Centerline Homes' reputation for innovative design and great locations is proving to be very successful at Georgian Oaks, Fort Lauderdale's next great single-family neighborhood.
Priced from $394,900 these 3 bedroom and loft, or 4- and 5-bedroom detached residences, offer Centerline Homes' "legendary" included feature package, in an intimate setting, east of I-95 and close to downtown.
"The location is just one of the reasons that we're already over 80 percent sold-out, and we have saved some of our best locations and floor plans until now."
says Deb Marton vice-president of sales for Centerline Homes.
"In July, we celebrated the grand opening of our Scarlet Oak model, and the interior decor was created to appeal to a wide variety of buyers. The design is sophisticated, and highlights the tremendous livability of the home, while incorporating a color scheme and spirit that is very ‘today' and perfect for Fort Lauderdale's unique indoor/outdoor lifestyle. We're also proudly displaying our included features. With the exception of the pool package and some decorative paint and woodwork, there's less than $10,000 worth of upgrades in the model."
Buyers are responding very well to included features. These include impact-resistant windows and doors; maple kitchen cabinetry, with 42-inch upper cabinets and crown molding detail, a stainless steel Whirlpool kitchen appliance package; dual-zone air-conditioning, granite bathroom and kitchen countertops; concrete tile roofs, 18-inch ceramic tile flooring (throughout first floor living areas); kitchen islands with pendant lighting, an iron picket stair rail, laundry rooms with built-in cabinets, laundry tub and washer/dryer; and elegant traditional architecture with brick-paver driveway and much more.
Each of the plans offered at Georgian Oaks offers a unique layout designed specifically for a wide variety of family sizes and types. Typical of this thought process is The Laurel Oak, a home that features a separate owner suite on the first and second levels. "This model has generated a lot of interest," says Marton. "Multi-generational families, roommates and families who have frequent seasonal visitors love the idea of the second suite."
Saturday 29 September 2012
Future’s on track at Coquitlam's Grand Central
When Intergulf first launched its Grand Central 1 tower adjacent to Coquitlam Centre in 2007, the comparison to New York City’s Grand Central Station was perhaps a bit premature. Utilizing a glamorous marketing campaign that was perhaps more Fifth Avenue than Northern Avenue, Grand Central has definitely changed the way that people view Coquitlam. Five years later and two highly successful sell-outs later, Grand Central 3 is coming onto the market—and there will be some subtle changes, according to Macartney Greenfield, Project Manager for Rennie Marketing Systems.
“People who are thinking about buying into Grand Central 3 are definitely going to be part of a complete community that has really evolved since we started with Grand Central 1,” she says. “The whole vibe out here has changed, with world class brands like Lululemon and The Apple Store now opening at Coquitlam Centre.”
From the authentic sushi joint on Glen Drive to the aroma of fresh baked goods at the Persian bakery – Urban Gate has truly become a family oriented and eclectic neighbourhood. These highrises are close to established neighbourhoods and malls that have been re-imagined and re-purposed to suit contemporary lifestyles.
Grand Central 3 is Intergulf’s final tower in Coquitlam and the last chance to purchase either a home or an investment in a high value, premium amenity concrete highrise. “We’ve looked at the unit mix and are offering more of the smaller homes in this phase,” she explains. “Our one and dens really flew off the shelves in the first two phases, and so you’ll see more of those in Grand Central 3. We’ll also offer 100 homes priced under $299,000, which represents tremendous value in a transit-oriented community. We’re steps from Coquitlam Centre and endless shops, services and restaurants, and we’ll be just a three-minute walk from the future Evergreen Line when it’s completed in 2016.”
Grand Central appeals to buyers wanting to get in on the Lower Mainland’s hottest real estate market and “get into an evolving community,” Greenfield says. “Grand Central 3 appeals to the empty nesters that are looking to downsize from their single-family homes; young couples looking to start a family, and first-time home buyers looking for value and convenience.” For the latter group, especially, it’s a great way to put down some roots and enter the market.
The striking 37-storey concrete and glass Grand Central 3 has been designed by the award-winning IBI Group. Luxury starts in the lobby, with a soaring double-height designer entrance with contemporary interior design by Lot 30 Design Inc. Spacious terraces and balconies enhance outdoor living, while the expansive windows optimize natural light and city and mountain views.
