Can you really believe it? Spring is actually here! Amongst all the bizarre weather Vancouver has been having, Wallmark Homes welcomes Spring with arms wide open!

As we all know, everyone is on the run and there are not too many hours in a day to accomplish what we want to get done.  At Wallmark Homes, we take pride in our Fixed Priced Contract to cater to our clients with their busy schedules. As a full service builder, Wallmark Homes can take the pressure off your building process so you can enjoy your daily life.

 Wallmark Homes helps you out with every step of your build from obtaining a topographical survey to picking out interior and exterior elements with our Interior Designer. With our Fixed Priced Guarantee, Wallmark can provide you with an  in-depth budget so you will know where every dollar is spent in your dream home.

Rest assured that Wallmark Homes will take care of you and your family in building a beautiful Custom Home tailored to your personal style and taste.

Wallmark Homes is pleased to announce that our Troy Abromaitis, Development Manager has been selected as a 40 under 40 award recipient by the Professional Builder Magazine. This award is given to 40 individuals who have made an impact in the home builders industry throughout North America.  As the only Canadian chosen in this category, Wallmark Homes is very proud in Troy’s accomplishments.

To qualify for the 40 Under 40 award, the candidates need to show leadership, commitment to community and the home building industry and sustained career success. Troy is the vice chair of the Greater Vancouver Home Builder Association’s membership committee and a Vancouver chapter chair with the Real Estate Institute of British Columbia. He is also a cycling enthusiast having participated in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2011.

This is Troy’s seventh year at Wallmark Homes and we wish him continued success. To read more about Troy Abromaitis and to view the full article, please visit: http://www.housingzone.com/awards/meet-professional-builders-40-under-40-class-2012.

Wallmark Homes is pleased to announce our newest community coming in early 2012. We were so thrilled with the huge success of our Birchwood Estates community and are excited that our next project will give us the opportunity to build yet another stunning community in the Coquitlam area.  The details are still being finalized but we can tell you that this exclusive new community by Wallmark Homes will include 16 private lots ranging from 6,000 to 10,000 square feet, 12 of which will be greenbelt lots. In the Wallmark tradition, these high end homes will be built to cater to buyers with sophisticated sense of style with large, open living areas and plenty of room for entertaining friends, family and guests.

We have home sizes planned to range from 3,200 t0 3,900 square feet on three levels however there will also be opportunities for building completely custom homes on several lots. Buyers will be able to choose a home style, modify or custom design their new home with the help of the Wallmark Custom Homes Team. As with any Wallmark Home, buyers will also have access to our complete interior design services. In every Wallmark community you can be assured of receiving the highest level of quality materials, craftsmanship and service to ensure that your new home is perfect from concept to completion. Feel free to browse our new homes gallery or take a virtual tour of some of the homes we have built then contact us if you are ready to build your dream home in beautiful Coquitlam!

Wallmark Homes’ West on the Village Walk is a Finalist in the 2011 Fraser Valley Commercial Building Awards.

We are excited to announce that our innovative apartment residence in beautiful Cloverdale has been named as a finalist in the inaugural 2011 Fraser Valley Commercial Building Awards. The Fraser Valley awards honor and recognize the best in the business including builders, contractors, developers, and buildings.

We are proud of our work at West on the Village Walk with its unique and colorful west coast style architecture and clean, stylish interiors. With 60 units nestled in the heart of Cloverdale, we feel the project exemplifies the diversity of the work we do in the building industry. The entire Wallmark Homes Team is thrilled to have our work honored as a finalist in the competition. The winners will be announced on Thursday May 26th, at the Coast Hotel & Convention Centre in Langley at a celebratory dinner. We’ll let you know if we win! In the meantime you can check out West on the Village Walk in beautiful downtown Cloverdale or see more pictures here in our project profile.

For over 20 years, Wallmark Homes has been building custom luxury homes in the Vancouver metropolitan area including surrounding areas like West Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver and Coquitlam. We have added a brand new video to our YouTube channel where we will be bringing you video shorts that outline how we work, what we do and give you insight into how unique our homes truly are.

The Wallmark Team invites you to check out our videos, share them and tell us what you think. We know that not everyone is able to get out to see every one of our homes and all the detail that goes into them which is why we have dedicated resources to bringing our homes to you. We are are dedicated to making everything about our homes easy and convenient from the info-gathering stage to the build and final walk through. You can find us here, on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

We have a variety of virtual tours on our website as well as our videos on YouTube where you can see the stages of the building process, get to know the talented people that make up the Wallmark Homes Team and hear from people just like you on why they chose Wallmark to build their new homes in and around Vancouver. Our home building experience and dedication to the craft have helped us build a strong reputation for building some of the best green and luxury homes around. We hope you’ll check it out and let us know what you think!

