The Home Tribe Real Estate Blog

As soon as you move into Parkview you will feel like you have lived there all your life – the whole community becomes your family, and everyone will be waving to you on their morning walks. 

Parkview is a mature, west-end neighbourhood bordered by the Edmonton’s River Valley to the east, 149^th Street, 87^th Avenue/Buena Vista Road, and MacKenzie Ravine. Those familiar with the area know that it is also informally split into two sub- neighbourhoods: Valleyview (east of 142^nd Street) and Parkview (west of 142^nd Street).  

HOMES

With original homes dating back to the mid 1950s and brand-new infill homes, no two houses are alike. Parkview attracts residents in all stages of life: new families, retired couples, young professionals, and all those seeking an authentic community. It is also refreshing to see the community turn over after a few decades, as children who used to live in Parkview are now moving their own families back into the neighbourhood.

Real estate opportunities in Parkview consist predominantly of single-family homes, many with new upgrades and all with lots of character. However, there are also opportunities for semi-detached homes and walk-up apartment style condos. Because of its desirable location, many new homeowners are opting for the trendiest infill homes with less square footage to maintain but just as much pizazz. 

If you’ve ever gone for a Sunday cruise or detoured your bike ride to Valleyview Drive, you’ll be familiar with Parkview’s well-admired luxury homes. Known for boasting some of the west-end’s most fabulous properties, there is no shortage of “ooh-ing” and “ahh-ing” at Parkview houses. All equally as memorable and inspiring as the next. 

As the years pass, more and more irreparable mid-century homes are being replaced with infills or grand modern homes, a testament to the neighbourhood’s dynamism. But if you’re someone who loves the originality of old character homes, you’ll be pleased to see many homes with their original foundation, finishings, and flare. And if you’re lucky, you might run into someone who is the original owner of their home and would love to have you over for tea to tell you about the history of the neighbourhood.

SHOPS

As most of the neighbourhood can confirm, the hottest place to be is at the Valleyview Shopping Centre on 142^nd Street. Home to the famous IGA and neighbourhood’s social hub, Rebel, this shopping centre is where you’ll run into your neighbours and catch up with old friends. We’ve been advised not to wear our pyjamas there as it’s rumoured you’ll always see someone you know! 

A hat’s off to Parkview wouldn’t be complete without giving mention to Andy’s IGA. As a family-run business, Andy and his family have served Parkview and surrounding areas for countless years. As a strong supporter of the community’s youth and events, Andy’s IGA offers a warm welcome every time you go. The superb customer service, delicious doughnuts, and newly paved parking lot are reason enough to go back every single day. As a Century Hospitality Group restaurant, Rebel is a gathering place for family and friends in the community, offering an innovative selection of menu items. Whether it’s for brunch on the weekends or drinks after work, their casual but upscale dining experience will quickly convince you to become a regular. Fun fact: the manager of Rebel used to own and operate the Italian restaurant that occupied that space before – talk about commitment to the community!

COMMUTING

If the style of the homes, the culture of the neighbourhood, or the nearby amenities don’t win you over, Parkview’s proximity to every major commuting route will seal the deal. Here are some of the highlights:

• 8 minutes from downtown Edmonton
• 5 minutes from the Whitemud (and subsequently the Anthony Henday)
• 10 minutes from the Yellowhead
• 20 minutes from the University of Alberta campus
• 30 minutes to Edmonton International Airport

You’re never far from the action when you’re located in Parkview, including on foot or other! With maintained sidewalks, side roads, and trails, getting around via alternative methods of transportation is convenient and accessible. 

SCHOOLS/RECREATION

Parkview is a great community to support families with school-aged kids. Right in the heart of the community sits Parkview School (elementary and junior high) and St. Rose Catholic Junior High. However, there are numerous schools in surrounding neighbourhoods including St. Francis Xavier, Archbishop MacDonald, and Ross Sheppard High Schools, Crestwood School, and St. Paul Elementary. For families with young children, Parkview Community League also offers Preschool and Kindercare programs. The Community League hosts community soccer teams, has tennis courts in the summer, and floods a community skating rink in the winter. 

