Calgary real estate prospects

[you&me]

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Rockwood is entry level baller for home builders. Any company that builds spec homes isnÂ’t that special.

Isn't any builder only as good as their client / budget? (well, not any, but you know what I mean) Specs can only be ratcheted up so high and as long as those build specs are executed correctly (mostly by subs anyways, right?), there isn't a lot of room for variance between high end builders? For instance, is it wrong to assume Trickle Creek would build you a pretty baller house if they were given the right specs and budget?

I have friends that have custom built with Rockwood and the homes seem pretty baller... Same with Veranda, Maillot, etc...

IIRC, you've mentioned your family's in the custom home biz and (again IIRC) and you've mentioned build costs of >1200/sf to be "truly baller"... I mean, that puts a modestly sized, 5k sf "baller house" at $6mm, without the dirt. What are you getting for that extra 800 bucks a foot (or so) above and beyond the typical spec-built Rockwood / Veranda / Maillot, etc? Or does is simply come down to finishes? Honed mammoth tusk mantles and virgin worm foreskin wallpaper?

[bjstare]

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Isn't any builder only as good as their client / budget? (well, not any, but you know what I mean) Specs can only be ratcheted up so high and as long as those build specs are executed correctly (mostly by subs anyways, right?), there isn't a lot of room for variance between high end builders? For instance, is it wrong to assume Trickle Creek would build you a pretty baller house if they were given the right specs and budget?

I have friends that have custom built with Rockwood and the homes seem pretty baller... Same with Veranda, Maillot, etc...

IIRC, you've mentioned your family's in the custom home biz and (again IIRC) and you've mentioned build costs of >1200/sf to be "truly baller"... I mean, that puts a modestly sized, 5k sf "baller house" at $6mm, without the dirt. What are you getting for that extra 800 bucks a foot (or so) above and beyond the typical spec-built Rockwood / Veranda / Maillot, etc? Or does is simply come down to finishes? Honed mammoth tusk mantles and virgin worm foreskin wallpaper?

In some cases it’s mammoth tusk finishes, but lots of it comes down to the stuff you can’t see. Rockwood makes a perfectly good home, and would probably even include mammoth tusk finishes of the buyer wants, but they still build to a budget and the savings have to come from somewhere. There’s a small few companies that don’t really build to a budget; they don’t sub out as much work, and employ a lot of their own trades (my fams company is one). The end product appears very similar to what you get from Rockwood, but might cost 50-100% more money… but it’s a 100 year home. The average person wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two houses. The market for this was small to begin with, and is shrinking. They obviously serve a pretty small niche, and rockwood does huge volume in comparison.

[89coupe]

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In some cases it’s mammoth tusk finishes, but lots of it comes down to the stuff you can’t see. Rockwood makes a perfectly good home, and would probably even include mammoth tusk finishes of the buyer wants, but they still build to a budget and the savings have to come from somewhere. There’s a small few companies that don’t really build to a budget; they don’t sub out as much work, and employ a lot of their own trades (my fams company is one). The end product appears very similar to what you get from Rockwood, but might cost 50-100% more money… but it’s a 100 year home. The average person wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two houses. The market for this was small to begin with, and is shrinking. They obviously serve a pretty small niche, and rockwood does huge volume in comparison.

What is the name of your families business?

I have a small niche of clients that I could possibly send their way.

[Buster]

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What is the name of your families business?

I have a small niche of clients that I could possibly send their way.

@cjblair 's family business is doing my house right now. They are as advertised.

[pheoxs]

Honest door seems quite confused by my place.

[you&me]

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In some cases itÂ’s mammoth tusk finishes, but lots of it comes down to the stuff you canÂ’t see. Rockwood makes a perfectly good home, and would probably even include mammoth tusk finishes of the buyer wants, but they still build to a budget and the savings have to come from somewhere. ThereÂ’s a small few companies that donÂ’t really build to a budget; they donÂ’t sub out as much work, and employ a lot of their own trades (my fams company is one). The end product appears very similar to what you get from Rockwood, but might cost 50-100% more moneyÂ… but itÂ’s a 100 year home. The average person wouldnÂ’t be able to tell the difference between the two houses. The market for this was small to begin with, and is shrinking. They obviously serve a pretty small niche, and rockwood does huge volume in comparison.

You have me curious - what sort of stuff I can't see are we talking about? Is it something like framing interior walls with 2x6s @ 8", or some other seemingly "overbuilt" spec? Or something like commercial-grade windows and HVAC? Presumably things like that could be spec'd and built by anyone, say Rockwood, if the client wanted it, right? Is it just that someone like Rockwood stays in their lane and their clients generally don't push for this extra-mile stuff? Or is it something else?

