Monthly Archives: May 2013

Good Homes by Mosaic – Emerson Showhome

So as mentioned in my previous post when I went to see Bloom, we had stumbled across Mosaic’s Emerson showhome. We went to check it out.
I had been an early fan of Mosaic – simply because of their advertisement, website and the design of the building themselves were modern, slick, simple yet high end. I had been interested in the Dominion, but it was simply in a inconvenient location.

Well designed signage

Nice living room

Great showhome!

Iconic Mosaic pattern. Love the sales centre!

Here are some points to make it a good investment (some are obviously the same as Bloom)

a brand-new 50,000 square-foot Safeway nearby!
a Shoppers Drug Mart, and a multitude of other amenities in walking distance including Value Village
a new Evergreen Line station is approx 300m walk (may raise the property value very high like in Richmond?)
downtown Vancouver is only a 30-minute bridge-free commute away
Lougheed Mall (Walmart, London Drugs, the Bay etc.) is 8 minute car drive away
2 elementary schools, SFU, BCIT, Douglas College and Coquitlam College
leisure activities with parks, golf courses and recreation centres
-KEA is 10 minute car drive
close to Lougheed Highway

compared to Surrey

better safety, lower crime rate
no bridge to cross, meaning no toll fee and faster to get to Burnaby, Vancouver, North Van
potential for development

compared to Vancouver downtown

no beggers/panhandlers
friendlier neighbourhood
quieter
cleaner streets
larger units for cheaper
more open space

What differentiate Emerson from Bloom is their reputation, and quality. You could see right away from walking into the sales centre that it was more upscale, modern and felt ‘urban’. The showroom was more open, layout was convenient, and the materials used seemed more durable.
The show room was a Plan D – which I and my friend thought was the best layout. It was 631 sf for $279,000. It’s hard to believe but a 505 sf in Yaletown (resale) was on market for that same price in 2006. So, prices are definitely going up even in places like Burquitlam, which is why I am so tempted to get my foot onto a property around here now. I’m hoping that the Evergreen Line will make the property much more valuable after 2015 when the line will be complete.

The staffs were more friendly than Bloom, and willing to help out. We ended up staying much longer than anticipated since they were eager to help us so much. I and my friend had different needs/interest, but they were happy to look into our interests separately. A big thumbs up to Mosaic.

The price wasn’t too bad either. I really liked it, and the fact that most of it was already sold, it made it even more attractive to buy with them.

Their brochure had the same cover as Bloom. White stock with embossed logo. It seems popular these days. As usual, Mosaic’s designs were simple and clear. I am eager to buy…though…I need to work on saving up the money first…:P

2nd Visit to Vision Source

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So I went back to pick up my glasses. (read first visit to Vision Source). They fit alright, but now I wasn’t too sure if I should have picked the thicker, designer looking glasses. I’ve always been drawn to the thin metal frames…previously, they always were the ‘main’ one, and the thick ones were only occasionally. And since the thick ones were from Clearly contacts (read my post on the order from Clearly Contacts) and I didn’t order it to be thin, they were quite heavy due to high prescriptions.

This time, I paid $48 on a free set of glasses to make the lens thinner since it was going to be the only pair that I was going to have. The glasses came with a funky case, that didn’t close properly. Even ClearlyContacts with their free glasses promotion had a better casing.

I had also made an appointment with Dr. Randhawa to consult her on Orthokertology when I was going to pick up my glasses. Since I lived far, I thought might as well make it worth the trip. My appointment was at 5pm on a Saturday. At 9:30am, I got a phone call from their office. I was sleeping at the time after going to bed around 5am…o_o…The receptionist told me that there was now an open spot for 10:30am – I think. I was still half asleep, and my memory is a bit blurry, lol. I told her I wanted to keep my 5pm appointment. I didn’t tell her that it wasn’t going to be possible for me to get there by that time. Even if I could, I needed to sleep in more…hehehe.

I got to the office a minute before 5pm, a little worried that I might be late, knowing that the office closed at 5pm. However, there were still some other customers looking at glasses, and those seated in the waiting area. I didn’t see the doctor until about 5:45pm in which the doctor apologized twice. Since I wasn’t in a hurry, it didn’t bother me too much. It showed that the doctor was dedicated in genuinely helping people, since my consultation was free of charge. Of course if I decide to do the Orthokertology, she would be getting a huge payment from me.

See my comparison in my next post between Mt Pleasant Optometry (MPO) and Vision Source (VS) on Orthokertology!

Real Estate Investment at Bloom

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I’ve been really interested in the real estate market. Prices have dropped by $10,000 from last year, if not more and it’s a buyer’s market right now. Though with things that are happening around the globe, some people are fearing for that big bubble to burst. However, looking doesn’t hurt, so I went to see Bloom’s showhome one Saturday.

It’s located in Burquitlam, looking into a 2 bedroom + 2.5 bathrooms, 2 storey townhouse with 1032 sf priced at $395,900

Here are some points to make it a good investment.

a brand-new 50,000 square-foot Safeway nearby!
a Shoppers Drug Mart, and a multitude of other amenities in walking distance including Value Village
a new Evergreen Line station is approx 300m walk (may raise the property value very high like in Richmond?)
downtown Vancouver is only a 30-minute bridge-free commute away
Lougheed Mall (Walmart, London Drugs, the Bay etc.) is 8 minute car drive away
2 elementary schools, SFU, BCIT, Douglas College and Coquitlam College
leisure activities with parks, golf courses and recreation centres
IKEA is 10 minute car drive
close to Lougheed Highway

compared to Surrey

better safety, lower crime rate
no bridge to cross, meaning no toll fee and faster to get to Burnaby, Vancouver, North Van
potential for development

compared to Vancouver downtown

no beggers/panhandlers
friendlier neighbourhood
quieter
cleaner streets
larger units for cheaper
more open space

The townhome seems a bit claustrophobic. It could be because the ceiling were low, or that it had angles, or perhaps the wall colours? It just didn’t seem to be open. The layout didn’t quite fancy me either. I prefer the kitchen being a bit more separated from the rest, though I did like how much counter space and cabinet it had. I really didn’t like the idea of having the washer/dryer in the ensuite bathroom of the master bedroom. What if someone wanted to use it and someone else was sleeping in the master room? Very inconvenient.

We walked around the neighbourhood as well and just so happened that we came across Mosaic’s Emerson show home. I had initially wanted to go see Mosaic’s Dominion. I had even suggested it to my parents early last year. However, the location was what put me off…so I was excited to see a Mosaic’s project right in the neighbourhood in which I thought was the best investment. Check out my post next time!

The showhome is located at 618 Langside Ave
See more at http://www.liveatbloom.com