SOMBA K’E/YELLOWKNIFE
Drive westbound on Kam Lake road just past the multiplex and look to your left. You’ll see several modular homes in place in what looks like a bare expanse of gravel and heavy equipment.

The Kam Lake Lakeshore development will be phased in over four stages. Once complete, the four-phase site plan will include lake access, waterfront walkways, and an outdoor Crossfit-style installation. - Walter Strong/NNSL photo

Pull into the development and you’ll realize your at the top of an elevation gain that hides a panoramic view of Kam Lake as the terrain gradually slopes right to the water frontage without the cliff banding you’ll find at, for example, the Grace Lake development.

“We will have direct water access, with a walkway and park areas,” said Coldwell Banker’s Jacqueline Rocher, one of the lead sales agents for the Homes North development.

The long-term plan for lakeshore developments calls for four phases that could see up to 150 lots as well as space for multi-family units to be developed.

Waterfront pathways, with multiple parks and play areas -- one that will include an outdoor Crossfit-style exercise equipment -- are planned, but are not part of the initial phase.

The 30 lots of phase one, which are at the highest point of elevation, are selling now.

“The elevation changes a lot,” Rocher said of the drop to Kam Lake from the top of the height of the development.

“Lots are angled towards the lake. There will be many lots with lake views,” Rocher added.

Some homes are already occupied, and several more are on the way.

Walking into one of the new homes is a very different experience than one might have had walking into older modular units.

“The old style small house was 16 by 76 feet, very narrow,” Rocher said.

“The new small house is 22 by 60 feet, so it has more of a house-like footprint, it’s more square.”

The largest unit will be 1,672 square feet at 22 by 76 feet, making the 5,000-square foot lots seem a little smaller in comparison to other modular home developments in the Kam Lake area.

The base price on the largest home is $400,000, including GST, but there’s a lot of flexibility on the price point.

“That’s for a full option package,” Rocher said. “They can go for as low as $385,000.”

Interior options include fireplaces, flooring, cabinetry, everything you might expect in a custom ordered home. Beyond what you might expect are floor plan options letting a buyer move walls around, change the distribution of available square footage from one room to another, and add or remove closets.

One recent sale included the installation of a custom kitchen range hood fan for a buyer who had something in mind beyond stock options for the kitchen.

“There’s a lot you can do to bring the price down,” Rocher said. “Or you can spend a lot more if you want to.”

Almost all units exceed Energuide 80 standards for energy efficiency, with R32 wall insulation, propane heated hot-water-on-demand, triple-paned windows, and insulated foundation skirting.

“These homes are under $3,000 per year to heat, including hot water,” Rocher said.

“The plumbing is not plastic anymore. So if you have a freeze up it’s not going to expand and break. Everything is warrantied. The house itself has a 10-year warranty, and every component has it’s own warranty.”

Rocher said new developments can take a while to catch on in Yellowknife, referring to her experience with development in the Con Mine area.

As gorgeous as the views are from the top of the development, there is another view at the moment that may not be so desirable.

The North Slave Correctional Centre occupies property adjacent to the Lakeshore Development.

“There’s a 10-foot high fence going in this summer that will be a visual barrier, set about 10 metres back from the houses,” Rocher said.

On the correctional facility side of the fence, Rocher said a zone is expected to be maintained keeping correctional facility activity clear of the fence.

Rocher acknowledged that the presence of the facility isn’t a selling point, but she noted that units are selling before they arrive.

She sees the development has high value for investment.

“If you compare these to an older home with major components expiring, these are priced very well,” Rocher said.

“You don’t have to worry about upcoming expenses with things needing to be repaired or replaced, and you don’t need to worry as much about monthly utilities.”

“And when you look at this versus a condo, you get a lot more space and you don’t have to pay much more.”