Featured Episode
Episode Summary
How Andmar is creating a family-focused community with financial accessibility in mind.
Episode Description
A father-son duo offers a personal and insightful look at stepping into homeownership at Andmar, one of Chilliwack's most exciting new communities. In this episode, Jennifer-Lee chats with veteran realtor Greg Nord-Leth and his son Jake, a young accountant and future Andmar resident, about why presale condos—especially in a thoughtfully designed, live-work-play development like Andmar—are such a compelling option. From locking in today's prices and building equity before move-in to choosing floorplans that match your lifestyle, they break down how Andmar is reshaping what it means to buy new. Whether you're a first-time buyer or planning your next smart move, this episode is your guide to making smart, confident real estate decisions in BC's evolving housing landscape.
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[00:00:00] Jennifer-Lee: Welcome to Behind the Design from Yaletown to Andmar. This new podcast is gonna follow the journey of the new development Andmar inspired by Vancouver's, Yaletown's history, Andmar blends sustainability, innovation, and luxury. We have so many conversations about how a development like Andmar gets built, what is lease land and what is it gonna be like to live in this thriving community? So let's get started.
[00:00:26] I am Jennifer-Lee and welcome back to behind the Design from Yaletown to Andmar. I have a father son duo, which I'm really excited about. Greg Nord-Leth and Jake Nord-Leth, welcome.
[00:00:50] Greg Nord-Leth: Just to clear it up. I'm the dad.
[00:01:35] Jennifer-Lee: Greg, what is it about Chilliwack to you because you've lived there for over 30 years?
[00:01:46] Greg Nord-Leth: Well, honestly, when I first came here I was in broadcasting and I was actually attracted to Chilliwack because of its proximity to Vancouver and its house prices.
[00:02:53] Jennifer-Lee: Chilliwack is thriving. Not just this Andmar development, but I know so many people have moved out that way.
[00:03:29] Jake Nord-Leth: Well, I, I get what you're saying, but Chilliwack not nearly the same place like when I was a kid growing up. It feels like I live in a different place.
[00:04:33] Jennifer-Lee: Jake, especially for you, you work and live in Chilliwack as well.
[00:04:45] Jake Nord-Leth: Correct. Yes. Yeah, no, I'm an, I'm an accountant, uh, here in Chilliwack.
[00:05:30] Jennifer-Lee: This topic for today, which I'm always fascinated by because my family is also, not in real estate but in home building, is presales.
[00:06:32] Greg Nord-Leth: But a presale basically means whenever you're buying is not completed yet. It could be bare land and they're gonna start from the ground up.
[00:08:54] Jennifer-Lee: And that, that's something I wanna ask you before I jump over to Jake, is you mentioned it, a lot of people used to use them as investment.
[00:10:08] Jennifer-Lee: And Jake, why a presale for you?
[00:10:18] Jake Nord-Leth: Yeah, so I mean, there's multiple reasons for that. One, the first reason is personal. Like I live with my three friends right now and it a lot of fun.
[00:13:21] Jennifer-Lee: Let's talk about this for a second. But presales, I think, sometimes people get a little confused of how they work because you're not getting a mortgage right away.
[00:13:44] Greg Nord-Leth: Okay, so when you're purchasing a presale, quite often early in the procedure, if you're one of the first people in auto development, your deposit might be a little bit less.
[00:15:15] Jennifer-Lee: I get it. You can pay attention to the market, but would there be anything else that you would, would tell people to maybe look out for or prepare for before purchasing a presale?
[00:15:34] Greg Nord-Leth: You wanna make sure that the builder's reputable. What, what can happen a lot of times is that you get close to completion, then they find out, oh, it's gonna be delayed.
[00:17:31] Jennifer-Lee: Okay. Jake, give me the honest answer. I know he's your dad. Did he make it easy for you to understand?
[00:17:37] Jake Nord-Leth: Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, like not really anybody who knows more about me than him.
[00:20:02] Jennifer-Lee: Jake, this is an important part I wanna know. Because you dad mentioned a little bit earlier, you didn't mind the color of the cabinets. What was appealing to the layout?
[00:20:47] Jake Nord-Leth: We had like all the plans in front of us and stuff. And like for me right now in my, like there was no reason to get like two or three bedroom for more than just preference reasons actually.
[00:22:06] Jennifer-Lee: Jake, if you could give any piece of advice to someone your age that's thinking of doing a presale?
[00:22:27] Jake Nord-Leth: One, I definitely look at like, obviously you can't get qualified, but I definitely like at least talk to a mortgage person just to make sure that like you're within the income range.
[00:22:57] Jennifer-Lee: What is a misconception about presales?
[00:22:59] Greg Nord-Leth: You do not get to choose everything. And I've also worked with custom people who build, who do choose everything. It's a nightmare. You don't want that.
[00:25:50] Jake Nord-Leth: Thank you.
[00:25:51] Greg Nord-Leth: Thank you.
[00:25:53] Jennifer-Lee: Thank you for joining us on Behind the Design from Yaletown to Andmar. We've explored the history, innovation, and sustainability that makes Andmar more than just a community. It's a place where life, business, and connection thrive. If you've been inspired by this podcast, we'd love your support. Follow the podcast, rate it, and leave a review to help others discover what makes Andmar so special. Till next time.