Interiors offer a choice of two contemporary colour schemes: ebony and rosewood, with laminate wood flooring throughout living and dining rooms and cozy wall-to-wall nylon carpeting throughout bedrooms. Smart horizontal blinds offer both shade and privacy
In the kitchen, choose from contemporary wood veneer cabinetry in ebony or rosewood. Quartz countertops are complemented by elegant marble or limestone tile backsplash. Top quality stainless steel appliances by KitchenAid include a 24-inch dishwasher, 30-inch gas range cooktop and self-cleaning electric oven, over-the-range integrated microwave/hood fan and integrated or full size refrigerator depending on your home.
Bathrooms feature quartz countertops, a stylish soaker tub and undermount counter sink, modern Moen faucets and fixtures, a slim profile dual flush toilet and quality porcelain tile floor. Laundry rooms have matching full-size appliances by Whirlpool—a 5-cycle front load washer and 5.7 cu.ft. front load capacity dryer.
“Grand Central’s amenity package matches its incredible location,” Greenfield enthuses. Homeowners can take advantage of over 1.4 acres of exterior space including the outdoor swimming pool, hot tub and his and hers change rooms. The lushly landscaped grounds are complemented by a formal garden and community garden plots, and an outdoor children’s play area. A 2500 square foot fully-equipped fitness facility features yoga and stretching rooms. After your workout, relax in the Grand Central lounge and bar with its multi-media room, party room and kitchen facility.
Safety and security are also top of mind when it comes to living at Grand Central 3, with a resident caretaker and 24-hour property management always on-call. A video intercom in the entrance and secured residential access to each floor limits access, while common areas protected by priority lock system and gated underground parking is accessed via remote control.
A trusted developer, a transit hot-spot, and a transformed community. The Grand Central vision has become a reality in Coquitlam city centre.
“People who are thinking about buying into Grand Central 3 are definitely going to be part of a complete community that has really evolved since we started with Grand Central 1,” she says. “The whole vibe out here has changed, with world class brands like Lululemon and The Apple Store now opening at Coquitlam Centre.”
From the authentic sushi joint on Glen Drive to the aroma of fresh baked goods at the Persian bakery – Urban Gate has truly become a family oriented and eclectic neighbourhood. These highrises are close to established neighbourhoods and malls that have been re-imagined and re-purposed to suit contemporary lifestyles.
Grand Central 3 is Intergulf’s final tower in Coquitlam and the last chance to purchase either a home or an investment in a high value, premium amenity concrete highrise. “We’ve looked at the unit mix and are offering more of the smaller homes in this phase,” she explains. “Our one and dens really flew off the shelves in the first two phases, and so you’ll see more of those in Grand Central 3. We’ll also offer 100 homes priced under $299,000, which represents tremendous value in a transit-oriented community. We’re steps from Coquitlam Centre and endless shops, services and restaurants, and we’ll be just a three-minute walk from the future Evergreen Line when it’s completed in 2016.”
Grand Central appeals to buyers wanting to get in on the Lower Mainland’s hottest real estate market and “get into an evolving community,” Greenfield says. “Grand Central 3 appeals to the empty nesters that are looking to downsize from their single-family homes; young couples looking to start a family, and first-time home buyers looking for value and convenience.” For the latter group, especially, it’s a great way to put down some roots and enter the market.
The striking 37-storey concrete and glass Grand Central 3 has been designed by the award-winning IBI Group. Luxury starts in the lobby, with a soaring double-height designer entrance with contemporary interior design by Lot 30 Design Inc. Spacious terraces and balconies enhance outdoor living, while the expansive windows optimize natural light and city and mountain views.
Interiors offer a choice of two contemporary colour schemes: ebony and rosewood, with laminate wood flooring throughout living and dining rooms and cozy wall-to-wall nylon carpeting throughout bedrooms. Smart horizontal blinds offer both shade and privacy
In the kitchen, choose from contemporary wood veneer cabinetry in ebony or rosewood. Quartz countertops are complemented by elegant marble or limestone tile backsplash. Top quality stainless steel appliances by KitchenAid include a 24-inch dishwasher, 30-inch gas range cooktop and self-cleaning electric oven, over-the-range integrated microwave/hood fan and integrated or full size refrigerator depending on your home.
Bathrooms feature quartz countertops, a stylish soaker tub and undermount counter sink, modern Moen faucets and fixtures, a slim profile dual flush toilet and quality porcelain tile floor. Laundry rooms have matching full-size appliances by Whirlpool—a 5-cycle front load washer and 5.7 cu.ft. front load capacity dryer.