The Wallmark Homes team is on the road this week and hanging out at the BC Home & Garden Show in Vancouver. Come by and see us in Booth 1712 – Our team of pros will be on hand to answer your questions about designing a home, home building and the latest industry trends and Green Building technology.  Plus you can browse the booths of 425 exhibitors for inspiration and ideas that will make your home amazing! The show is taking place for 5 days from March 2nd through March 6th at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

MONEY SAVING TIP: If you buy your tickets online, you can save $3, CLICK HERE to purchase yours.

What:  BC Home & Garden Show

Where: Vancouver Convention Centre

When: March 2nd – 6th

CLICK HERE FOR HOURS AND MAP

You can get tips from HGTV celebrity guests and industry experts Colin & Justin along with Bryan Baeumler who will be on the main stage.  Plus there will be live music by local musician Chad Brownlee and food stations galore manned by the Vancouver Community College Culinary Arts Team.  What are you waiting for?  Look for us and say Hi at Booth 1712.  We look forward to seeing you.

Wallmark Showcase Homes: A Home That Captures Light & Imagination

The third installation in our Wallmark Showcase Homes series features a modern stucco custom home. Have you ever walked into a house and left feeling like you just saw something really special? We feel that way about this custom home we built in Vancouver. Tucked into the original landscape on the property, we created this modern gem of a home that not only captures the imagination, it captures light as well! As passionate as we are about green building, we love finding ways to improve the quality of life for our homeowners by taking utmost advantage of natural resources such as daylight. This home is the ultimate in natural lighting with multiple windows and outdoor balconies that alleviate the dependence on artificial lighting as well as encouraging the homeowners to spend time outdoors taking advantage of the many views!

The color palette is soothing and compliments the modern furnishings and decor. Light golden hardwood floors can be found throughout the main level and emphasize the openness of the floorplan. The layout of the main level encourages seamless flow of traffic throughout the most used living areas in the home. Custom maple shaker cabinets line the walls of the airy gourmet kitchen. Dark granite counter tops and the porcelain tile backsplash accentuate the stainless steel appliances and colorful pendant light fixtures. A walk in pantry and eat-in breakfast bar add to the lifestyle convenience features of the kitchen area. The main living area has a cozy fireplace with a built in tv to keep the lines of the room clean and uncluttered. The freestanding staircase to the second level is an architectural focal point overlooking the great room with open slats and aluminum accents that add to the unique interior of this home. Bedrooms are located the second level including a fully appointed master suite. Serene colors, vaulted ceilings and french doors to a private balcony take advantage of natural light and a large soaker tub provides the perfect retreat for unwinding after a long day. Click Here to take a virtual tour and see for yourself this amazing home

Building custom homes like this that cater to the needs of our homeowners is one of the things we do best. If you want to learn about the process and find out how to have a home built to suit you, we invite you to attend our next FREE home building seminar on April 2nd, 2011.  You can talk to members of the talented Wallmark Custom Homes team and gain valuable insight before you build your next home.

Wallmark Showcase Home: Built Green in Burnaby

The second installation in our Wallmark Showcase Homes series features a fantastic LEED certified home in beautiful Burnaby. From the tiered garden to the tiled backsplash, every detail has been carefully considered in this stunning Green Built Wallmark home.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Homes that are LEED certified adhere to internationally recognized standards to improve home performance in areas such as water efficiency, energy savings, lower emissions, and higher indoor air quality. In addition, LEED certified homes are built with consideration of the environmental impact of the home and the resources used during construction.

Wallmark Custom Homes built this custom home in Burnaby to take advantage of energy efficient technologies and eco-friendly design without compromising on the comfort, design and style that the client wished to achieve. With it’s LEED certification, the home not only lived up to the standards and expectations in the industry, it turned out to be exactly what the client wanted to come home to everyday.

Outside, the roof is outfitted with several solar panels that take advantage of the bright BC sunshine and provide 15-20% of the yearly electricity used in the home. In addition to utilizing natural sunlight, the roof and gutter system collect rainwater in a barrel that is then used to water the drought resistant plantings around the home’s perimeter.

Also outdoors, a Garden Gourmet compost bin provides the perfect solution for handling grass clippings and organic waste while saving money and reducing the amount of trash generated by daily living. The rich compost is then used to condition the soil and benefits the plants and landscaping.

A visual feast awaits inside this gorgeous Green Built home. The gourmet kitchen features all Energy Star rated appliances, including an induction stove that can boil water in just 45 seconds! Recycled glass tile and quartz stone countertops  compliment the warm hardwood flooring and rich color palette that carries from the kitchen throughout the home.

Plenty of windows and a generous use of glass block help the homeowners take advantage of natural light throughout the day which cuts down on electrical use. This custom built home proves that a home can be created that is eco-conscious and stylish without compromising on the comforts of modern living. The small details are what set this home apart and extend to the master suite which includes a built in lounging window for a cozy read.  The master bath features spa-like vanity complete with a custom molded glass top, a large soaker tub and a tankless hot water heater to provide plenty of hot water when needed.

