and attend and give us the scoop!

Monday, February 2, 2009 - 3:00 PM - Main Committee Room
Special Planning & Development Committee Meeting
Re: Development of the Duffin Heights Neighbourhood

On the same day, the Ontario Realty Corp will be presenting their draft plan for the subdivision that will go up just to the south of Creekside.

Big things for February 2nd it seems!

UPDATE:

This is the agenda for the February 2nd meeting...

Welcome and Introductions by the Chair
I MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION PAGES
PART A
1 Urban Design
Mixed Use Corridor
Presentation by City staff and The Planninq Partnership
PART B
2 Road Profile
Relationship to Land Uses
Presentation by City staff and The Planninq Partnership
PART C
3 Sustainable Design
Neighbourhood Subdivision Buildings
Presentation by City staff
II NEXT STEPS
Review of next steps by City staff

Pickering: No to Airport. Mattamy: Yes to "Home-Domes"

So the Airport drama is back for the 09 edition. Rightfully so, the city of Pickering has re-stated its position regarding the airport. Their position, a unanimous NO***! Okay so its not a cut-and-dry, flat-out no but seeing as how long it's taken to build a few houses, this is going to take another 30 years. The article reports,

"Rumours are swirling that Minister of Finance and Whitby-Oshawa MP Jim Flaherty will approve the proposed Pickering airport in next week's fiscal stimulus package. In 1972, the federal government expropriated 18,600 acres of farmland for the possibility of an airport in north Pickering. But a shovel hasn't yet touched the ground. An environmental assessment is scheduled to be complete this year."

Seaton (those hoping to live in the later phases located North of Taunton Rd) and many Northwest Markham residents, , will definitely have the airport on their minds as they worry about noise, pollution, and plane crashes if the government finally puts the shovel to the dirt after hemming and hawing since '78.

"It's time the federal government made a decision one way or another on the airport," he said, adding the size of the pipes slated for the Seaton community will be dependant on whether or not there's going to be an airport. As well, potential Seaton residents have a right to know if they'll be living next to an airport.

Almost immediately after the announcement, Mattamy Homes has announced** that homes built in close proximity to the airport will be sold with sound deadening foundations, fencing, insulation and an optional retractable dome capsules will maintain a pollution-free environment available through the design centre. Pricing has yet to be announced on the "Home-Domes" but is expected to run $100-200k!

***"the Federal Minister of Finance and the Regional Chair of Durham Region do not advocate for federal infrastructure funding for an airport in Pickering until such time as a viable and accepted business case can be presented."

**Mattamy Homes only announced this in my dreams. Please do not email them about this.


UPDATE:

Mattamy has released an artists rendition of the proposed "Home-Domes" which they state "preserves the beauty of its trademarked WideLot Homes." Townhouse owner unfortunately will not have the dome feature available to them. Hear-muff sales will definitely see a spike in sales in the coming years.*

*Even my update is a fictitious story. But you knew that already.

Discuss the airport in Seaton and read the full article in the MiSC Forums!

Will 2009 Be the Year?

My correspondence with an insider in the company has 2008 coming to an end with still many answers that need be had, planning that seems never-ending and a shiny new sales centre that will remain empty and unloved until 2009. Don't expect any 2008 opening dates as the timeline has moved to a hopeful "early" 2009 opening. They are in the process of planning not only for the subdivisions but planning the entire community. This we are all aware of thanks to your most favouritest blog this side of the internet. In the meantime, if you haven't already seen them, check out the plans for Mattamy Homes, Coughlan Homes and Lebovic's in our forum. The forum only displays to those with FREE registered accounts.

So from now till next year, I'll be busy watching as my mutual funds deteriorate into Canadian Tire Money and the rest of the economy goes down into the crapper.

October 20th, 2008

So the date came and went. Nary an update, posting, article, minutes of meeting to be found. We can only wait and hope for the day to come....

In the meantime, Seaton Creekside is now #1 on the Coming Soon list after the offerings for Castlemore Crossing and Ancaster Arbor were released to the masses on the weekend. You can see the price and home offerings for these sites at Mattamy Homes' official website.

Much Ado About Soil the Sequel

Mattamy has made another failed attempt to gain an exemption to do early topsoil work on its Duffin's Heights land in the hopes of getting a jumpstart on its grading and land prep before the winter season.

Mattamy is one of four big developers in the Duffin Heights Neighbourhood and plans to build 208 detached homes, 112 townhouses and a mixed-use corridor. The committee referred the bylaw exemption request to October for more information on Mattamy's draft plan proposal, the sustainable component of the proposed development and tree preservation and removal. Unhappy with the plans at Monday's meeting, the committee referred it to the Oct. 20 Council meeting.