Living up to its name, there is no shortage of green space, parks, and places for outdoor recreation in Parkview. If you don’t feel like making your way down to the Buena Vista Dog Park, the Valleyview Drive off-leash area is easily accessible, offering a complete view of downtown Edmonton and the University of Alberta. This is also a great road for a family bike ride, to catch the Canada Day fireworks, or to watch the full moon rise over downtown every month. In the summer (post-COVID, of course), you may want to take your lawn chair to the lookout points to be serenaded by summer concerts in Hawrelak Park as the music drifts up the valley. 

You’re also walking distance from Hawrelak Park so you’ll never have to fight for parking to attend Edmonton’s Heritage Days, the World Triathlon, or a casual park day picnic on the weekend.  

As if anyone ever needed a reason to move into Parkview, we think there are many attractive qualities to Parkview and Valleyview. If you feel dazzled by the community and want to explore your residential options, reach out to one of our TruHome agents who will help you find the perfect home in Parkview – there is no shortage!

Personalized Engagements Net Results

Strength is better in numbers. That statement rang true in November when the final suite in Elm Developments’ 189-unit Hampton Gardens was leased. The strategic partnership between Elm Developments, TruHome, and McCor Property Management ensured that despite the challenges 2020 brought, the Gardens outperformed similar southwest Edmonton properties and was leased at 100% capacity at the end of November. 

At TruHome, we held home-court advantage, supporting Ontario-based Elm Developments through their first Alberta development. Our extensive leasing experience, hyper-local marketing expertise, in-depth knowledge of the community, and social media engagement helped Elm understand the exclusive social and demographic needs of the Hamptons. These assets helped future tenants understand the value of the community, the location, and the amenities available to them in the surrounding areas.

With COVID, we could no longer rely on traditional methods like open houses and events to showcase new units. What can you expect from us?

• Highly personalized showings
• A safe environment, sanitizer, and social distancing
• An exclusive atmosphere, just for you.

The above strategies quickly made available Hamptons Gardens units a hot commodity, and we have continued to offer these personalized touchpoints for clients. 

The Hamptons’ rapid lease-up is uncommon, particularly here in Edmonton. Urban Analytics, a partner of TruHome, shared that  “It’s uncommon for buildings to fill this quickly, especially without incentives. The fact that TruHome and McCor were able to outperform the average occupancy time frame by 50% indicates that the units were priced appropriately, and the rent was kept consistent during the leasing process.” These are all considerations that you should expect from an experienced real estate team. For reference, the average time to fill similar complexes in Alberta is approximately 18 months, more than 50% longer than the Gardens.

If you’re a developer looking to enhance your next rental or for sale project, our team of experts can help you get the results you want. Let’s chat further about how we can help personalize your project to meet its maximum potential. 

With pandemic restrictions in Alberta for the long haul, residents of the Hamptons are enjoying an indoor oasis in their new homes, with luxurious on-site amenities including European inspired kitchens, and styled bathrooms for spa-inspired relaxation. Sound like the slice of paradise you’ve been dreaming of? 

Give us a call or send us a message to chat more about what we can do for you. Because without the promise of a tropical vacation on your horizon, and dropping temperatures here in YEG, you deserve to have your home be the getaway you’ve always wanted. 

1. You’ll Love The Viking Theme

According to the Encylcopedia of Brittanica: Valhalla, Old Norse Valhöll, in Norse mythology, the hall of slain warriors, who live there blissfully under the leadership of the god Odin. Valhalla is depicted as a splendid palace, roofed with shields, where the warriors feast on the flesh of a boar slaughtered daily and made whole again each evening. They drink liquor that flows from the udders of a goat, and their sport is to fight one another every day.

The Valhalla in Oliver, lives up to this name with playful Viking imagery through out the building and with its other aesthetic elements.

2. The Valhalla Is Pet Friendly

That’s right, this building welcomes your furry friends, including larger size dogs. Man’s Best Friend offers a wonderful opportunity to say hello to your neighbours.

