Kelowna Capital News
Sunday, May 2, 2010

Randy Shier, president of the Mission Group, talks about his company’s new Kelowna residential development.

Mode is the fisrt residential building in Kelowna to use solar-power to pre-heat the domestic hot water system.

Shauna Nyrose
CONTRIBUTOR

Tell us about The Mission Group- how long have you been in building new home communities and what you have built over the last few years?

Mission Group was formed in 2003 as a partnership between four long time friends. The principals, including Jon Friesen, Gerald Heinrichs, George Summach and myself, have all been in the building and development business for many years. Our completed new home communities are some of the most recognizable in Kelowna. These include Mission Shores, Verve in Glenmore and Amberhill in Kettle Valley. We have also completed two communities in the Lower Mainlaind, Sage Townhomes and Ocean Bay Villas.

Right now we are selling two remaining exclusive waterfront properties at Sheerwater and the contemporary living spaces of Mode in central Kelowna.

And we are excited about our newest community, Dwell Cityhomes, which will be opening on May 15th.

Briefly give us an overview of the Mode?

Mode was built with an Inspired Green approach and is the first residential building in Kelowna to use solar-power to pre-heat the domestic hot water system. Mode is located next to the Landmark Business Centre in central Kelowna, and is also the first multi-family residential building in the emerging area.

Sales at Mode have been steady with an average of three sales per month and we have seen heightened interest and traffic, as buyers want to beat the HST.

We have found that our buyers appreciate the variety of contemporary designed living spaces offered at Mode. The remaining homes include a beautiful 2 bedroom furnished display home priced at $259,900. The other four remaining homes at Mode feature a top floor Jr. 1 bedroom at $179,900, a 1 bedroom + den, also on the top floor, at $219,900, a corner 2 bedroom home at $239,900 and a bright and spacious, 1,053 Sq Ft. two bedroom + den, with vaulted ceilings, and large deck. Offered at $309,900, this top-floor, corner home is Mode’s largest and most luxurious.  (View Listings).

What makes it such a great fit for the Landmark community?

Along with the Inspired Green approach, Mode is also built with many hi-tech features. The building has fibre-optic cable to the door through Telus, which will allow for the next generation of Internet service (10 times faster than ADSL). Each home also has the Telus Smart Box and iPod docking stations.

Tell us a little about your location and the key amenities in the area.

The location is great, as it really is very central. Downtown, Lower Mission, Orchard Park and Rutland are all just a short drive away, and it’s within walking distance to the Parkinson Rec Centre and many shops and businesses, like Valaroso, Choices and Quality Greens. It is also close to transit, which is important for students at UBC-O, and to the future highway pedestrian overpass to be built this year.

Mode really has been a hot seller this spring. What’s different or unique about Mode? Why is it important to homebuyers?

Many buyers are attracted to the Inspired Green design. The many green features reduce monthly expenses, and keep the strata fees down. The contemporary kitchens feature low maintenance solid surface countertops and lots of cupboards space, and the homes themselves have a very chic, uptown feel to them, which our buyers really like. As well, Hi-tech features will provide for future upgrades for Internet service, for those who download large files (graphic designers, gamers etc). And finally, the functional designs of the home plans make the best use of space, and have allowed us to keep the prices affordable.

Who are your key buyer groups and why have they chose your new community to live?

The buyers are a mix of singles, couples and investors. The owner-occupiers are choosing Mode because of the affordability, central location, functional layouts and contemporary design. The investors are attracted to Mode because of the location. With so many businesses in the immediate area, as well as CATO (Centre for Arts & Technology, Okanagan), the homes should always be attractive to renters.

Mission Group has won several distinguished awards. Tell us about them.

The Mission Group has won many awards, the most meaningful being the Tommie Award for Outstanding Customer Service, which we won in 2007 and 2009.

Mode also won the Mayor’s Award for Most Sustainable Development and features dual flush toilets, drought resistant landscaping, low E windows and low VOC carpets and paints.

How has the development industry changed in the last few years, and how does Mode address this ‘new reality’?

Obviously, the market has changed dramatically in the past year. Most of the homes at Mode were sold prior to the downturn in the market, but in order to sell the remaining homes, the prices have been discounted to reflect the current market conditions. At Mission Group, we are really passionate about creating places where people want to live, and we always try to create communities that are unique in the marketplace. Mode is a really good example and the robust sales this spring are a great indication that we’ve hit the mark.

What have been some new innovations and/or trends in development in the past couple of years?

Certainly, building in a sustainable manner has become more important. Not only is this important in making the homes more energy efficient, but it is also a consideration during construction, where the use of local and recycled materials are more important. Densification and designing functional spaces are also more important as we all try to live more efficiently and minimize our environmental footprint.

How has sustainability and the environment played a part in your building process and the industry?

As I mentioned, it has certainly impacted planning and building, but it has yet to really take hold with homebuyers. Buyers have yet to put much of a premium on green initiatives. People still want to live in the best home in the neighborhood that best fits their lifestyle. If they are choosing between two homes that they value the same, environmental considerations will make the difference, but most people are not yet willing to pay more. So, it really comes down to the builder doing what is right for the environment, and creating sustainable homes that can be sold at competitive prices.

Why do you choose to build in the Okanagan?

The lifestyle in the Okanagan is hard to beat, and we are very optimistic about the long-term economic outlook. This will always be a desirable place to live.

Where is the community and how can interested buyers view the homes?

Our sales team hosts an open house from noon to 3pm daily (except Mondays and Fridays) at Mode, 1550 Dickson Ave. You can make arrangements to view the homes by contacting Darcy Nyrose at 250-575-1946.

Are there upcoming communities we should watch out for that you are launching soon?

As mentioned, our newest townhome community, Dwell, will be opening on May 15th. More information is available on the community website at www.dwelluptop.ca