Siblings Kavita Chopra-Mathew and Kishan Chopra share a toast after being drawn from the ballot. Photo / Doug Sherring
Siblings Kavita Chopra-Mathew and Kishan Chopra share a toast after being drawn from the ballot. Photo / Doug Sherring
If he was forced to choose, Kishan Chopra would pick an All Blacks win over owning a home. But today he didn't have to make that choice.
Do it for Kishan Chopra tomorrow, boys.
The first home buyer chose an All Blacks Rugby World Cup triumph over home ownership today, but was a winner anyway.
The 31-year-old joined close to 100 hopefuls in the first public ballot for the new West Edge housing development in New Lynnthis afternoon and he didn't leave disappointed.
An artists impression of what the West Edge development will look like.
Twenty-five buyers, including Chopra, had their ballot number picked from five separate boxes representing a section of two and three-bedroom terraced townhouse options on offer in the first phase of a staged, six-year, 1800-home development. A drawn ballot gave holders the right to sign a sale and purchase agreement on the spot.
Before the draw, Chopra told the Herald on Sunday he badly wanted to put his signature on the dotted line for one of the two-bedroom, $694,000 townhouses.
But asked to choose between an All Blacks win in tomorrow's grand final against the Wallabies and his ballot number - 1023 - being drawn, he showed his true loyalties.
It was the men in black all the way, he said.
"There'll be other houses, there's more houses than chances to win the Cup."
Catherine Peake was overcome with emotion after winning. Photo / Doug Sherring
Chopra's loyalty, and good fortune, could be a good omen for our boys in London. With his ecstatic mum and sister at his side, his ballot was called.
"Did you hear my mum?", he asked as the Herald on Sunday congratulated him.
"She jumped around, she screamed ... we were holding each other by the end [of the ballot]. It was such a relief."
Another winner was Mary Parshotam, who won the right to buy a two-bedroom, $540,000 apartment. It will be an investment for Parshotam and husband Bharat.
"It's just a relief, to get what you wanted when you see a lot of people and think the chances are low."
Even some of those who missed out left happy. Unsuccessful ballot holders were given first option to buy apartments not on the ballot, albeit at a higher price.
Winner Mary Parshotam among the crowd. Photo / Doug Sherring
The opportunity overwhelmed Catherine Peake when she bought on behalf of her United Kingdom-based parents.
"We've got a house," she said to the dispersing crowd, tears running down her cheeks as she embraced husband, Martin.
"This means they can move over here. We want to start a family, and I want them here desperately."
Construction on the first homes is expected to begin in March, and they are scheduled to be completed by early 2017. One more ballot will take place at the end of the month, for nine $461,000 homes carved off as part of the project's Special Housing Area requirement to make at least 10 per cent of homes affordable.