3. The Valhalla Is Child Friendly

This building is extremely inclusive and definitely checks off “positive” points with the Child Friendly Housing Coalition of Alberta. As more families want to stay in central Edmonton, condos are becoming more of a norm when raising your family. It is great to know, that if you choose to buy in the Valhalla, you’ll never be pressured to leave if you find out your expecting.

4. The Valhalla Offers Incredible Views

To the south of the Valhalla Condos in Edmonton, you have our unbelievable river valley and to the north you have panoramic views of downtown. No matter which direction you face, the units in the Valhalla offer bright, open windows and gorgeous views.

5. The Valhalla Cares About Your Safety

Based on the efforts made to ensure the safety and welling being of their residents, you could say the Valhalla is as safe as Fort Knox. The building had a huge audit done, including seeing if a person could scale up to the large communal deck facing the river valley and trust us when we say they could teach other buildings strategies for maintaining a safe and peaceful building. Experience, new and increased lighting, new door latches, new fencing and a whole bunch of over cool stuff (well cool if you understand the nuances of this).

6. The Valhalla Supports Alternative Transportation: Bikers Welcome

Want to live in central Edmonton and prefer to bike everywhere? The Valhalla Condo in Oliver has you covered. There is no reason you have to store your bike in your condo or track up the elements to your floor, when there is a bike room in the parkade and hooks available for bikes in each parking stall. For those who can’t live without your car, they also offer a tire storage room for your winter/summer tires.

7. People Who Live In The Valhalla Are Social

It isn’t often when you find a larger building with a great sense of community belonging. At the Valhalla, residents are encouraged to get together every once in a while with offerings of Christmas movie nights, annual “yard” sales and even the option to pay for yoga classes available right in the building. There are also great gathering spots including a place to play pool, a breathtaking patio to hang out on and even social room you can book for events or get-togethers.

8. You Don’t Have To Leave To Work Out

No need to pay for a separate gym membership, when everything you need is right in your building. Enjoy the work out equipment where you have the best views in the city. Who wouldn’t want to work out while looking at the River Valley. Not to mention, if you enjoy swimming, this is one of the few private buildings that has maintained an amazing pool for residents to enjoy. Truthfully, I’ve been tempted to visit and get a work-out/swim in because it really is that nice.

9. Overall The Valhalla Is A Well Maintained Building

You may not be buying new here, but you are buying a piece of Edmonton history in a building with a great condo board that is doing a good job of maintaining and upgrading the building. Many of the major upgrades have been completed and a good portion of the condo fees are dedicated to the reserve fund for long term planning and peace of mind for residents.

10. Ideal Spot In Central Edmonton For Urban Nature Lovers

Located right on the River Valley, the Valhalla is perfect for those who love to get out and enjoy Edmonton’s scenic river valley. Whether you like jogging, cycling, or even segwaying with River Valley Adventure Co., Edmonton offers a true gem of outdoor delights.

We can’t say enough wonderful things about the Valhalla, however, there is 1 more benefit – you can move into this building between the low $200,000 and mid $300,000’s. This make this condo a perfect for first time home buyers, people looking to down-size and even investors. Take a look at the Edmonton Condos For Sale In The Valhalla today.

Welcome Home to Klarvatten and this lovely 2 Storey home with finished basement. Walk in and view this well-kept home featuring a dedicated living room and kitchen space complete with kitchen island, pantry and updated Stainless steel appliances. Enjoy the natural light from your south facing backyard complete with large storage shed and double detached garage that backs onto Klarvatten park. Upstairs, you will discover 3 bedrooms with the master bedroom boasting a 3 piece ensuite bathroom and a walk-in closet. Adding to the beautiful appeal of this home is the fully finished basement complete with yet another bathroom and places to sit back and relax. Perfect for a young family with a quick walk to schools, parks and green spaces including a huge sports field with a soccer pitch and baseball diamond. This truly is a move in ready home boasting everything you would want and need!

See the listing HERE