Martin Oosterveld Direct: 705-446-8747 (Cell)

Rob Dubien Direct: 705-888-0092 (Cell)

There is an opportunity to serve a sector of the market that is grossly underserviced in Thornbury and the Town of Blue Mountains. No developer is currently catering to the ‘affordable’ housing market in the Blue Mountains at this time. Collingwood and Meaford to the east and west have developers and builders who sell housing that local residents can afford. The Blue Mountains has had a lot of building activity in the past decade, but virtually none of it is aimed at the affordable price point.

This is an opportunity for a developer to purchase several land parcels in West Thornbury and over the next 5 years change the direction of development in Thornbury. The land assembled under this project would permit the construction of about 250 higher density units and about 100 singles. More land can be attracted to expand the project should a developer have the capacity to look further into the future.

Download the Concept Map for the land assembly here. The list price includes Parts A through E (total of approx 43 acres).  Part F (1 acre) is also available (see listing details for all parcels below). 

If a developer is capable of building homes in the approximate price range of $ 200,000 to $ 400,000 there will be a ready market for the product. We expect that the land assembled at this point could easily be absorbed in 5 years or less. Thornbury is a highly desirable community that will attract both local buyers as well as migrants from the urban areas throughout southern Ontario.

A Strong Demand Profile

A thorough study commissioned by the Town of Blue Mountains under its’ theme of building a sustainable future was completed in August 2010. The study clearly outlines the major issue. There are local jobs for families and households, but there is a very real shortage of housing that these families can afford to buy. The study gets very specific in identifying what is an appropriate strategy to follow for a municipality.

The province of Ontario defines affordable housing as a situation where families who have incomes in the lowest 60% of income distribution can spend no more than 30% of their gross income on housing. According to the study, the highest earners that qualify under that definition have incomes of $ 76,964 (2008) and can afford a home priced at $ 261,600 or less. The median family income for the Blue Mountains is $ 62,614 and they can afford a home priced at $ 207,200. Fortunately with the anticipated current cost of engineering and construction it should be possible to offer a range of product in the affordable range for Thornbury.

The study predicts a shortfall of the supply of homes in the affordable range of about 1000 units. Not all households who need housing would fall in the range that could be served by the private sector. Nevertheless the demand would indicate that the number of units planned for this development would be absorbed in less than 5 years.

Bringing more families and permanent residents into Thornbury will strengthen enrollment in the elementary and high schools. It will also create demand for the recreational facilities that are within easy walking distance of the development. Download the complete study here.

A Development That Meets Expectations of Buyers

Young families are very much dedicated to living in a well designed environmentally friendly community. Being able to walk to shopping and downtown is part of that lifestyle. If a developer took advantage of the land close to the creeks that flow through the properties to create a trail system that would connect up to the Georgian Trail (which runs near Georgian Bay for 32 km), it would be very safe for children and adults to bike to the downtown area. The arena and community centre is a very short walk for any residents of this development. Similarly the new Tomahawk recreational area with its’ many sports fields, is a short walk or bike ride. In fact the rich ‘village’ lifestyle offered by the Thornbury West Project would make it competitive with any nearby developments. Not only would it attract those who work in the Blue Mountains but commute from more affordable communities, but it may well attract those who work in Collingwood and who prefer a more intimate environment.

Living within walking distance to ‘downtown’ is a major attraction for retirees and soon to be retired. Mixing in bungalow and bungalow loft designs makes the community attractive to that set of buyers. Many retirees bring with them resources and income that allow them to purchase more expensive homes. A number of them choose to live in homes they can ‘easily’ afford and like the stimulation that comes from living in a community that includes families with children. Making product available that appeals to this sector of the market would expand the absorption rate by as much as 1/3.

Another target in an affordable pricing strategy is to encourage the mixing in of rental units that are ancillary to single family homes. Often retirees would welcome the income from an auxiliary suite in the home. Planning the homes so that this can be offered as an option, would further expand the market potential. Similarly families with aging parents who would welcome the opportunity to share the costs of a home in return for supervision, could benefit from homes that are designed to allow a ‘granny suite’.

An advantage of this land assembly is that there are several public roads through the project. In keeping with the village theme it would be desirable to have homes that front on these roads. That has the advantage of reducing the cost of development and allowing the early start to construction and establishing a market for the community.

Land Assembly - Listing Details (Click on the links below):

Part A , Part B , Part C , Part D , Part E , Part F

Our Sales Team Can Assist Your Development

CENTURY 21 Offord Realty has the largest presence of any real estate brokerage in the Town of Thornbury. The project team leaders are Martin Oosterveld P.Eng and Rob Dubien.  Building and construction is a major employer in the Blue Mountains and the project team will ensure that the local officials and politicians recognize the value and importance of this project during the review and approval process. 

Martin had a previous career as a Professor of Civil Engineering where he taught students how to develop land. He has been active in real estate development and sales for the past 15 years and is currently the volunteer chair of the Board of Directors of the Centre for Business and Economic Development.  In that capacity he is very active in stimulating economic development in the Blue Mountains and surrounding area.

Rob has a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and his previous career took him around North America and Europe managing computer implementation projects for the large banks. He is currently the President of the Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board which has approximately 360 members licensed to sell real estate in the Blue Mountains and surrounding areas. Rob has marketed and sold several large commercial and development properties in the Thornbury area including a 46 acre vacant property zoned for a future estate-sized lot development and an 85 acre commercial agricultural property.