Once again, the planning and development committee are not eager to let the developers get to their land anytime before all plans have been approved.

Mattamy on the other hand says, "well the land is for building homes and shops so let us get to now because its ours and we gonna dig it up and tear it down all the same!" while wagging their tongues at city officials.

October 20th, seems to be the meeting where all this will be settled, where all questions are answered and the score will be settled. The battle of the century...


Stay tuned for the next installment.

Full article is available at the Moving into Seaton Creekside Forums.

Pickering: Mattamy and friends we're NOT too impressed

So last week I told you about that 30-page plan that was put together by the 4 Seaton Builders own consultants, well it seems as though the city's councilors were not coloured too impressed by the sustainability initiatives that they had proposed for Duffin's Heights.

The ESP, put together by the Sernas Group Inc. on behalf of the Duffin Heights Landowners Group (Cougs Limited, Mattamy Limited, Lebovic Enterprises Limited and the Ontario Realty Corporation) is a detailed document that defines the Natural Heritage System boundaries and addresses transportation and municipal infrastructure requirements such as parks, trails and stormwater management
facilities.

and they go on to say...

Some changes to the Pickering Official Plan and the Duffin's Heights
Development Guidelines will have to be made for the plan to go through.

View the full article at the Moving into Seaton Creekside Forums.

****MiSC EXCLUSIVE: Things get real Official!****

EXTRA! EXTRA! So the big news last week was that Clay Aiken suprisingly came out of closet and so did Lindsay Lohan (ok neither were much of a surprise to anyone who has a pulse) but this week your favourite blog MiSC (Moving into Seaton Creekside), has the scoop of the week for you. Seaton Creekside has "come out of the closet" per se. Above is what u think it is...Yup thats it!! You're right!! You Got it!

The residential plans for Duffin's Heights have confirmed that URFE creek, part of Duffin's Creek is where our kids and their kids will be swimming and fishing and flying kites with the family! To see the residential plans for the developments from Lebovic Homes, the Ontario Realty Corporation, Coughlan Homes and of course our dear, dear Mattamy Homes please visit our very own Moving into Seaton Creekside Forums.

You can view the site plans here first!!


But the goodies will be forum members only. So please take a minute and sign up for the forums. They're FREE and a great way for everyone to share information!!

Mattamy Home builder of the Year says the OHBA

If winning the J.D. Power and Associates award x 3 wasn't enough, Mattamy homes took home the honour of being the 2008 Home Builder of the Year Award from the association.

So you ask, "What does it take to win this prestigious award?"

The Toronto Star explains:

The Builder of the Year award is based on home buyer surveys and judging of aspects such as sales and marketing, floor plan design, community service, industry support and the ability to adapt to changing needs.

Bravo and kudos to Mattamy once again for putting the competition to shame!
They definitely know how to rack up the awards! Maple Leafs take note!

As well, this weekend Mattamy Homes has announced the Fall Special Savings Event where they are slashing prices to bailout all of the US financial institutions underwater!! Wait a minute, this sale has been going on for months now! :/

An "official" Announcement!.......(well not really)

Above is a picture of the sales centre site taken this afternoon. I spoke to a very friendly uniformed guard (pictured above) whom they have hired to monitor the site and asked if he knew when the construction would be done and he replied, "in about 2 weeks." When I asked him who told him that and if it was his boss he said, "Umm...Me...thats what I think." With a smile I said goodbye and he waved as I pull out of the lot.

So it looks like its official, he has made the announcement that in about 2 weeks the sales centre will be done...construction that is....and after that we can wait longer for grand opening while the sales centre building itself depreciates in value while the world prepares for an economic dive.

View the latest pics from the Sales Centre site here at the Creekside forums.

Luckily, we can also look forward to what transpired in this months Seaton Advisory Comittee meeting which re-adjourned this month after taking the summer months off. As soon as the minutes of that meeting have been posted I'm sure we'll have more insight as to what will happen for 2008.

Sorry for the sarcasm false hope in this post, theres just nothing much to write about...again...

We are the Champions, My Friend!

Back-to-back Champs, Mattamy Homes, took the crown once again in 2008 to complete the 3-peat for the J.D. Power and Associates trophy. For the 3rd straight year, Mattamy Homes has been number one in satisfying its new-home buyers.

Now, how 'bout we get the ball rolling on Creekside, Mattamy, and you'll have more satisfied customers to vote for you next year!!?!?! Novel idea huh?!

Furthermore,

The study also finds that the proportion of homes delivered "defect-free" has increased in the GTA market-up from 8 percent in 2007 to 12 percent in 2008. Builder quality efforts have resulted in a reduction in the total
number of construction problems noted by buyers-down to 21 per home in 2008 from
23 per home in 2007.

See the entire article in the Seaton Creekside Forums.