$64,900 Under Ask in College Park, Port Moody

Our buyers just locked down a 4-bedroom family home on a flat 10,221 sq ft lot backing directly onto greenbelt — with a SkyTrain, Rocky Point, and Brewery Row all within walking distance. Here’s how the deal came together at 36 Mount Royal Drive.

This one is a story we love telling — buyers who held their nerve, a property with real bones in a neighbourhood we believe in long-term, and a final number that landed comfortably under the original ask. 36 Mount Royal Drive came to market March 9 at $1,429,900. Jordan Macnab and the team watched it for five weeks, walked it twice with our buyers, and wrote on April 17. Subjects came off four days later at $1,365,000 — a $64,900 swing in our buyers’ favour.

What made it worth waiting for: a 1959 split-entry on a flat 10,221 sq ft lot in College Park, tucked at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, with the rear yard opening directly onto a wall of forest. South-facing back. A short drive to the Moody Centre SkyTrain station, Rocky Point Park, Brewery Row, and the Shoreline Trail. Port Moody real estate doesn’t usually combine a flat oversized lot, greenbelt backing, and a quiet cul-de-sac — and rarely under $1.4M.

The bones: a 1959 split-entry, partly renovated, ready to live in

From the street, 36 Mount Royal reads as a tidy mid-century rancher — low-slung roofline, deep eaves, a mature row of cedars hugging the south property line. It’s actually a 2,183 sq ft split-entry with two finished levels: 1,102 sq ft up, 1,081 sq ft down, three bedrooms on the main and a fourth in the lower walk-out. Wood frame on a concrete perimeter foundation. Asphalt shingle roof. The sellers carried out a partial renovation in 2010, and the kitchen, baths, and flooring still show that work today.

Inside the front door, the split-entry layout opens up into something brighter than the exterior suggests. A two-storey foyer pulls light down through a clerestory window above the front door; a chandelier and a generous landing soften what is, in most homes of this vintage, a tight transitional space.

Kitchen: shaker cabinetry, granite, and a back door to the deck

The 2010 renovation is most visible in the kitchen. It’s a U-shape pulled into the southwest corner of the main floor — solid maple shaker cabinets in a warm cherry stain, dark granite counters, full tile backsplash, stainless appliances including a French-door fridge and a dishwasher. The window over the sink looks west across the front yard; a half-lite Dutch-style back door opens onto a wraparound deck and on toward the greenbelt.

Living spaces: hardwood, two fireplaces, and that unbroken view of trees

Original oak hardwood runs through the main-floor living and dining areas, refinished and tight underfoot. The living room sits at the front of the home behind a wide picture window, anchored by a painted brick wood-burning fireplace. Recessed lighting throughout, vaulted-feeling ceiling line, and enough wall space to actually furnish two sofas, a coffee table, and a TV without crowding.

Foyer + entry sequence

Four bedrooms — three up, one down

The main floor carries three bedrooms, all with original hardwood. The primary is on the west side; two more sit along the back, both well-sized for kids’ rooms or a guest plus an office. The fourth bedroom is on the lower level (15’9 × 12’0) — large enough to function as a teen retreat, in-law setup, or a real second primary if the next owners ever want to flip the layout.

Bathrooms — main and lower

The lower level is the dark horse

This is where the home really earns its 2,183 sq ft. The basement is fully finished and walk-out separate-entry capable — a configuration that opens up real future flexibility (mortgage helper, multi-gen, teenager wing, work-from-home suite). It’s currently set up as a family room, a media/lounge with a gas fireplace, a fourth bedroom, an office nook, a 3-piece bath, and laundry plus storage. Carpet underfoot, recessed lighting throughout, baseboard heat as a backup to the main forced-air system.

Outside is the whole point

The reason this house worked for our buyers wasn’t the kitchen or the bedrooms — both of which are perfectly fine — it was the lot. 10,221 square feet, completely flat, south-facing rear yard, unbroken treeline at the back property line. No neighbours staring in. Mature lawn, a detached garden shed, a covered carport, a paver patio sized for a real outdoor table, and a separate upper deck off the back of the home for sunset drinks.

Upper decks

The view that sealed it

The drone shot at the top of this post is the one the buyers looked at the longest. From the air, the home sits in a south-facing pocket of College Park with a clean line of sight north over Burrard Inlet to Burnaby Mountain and SFU. On a clear evening you can pick out the SkyBridge and the lights of Brentwood from the upper deck. Mid-century split-entries on a quiet cul-de-sac with that view are not what’s pencilling out at $1.36M anywhere else in the Tri-Cities right now.

Property at a glance

About the author

Jordan Macnab, PREC*

REALTOR® · Personal Real Estate Corporation with The Macnabs Real Estate Team at Royal LePage Elite West. Consistently ranked among Port Moody’s top real estate agents, Jordan represents buyers and sellers across the Tri-Cities, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Greater Vancouver.  604-551-5695 · jordan@themacnabs.com

Keep reading

• → The Port Moody Buyer’s Playbook — what we tell every client before they write
• → More Port Moody real estate stories from Jordan Macnab
• → Port Moody real estate: neighbourhood guide + active listings
• → Meet Jordan Macnab — Port Moody’s top real estate agent