“Grand Central’s amenity package matches its incredible location,” Greenfield enthuses. Homeowners can take advantage of over 1.4 acres of exterior space including the outdoor swimming pool, hot tub and his and hers change rooms. The lushly landscaped grounds are complemented by a formal garden and community garden plots, and an outdoor children’s play area. A 2500 square foot fully-equipped fitness facility features yoga and stretching rooms. After your workout, relax in the Grand Central lounge and bar with its multi-media room, party room and kitchen facility.
Safety and security are also top of mind when it comes to living at Grand Central 3, with a resident caretaker and 24-hour property management always on-call. A video intercom in the entrance and secured residential access to each floor limits access, while common areas protected by priority lock system and gated underground parking is accessed via remote control.
A trusted developer, a transit hot-spot, and a transformed community. The Grand Central vision has become a reality in Coquitlam city centre.
Thursday 27 September 2012
Generations Fall of Cybertron
I've taken an appreciation over the years for spaceship Transformers. I think Armada Tidal Wave and his Super Dimensional Fortress-style super battleship mode really locked that in for me and ever since I've been on the look out for toys that were or could be seen as interesting space vehicles if you just squint and tilt your head a little. And as ships go, Blast Off is certainly one of the more interesting designs to come along lately. Even more convenient given he's part of a full team set I needed to get anyway.
It's important to note before anything else that Blast Off requires immediate modifications for the toy's own safety. Thankfully they're pretty simple. There are tabs that hold Blast Off's shoulders up, but they're longer than needed to do the job, and become very difficult and stressy to insert or remove. You'll need to shorten them a little bit at a time just until the shoulder can be tabbed in or out comfortably. Be careful not to trim too much though or there won't be enough left to hold the shoulders up at all. If this step isn't performed, either the tabs or the grooves they fit in will break eventually.
That out of the way, Blast Off makes a nice figure. The general look is pretty cool, the big shoulderpads especially giving a distinctive appearance. In general, Blast Off has the kind of feeling pre-Movie Transformers were good at delivering, where they're made of vehicle chunks instead of wearing vehicle parts. It feels more visually in the spirit of Classics that way than many in the previous lines. There's a lot of generic mechanical details sculpted in on the shoulders, and the lower legs have a lot of indications of vents visible, accounting for most of the visible detailing on the toy. The yellow panels on the chest and pelvis also are sculpted with a pattern of triangular tiles, which if given a paint wash would probably make an amazing impact on the look of Blast Off in both modes. One unusual element of detailing can be found on the back of the legs and upper arms, where it appears Blast Off has jet engines pointing straight behind him. None of these elements are rear or even outward facing in vehicle mode, and the ones on the arms can't even be seen, so it has to be exclusively for robot mode. I kind of wonder if the designer didn't decide to add some apogee motors to suggest semi-realistic mobility mechanics for the robot in open space? It would fit the placement on the body at least. If that was the intent, that has easily got to be among the most specific and obscure bits of detail to find its way on a Transformers toy.
Blast Off has fair poseability. Thanks to how they transform, the knees have an extensive range of motion for being on a single hinge, and the hips move smoothly and easily around universal joints. Blast Off has very effective double elbow joints as well, and two joints around the shoulder, which should theoretically mean a hell of a range of movement for the arms. But it doesn't. It's the fault of how the transformation was engineered more than anything else, and it prevents such simple things as stretching the arm straight in front, or raising it at all out to the side. The joints in the upper arm are truly just "around" where a shoulder joint should be, and nothing actually exists at the correct place to serve that role. The arrangement of joints subsequently really limits what ways the arm can be posed, which is a shame beyond just the absence of simple movements. The robot is really nice overall, and Blast Off could have easily stood out from his team as a legitimately good robot figure independent of being part of a combiner. But the arms make sure to remind you that this is a toy with another real purpose and it's just killing time standing here solo. You can undo some of the limitation by turning the shoulderpads back and giving Blast Off monkey arms, but the gain is so limited that it's really not worth the way it spoils the look.