At Wallmark Homes, we love taking the latest technology available and using it to create homes that are better for you and better for the environment. By building green, we all take steps toward being more environmentally responsible in our decisions and lifestyle. More photos are available to view on our website on this fantastic Green Built home in Burnaby. If you are interested in creating your own green home or learning more about the building process, we invite you to contact us anytime or come to one of our next FREE building seminars.

The team at Wallmark Homes is always on the lookout for the latest information and news to share about the housing industry for both builders and buyers in Vancouver. We recently came across a couple of interesting articles we felt were worth sharing with you that discuss predictions for Vancouver’s housing market for the upcoming year.

Amidst what appears to be a strengthening economy, comes a welcome 2011 forecast for Canadian Housing in from the folks at Royal LePage Real Estate Services. In an article released on January 6th,  they quote Phil Soper, president and chief executive of Royal LePage Real Estate Services, as saying “Trends in the housing market continue to be driven by the lingering after-effects of the recession. Canadians realize that interest rates are unsustainably low and that homes will become effectively more expensive when mortgage rates return to normal levels. We will likely see more price appreciation in 2011 as some buyers complete transactions in advance of anticipated higher borrowing costs.” According to the release, Vancouver home prices are expected to increase 3.7% this year with inventory growth at 8%.

Additionally, the January issue of New Home Guide boasts a headline of Vancouver House Prices Continue to Rise. Citing the same release from Royal LePage, they mention that the biggest gain in house prices came from single-family homes on Vancouver’s West Side with average price gains on two story homes at 9.8% over the same period last year. Condos are also performing astonishingly well on Vancouver’s East Side with an average gain of 7% resulting in an average sales price of $484,500.

If you are considering building or buying, now is the time! We have our first Home Building Seminar of the new year this weekend, if you want to join us it’s free.  Just register here for your seat!

Wallmark Showcase Home: West Vancouver, Esquimalt

One of the most affluent cities in the British Columbia, West Vancouver is the picture of perfection with sweeping views of the city of Vancouver, the ocean, beaches and local landmarks Lions Gate Bridge and Stanley Park. Tucked into the base of the North Shore Mountains, most of the land is residential and the elevation of the land allows for most of those properties to take advantage of the gorgeous views which have made West Vancouver so popular.  Wallmark Homes is known for building homes in the Greater Vancouver area but did you know we also build custom homes in the areas of West and North Vancouver? The new year marks the beginning of our new showcase homes series designed to inform you of the many options and possibilities that can be found in a custom built home involving everything from architectural detailing to the latest in materials and home building technology.

Wallmark Esquimalt Ocean View, West Vancouver

Unique Architecture and an Incredible View

Our first showcase home of the year is located in the Esquimalt neighborhood of West Vancouver.  Tucked into the rolling hills of Esquimalt, this home is a combination of modern architecture and materials that were designed to blend effortlessly into the natural surroundings and provide comfortable living for the homeowner. Exposed solid wood beams extending outside of the home on through the main living area provide a striking visual statement when combined with natural stone and loads of custom made, energy efficient windows.

From the moment you walk through the front door into the entryway, you’ll notice immediately how the hand picked beams make the eye travel to the wall of french doors that open to a wrap around covered porch that was built to take advantage of the stunning west coast vistas.
The panoramic views make for an ever changing, living wall of art everyday.

Wallmark Homes is a certified Green Built homebuilder and this West Vancouver home is a great example of our Green Promise. The doors completely open the entire the back wall to let the outdoors in and take advantage of fresh air to circulate through the house during the summer months. Solar bronze skylights offer natural lighting throughout the day which dramatically reduces utility costs as electrical lighting is typically not necessary. In addition to the other earth friendly features of this home, geothermal heat helps to keep the occupants warm while cutting down significantly on energy consumption and emissions.

All elements of the home were carefully considered to tie in with the clean architectural lines and take advantage of the home’s prime location in West Vancouver. An elevator provides easy access between the three levels of the home and make transporting groceries a breeze. A gourmet, state-of-the-art kitchen boasts water views and provides a central gathering place for friends and family whether they are enjoying the views from the porch outside, or cozying up to the custom made fireplace in the living room. The Wallmark Custom Homes Team worked closely with the homeowner to take their modern vision and make it into a reality they are thrilled to come home to.  If you are interested in building a custom home in West Vancouver or anywhere in the Greater Vancouver area, we invite you to take advantage of our next Home Building Seminar on January 29, 2011. Registration is free and you’ll be given a wealth of information on building a new home that you can put to good use while mortgage rates are still at historic lows.  To see more about this fabulous showcase home in West Vancouver, we invite you to take a virtual tour on our website or contact us anytime!