Or does it just come down to something more intangible, like the difference between an S-Class and a Ghost... Both powerful, well built, with interiors covered in oodles of great wood and leather, but yet the Ghost feels (and is!) more expensive, more special.

A custom build is on our horizon, so I'm genuinely curious... At this point I felt the architect would be the key to building a great home and finding a builder capable of executing their spec would be secondary... Like anyone (at a certain level) can follow directions / find the right subs... Obviously that needs some reconsideration.

[bjstare]

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You have me curious - what sort of stuff I can't see are we talking about? Is it something like framing interior walls with 2x6s @ 8", or some other seemingly "overbuilt" spec? Or something like commercial-grade windows and HVAC? Presumably things like that could be spec'd and built by anyone, say Rockwood, if the client wanted it, right? Is it just that someone like Rockwood stays in their lane and their clients generally don't push for this extra-mile stuff? Or is it something else?

Or does it just come down to something more intangible, like the difference between an S-Class and a Ghost... Both powerful, well built, with interiors covered in oodles of great wood and leather, but yet the Ghost feels (and is!) more expensive, more special.

A custom build is on our horizon, so I'm genuinely curious... At this point I felt the architect would be the key to building a great home and finding a builder capable of executing their spec would be secondary... Like anyone (at a certain level) can follow directions / find the right subs... Obviously that needs some reconsideration.

A bit of everything. Lots of it has to do with the way it’s built (your example of framing is probably oversimplified, but on the mark nonetheless). I can also think of examples like the commercial windows/hvac as well. They also have relationships with exceptional architects and designers.

Almost everything is different in comparison to a Rockwood or the like; some differences major, some minor, some indiscernible but important. Also, the business-client partnership is a big one (@buster has said good things about that in the past) …. and the culmination of all of the above is the true value add/differentiator. It’s not one specific thing. It definitely comes at a cost, but the price is worth it to their customers.

[tha_bandit]

market still hot, can confirm

[suntan]

If it's made it to the CBC it's over.

[Disoblige]

now let's hope these retirees want to live in downtown condos. wooooooo

[flipstah]

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now let's hope these retirees want to live in downtown condos. wooooooo

Dare to dream

[msommers]

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now let's hope these retirees want to live in downtown condos. wooooooo

It's still going to be painful no matter how you slice it.

[vengie]

The Liberal master plan to drive their member base to Alberta is in full swing.

Step 1 - Tank AB economy, lowering house prices and generating a reliance on EI
Step 2 - Inflate prices on homes significantly in Ontario
Step 3 - Ontarians desperate for houses begin moving west, thus muddying the voter pool

/ tinfoil

[ExtraSlow]

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The Liberal master plan to drive their member base to Alberta is in full swing.

Step 1 - Tank AB economy, lowering house prices and generating a reliance on EI
Step 2 - Inflate prices on homes significantly in Ontario
Step 3 - Ontarians desperate for houses begin moving west, thus muddying the voter pool

/ tinfoil

[Buster]

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The Liberal master plan to drive their member base to Alberta is in full swing.

Step 1 - Tank AB economy, lowering house prices and generating a reliance on EI
Step 2 - Inflate prices on homes significantly in Ontario
Step 3 - Ontarians desperate for houses begin moving west, thus muddying the voter pool

/ tinfoil

I don't think you're too far off. The Liberals clearly do not want a western power base as it is anathema to their colonial structure. Their priority is to keep as much economic and political power in Ontario as possible. Damaging Alberta's economy, even though it reduces the prosperity of Canada, is fine...it keeps them in power. They would rather have ontario be powerful and win elections in a poorer country.

[suntan]

The Liberal Party has never cared about Western Canada, not even BC.

[zechs]

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Well, I spend 0 hours a year on futzing around with my investment portfolio

.

All of your knowledge aside, fuck the fuck off you do.

Because if you make such "mad gainz" in the market, you'd be running a hedge fund you putz and we'd all be watching movies and shit about you.

You probably spend an extraordinary amount of time dealing with your investments, you just aren't factoring in that time because it also works towards something else.

Edit-
Holy fuck I missed a couple days of Beyond apparently. Leaving comment for posterity

[suntan]

Yeah, well, double dumb ass on you!

[Xtrema]

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The Liberal master plan to drive their member base to Alberta is in full swing.

Step 1 - Tank AB economy, lowering house prices and generating a reliance on EI
Step 2 - Inflate prices on homes significantly in Ontario
Step 3 - Ontarians desperate for houses begin moving west, thus muddying the voter pool

/ tinfoil

Much easier just drop 200k Ukrainians in Edmonton and area and get brownie points for "helping".

NVM: forgot PR can't vote.

[killramos]

Yea somehow I don’t think you will find a lot of ukranians voting for the corrupt left wing Liberals for some reason.