With all the destruction from the floods there is real need to pull together and help each other through this. If anywhere can do this it’s Calgary!
Here are some links / numbers for donations:
Red Cross – 1-800-418-111
The City of Calgary is currently not accepting donations or volunteers at its reception centres. Keep an eye on the webpage for updates.
For anyone struggling or needing support during this major flood crisis, here are some key resource links:
Calgary Newsroom Evacuation Plan
Alberta Government Transportation – Alberta Emergency Alert
Stay safe and dry!
Alright, maybe not ever, but it’s pretty good; from Monday’s Financial Post: “Prices remain stable, perhaps maddeningly so for the legions of bubble mongers,” said Douglas Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets.
Yes, thanks to some new data from the Canadian Real Estate Association, there seems to be a turn in public opinion as to whether or not Canada’s in the midst of a housing bubble. More rational discourse has replaced the nearly-apocalyptic cries of some who still expected our country’s real estate market to follow the United States’ lead into a precipitous plunge.
Instead, we’re seeing healthier-than-expected growth, not just in Alberta, but nationwide. With a new Bank of Canada governor being installed, there’s the possibility of some minor policy shifts from the rockstar tenure (at least by banking standards) of outgoing governor Mark Carney, but I doubt any drastic moves will be made. They just don’t need to be. Household debt is a perennial problem, sure, but it’s not aggravated by an appetite for increasingly expensive homes; by and large, Canadians don’t especially care for being house poor.
I’m certain Alberta will continue to lead the country in home sales and rising property values, as we stand to be Canada’s turbocharged economic engine for some time to come, but it’s nice to see the rising tide lifting all of the ships, to mix some metaphors (unless the turbocharged engine was on a speedboat… Yeah, that’s it!).
The name Palliser is used in a few contexts in Alberta, thanks to the significance of explorer John Palliser’s efforts to map western Canada. One such namesake is Calgary’s nearly 50 year-old community of Palliser, in the city’s southwest.
There’s a focus on outdoor recreation opportunities in Palliser, located as it is along the edge of the Glenmore Reservoir and near the Weaselhead Flats: hiking, boating, and more are within easy reach of Palliser residents. Further, the Heritage Park historical village is in the same vicinity, with its renowned Sunday brunch (once frequented by Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff), rides for the kids, and ambience linked to our shared history. With Heritage Drive, Glenmore Drive. Crowchild Trail, and Macleod Drive all nearby, this community is an easy drive from nearly all Calgary has to offer.
Served by four elementary schools, five middle schools, and three high schools (including public, separate, and private options), Palliser has an abundance of options for the 400 or so school-age children in the neighbourhood. Its population has remained steady in recent years – growing only 0.3% from 2007-2011, compared with the city’s 7% growth overall – and so its a good place for people looking to put down roots and build relationships with neighbours.
To see homes available in Palliser, do a Quick Search.
To get a complete market report on Palliser, or any other neighbourhood you are interested in, use our quick and easy market report request.
It’s from a few months ago, but I thought it still worth drawing readers’ attention to: here’s an article from January’s Financial Post positing that so-called stubborn sellers are preventing a burst real estate bubble in Canada. It’s a good read.
Now this doesn’t really speak specifically to Calgary’s situation – we continue to set sales and price records, and I continue to work my butt off – but it does say something about the market’s health nationally. Sales are down in much of the country, yet prices aren’t really dropping. Without finding themselves suddenly underwater like so many unfortunate souls in the U.S., Canadians aren’t motivated to drop their selling price to move their properties quickly, and that means the market as a whole is remaining pretty stable. Barring a massive wave of unemployment or interest rates jumping up several points overnight, the spectre of a bursting real estate bubble in this country is, in my opinion, wildly overhyped.
Just one man’s opinion, of course, but it’s hard to see the future as dire when I so rarely get a day (or night) off.
For this installment, let’s look at another wonderful community on the city’s edge, Woodbine. Bordering on the Tsuu T’ina First Nation in Calgary’s Southwest, Woodbine is a 33 year-old community 10,000 people strong, that’s become popular with higher income earners (median income is in the mid-$80,000s) and those appreciating quick access to mountain getaways.
The Woodcreek Community Association recently completed an addition to its popular community centre, making it even more versatile for the varied groups using the facility; Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, a Lions club, seniors groups, and the Bulldogs football club are just some taking advantage of the centre’s playing fields, tennis courts, skating rinks, halls, boardrooms, and other amenities.
Within Woodbine’s 3.5 square kilometres is also a karate studio, a dance studio, and a fitness centre, along with both public and separate elementary schools. Fish Creek Park and Glenmore Park are both in close proximity.
One attractive feature of Woodbine is it’s low crime rate compared to the rest of Calgary: in 2006 and 2007, the community recorded the lowest person and property crime rates in the city, according to the Calgary Police Service.
To see homes available in Woodbine, do a Quick Search.
To get a complete market report on Woodbine, or any other neighbourhood you are interested in, use our quick and easy market report request.