Where Blast Off truly shines is in the vehicle mode. Well, shines is not really the right word what with it being all dark and night-time colors, but it's certainly the strength of this toy. And I'll tell you, from the moment the press photos were released just before Toy Fair, this has reminded me strongly of some existing ship design, but in all these months I have never been able to place it. It's driving me just a little bit nuts. Whatever it may resemble, it's plainly a sci-fi take on a space shuttle, but besides the most elementary of shapes it goes far off the mark in design. The bulbous aft section gives the impression of a massive drive system, while the comparatively narrow forward half gives it a feel more like a space fighter than a bus in space. (public transportation was always Astrotrain's job anyway) What I really enjoy in the appearance of the vehicle mode is that it has the impression of many overlapping panels and irregularities to look alien, but it's also styled in such a way that it comes across a little like an Original Trilogy Star Wars ship. I'm sure there's a generally accepted term for that, but in this case I'll just call it "antique futuristic", not to be confused with retro futuristic, of course.
It's important to note before anything else that Blast Off requires immediate modifications for the toy's own safety. Thankfully they're pretty simple. There are tabs that hold Blast Off's shoulders up, but they're longer than needed to do the job, and become very difficult and stressy to insert or remove. You'll need to shorten them a little bit at a time just until the shoulder can be tabbed in or out comfortably. Be careful not to trim too much though or there won't be enough left to hold the shoulders up at all. If this step isn't performed, either the tabs or the grooves they fit in will break eventually.
That out of the way, Blast Off makes a nice figure. The general look is pretty cool, the big shoulderpads especially giving a distinctive appearance. In general, Blast Off has the kind of feeling pre-Movie Transformers were good at delivering, where they're made of vehicle chunks instead of wearing vehicle parts. It feels more visually in the spirit of Classics that way than many in the previous lines. There's a lot of generic mechanical details sculpted in on the shoulders, and the lower legs have a lot of indications of vents visible, accounting for most of the visible detailing on the toy. The yellow panels on the chest and pelvis also are sculpted with a pattern of triangular tiles, which if given a paint wash would probably make an amazing impact on the look of Blast Off in both modes. One unusual element of detailing can be found on the back of the legs and upper arms, where it appears Blast Off has jet engines pointing straight behind him. None of these elements are rear or even outward facing in vehicle mode, and the ones on the arms can't even be seen, so it has to be exclusively for robot mode. I kind of wonder if the designer didn't decide to add some apogee motors to suggest semi-realistic mobility mechanics for the robot in open space? It would fit the placement on the body at least. If that was the intent, that has easily got to be among the most specific and obscure bits of detail to find its way on a Transformers toy.
Blast Off has fair poseability. Thanks to how they transform, the knees have an extensive range of motion for being on a single hinge, and the hips move smoothly and easily around universal joints. Blast Off has very effective double elbow joints as well, and two joints around the shoulder, which should theoretically mean a hell of a range of movement for the arms. But it doesn't. It's the fault of how the transformation was engineered more than anything else, and it prevents such simple things as stretching the arm straight in front, or raising it at all out to the side. The joints in the upper arm are truly just "around" where a shoulder joint should be, and nothing actually exists at the correct place to serve that role. The arrangement of joints subsequently really limits what ways the arm can be posed, which is a shame beyond just the absence of simple movements. The robot is really nice overall, and Blast Off could have easily stood out from his team as a legitimately good robot figure independent of being part of a combiner. But the arms make sure to remind you that this is a toy with another real purpose and it's just killing time standing here solo. You can undo some of the limitation by turning the shoulderpads back and giving Blast Off monkey arms, but the gain is so limited that it's really not worth the way it spoils the look.
Where Blast Off truly shines is in the vehicle mode. Well, shines is not really the right word what with it being all dark and night-time colors, but it's certainly the strength of this toy. And I'll tell you, from the moment the press photos were released just before Toy Fair, this has reminded me strongly of some existing ship design, but in all these months I have never been able to place it. It's driving me just a little bit nuts. Whatever it may resemble, it's plainly a sci-fi take on a space shuttle, but besides the most elementary of shapes it goes far off the mark in design. The bulbous aft section gives the impression of a massive drive system, while the comparatively narrow forward half gives it a feel more like a space fighter than a bus in space. (public transportation was always Astrotrain's job anyway) What I really enjoy in the appearance of the vehicle mode is that it has the impression of many overlapping panels and irregularities to look alien, but it's also styled in such a way that it comes across a little like an Original Trilogy Star Wars ship. I'm sure there's a generally accepted term for that, but in this case I'll just call it "antique futuristic", not to be confused with retro futuristic, of course.
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