Homes By Dream: Defining lifestyle through character

A dream home. A dream community. The idea can bring many things to mind, but for Dream itself, it means building spaces and places with an almost a dogmatic focus on the decades-long experience that follows the actual sale.

The multi-national land developer, new homebuilder and real estate asset management group is offering people-first homes and communities across southern Alberta, most notably in their young, new urbanist community of Alpine Park in Calgary’s new west.

“Home buyers are more knowledgeable than ever. They know home is about more than just storage of possessions - it can define day-to-day quality of life,” says Michael Tandara, Dream’s Director, Marketing, Western Canada. “Our homes and communities reflect that ideal.”

“It’s not just about big square-footages now. Buyers today want homes that don’t make them feel cooped up, they want communities that are more interconnected, where they can live, work, play with less dependence on their vehicles. They want communities they can stay and put down roots in and not the disposable mentality that has driven the market for years,” he adds.

Formerly Dundee Developments – Dream (cleverly an acronym for Dundee Real Estate Asset Management) and their home building arm, Homes by Dream, are uniquely capable of binging that vision alive. “To do all these things, you have to be able to adapt to the change, and the great thing with Dream is that our model is built on pushing things forward, on being bold. We’re agile but we can make big investments where it matters most,” he adds.

Along with its pinpoint focus on home design, Dream and Homes by Dream are careful that homes remain “desirable yet attainable,” Tandara says. “Raw affordability doesn’t matter if you can’t picture yourself living in the community or taking pride in your home when you pull up to the door.”

These values can be seen in all their developments: Vista Crossing in Crossfield; Montrose in High River and Alpine Park in southwest Calgary.

Alpine Park

“Alpine Park launched in the fall of 2021 and marks our first new development back within city boundaries since the completion of EvansRidge a few years back.” And it has been a successful return, as sales in Alpine Park have been very strong.

In a short span, Alpine Park has lived up to its potential as one of Dreams ‘signature communities’, presenting calming streetscapes, idyllic parks and lively playgrounds. Not to mention the outstanding line-up of premium porch-front home styles from Calbridge Homes, Cardel Homes, Genesis Builder Group, and Homes by Dream.

“It’s the people-first approach geared towards an elevated lifestyle that makes homes here special,” Tandara says.

“The typical densely repeated front garage homes that Calgarians are used to is not what you’ll find in this community,” says Dream Marketing Manager, Jennifer McDonald. “The streetscapes are designed to shift your perspective of how your home should contribute to a deeper sense of community and a more rewarding lifestyle for you and your family. Where porches are favoured over poured driveways and the focus is on quality of design and material.”

These ideals can easily be seen in Homes by Dream’s showhomes here: the Sinclair, Engler C, and Morrow.

The 2,372 square-foot Sinclair’s private courtyard allows natural light to shine deep into the home from every angle. “It’s a beautiful mountain craftsman home with a midcentury modern feel,” Tandara says. It’s a good example of how the added width of Alpine Park’s Court homes allow larger front porches and more flexible designs.

The Engler C takes advantage of the corner lots with detailed side architecture, including a wraparound porch, that add to the beauty Alpine Park’s park and streetscape.

The newest is the Morrow, with a rear attached garage that combines convenience and style in its 2,512 square-feet of foursquare-like living space.

Dream is doubling down on Alpine Park’s park-like setting with the release of Phase 2. This phase includes two of Alpine’s largest green courts – Orchard Green and Sanctuary Green. Orchard Green offers linearly planted hardy apple, cherry, plum, and pear trees, a larger community garden with southern exposure, and a harvest space featuring tables and seating. “It will be a must-see green space during spring blooms!” McDonald says.

Montrose

Montrose has seen a lot of change over the years of development, Tandara says. “We’re excited to re-introduce porch-front homes back into the community with a limited release in the current Phase 2D and a much larger selection in the upcoming Phase 3.”

“Alongside the front drive and villa products, laned homes encourage the neighbourliness of a small town with approachable and diverse architectural styles that appeal to a variety of homeowners,” he adds.

Streetscapes are perfectly nestled against the natural greenspace and meandering ponds that wind throughout the community, offering the perfect balance between public and private space, and views of surrounding prairie and mountains beyond.

Both Homes by Dream and Hopewell Residential offer front drive and laned homes, with villas excusive to Dream - though due to their success only a handful now remain.

Vista Crossing

Vista Crossing in Crossfield is an escape from urbanized living. Just eight minutes north of Airdrie, Vista Crossing has grown into an ideal small-town community where residents can unplug and reconnect with what really matters.

“Vista Crossing kind of reverses the trend of young families leaving the small towns for the big city, as we see a lot of young families setting down roots here,” Tandara says.

The 160-acre community feels straight out of a Normal Rockwell painting and benefits from the Town of Crossfield’s surrounding natural and public spaces. There are numerous parks, wooded paths, a community centre, nearby schools, and even a golf club.

“Vista Crossing was the perfect opportunity to embrace small-town charm with timeless architectural styles, full width porches, and hints of whimsy with decorate garages doors and windows,” McDonald says.

It offers a delightful mix of porch-front laned homes, porch-front duplex models, and larger front-garage homes. Colours rich in authenticity complement each other and avoid a cookie cutter feel. Builders are Homes by Dream and McKee Homes.

The future

It is Dream’s multi-faceted approach to “place-making” rather than community-building that has marked its success. “We want to move past the mentality of all that matters is what’s inside your home - neighbourhoods are shared spaces that deeply impact the quality of our lives, and we all contribute to that together,” Tandara says.

“We want more porch-front homes that bring a sense of neighbourliness, more windows that allow a friendlier streetscape. We want homes in communities that make you feel you’re part of what’s around you rather than hidden away from it.”

New showhomes in all three communities are expected to be unveiled in 2024, and Tandara says he can’t wait to show everyone what they have in store. Find out more about Homes by Dream and the communities where they build at homesbydream.ca.