There’s been some talk lately about why Calgary’s market isn’t booming like it did in 2006-07, when our employment and population growth is similarly exceptional now. While there may be some truth to self-proclaimed experts’ notions that homebuyers are a bit more cautious than they used to be, and that stricter mortgage rules are proving to be a greater barrier to entry in the market, the fact is that I have more listings right now than I have at any one time in my career, and things show no sign of easing up; I’d better go buy some more key boxes. House prices in Calgary are growing at three times the national average (and our commercial real estate market is performing better than anywhere else in the world). This is the best place to be selling a home in the country (and not only because my dad and I work here).

Of course, enthusiasm must be tempered, both to maintain a little perspective and to add a little variety to newspaper articles. But the fact is we are in a great, enviable position right now with a market that’s growing at a healthy and sustainable pace, and that looks to continue on the same path for the foreseeable future. The bidding wars we were seeing a few years ago aren’t nearly as common, yet houses aren’t sitting on the market for months at a time either; buyers are motivated but not bloodthirsty. This is a good thing. Give me a steady upward march over boom-and-bust craziness any day of the week.

603 Riverview Pl, Longview

This is a vacant building lot zoned single family. Great ravine and mountain views. Services to the property line. Listing price is well below Village of Longview assessed tax value. Excellent opportunity to build your new home in a quiet rural setting.

To view full listing details visit my webpage: http://www.time2move.ca/listing/foothills/longview/c3564633-603-riverview-pl

Cranston is a lovely little community in southeast Calgary, nearing the southern edge of the city limits. With more than 40 percent of its population between the ages of 25 and 44, it’s clearly an appealing area to buy a first home and start a family, with more than 95 percent of the housing in the community single family homes (this compared to about 55 percent city-wide). Average sale price for a Cranston home is about $550,000.

Cranston’s nearly 12,000 residents are served by a two year-old public elementary school, and a Catholic K-9 school of the same age; older children are bussed to nearby communities.

Amenities in Cranston are quite impressive, starting with the newly built Century Hall. This private facility, accessible only to residents and their guests, features a 7-acre gated park, tennis courts, a full-size gym, meeting rooms, and a waterpark. Across the street is Cranston Market, home to a Sobeys, Subway, Good Earth Cafe, as well as a dentist, vet, and optometrist. Cranstonites (as they may or may not like to be called) also enjoy close-by access to Fish Creek Park and the Bow River.

Almost half of the children in Cranston are under 6, meaning there are plenty of playmates for the kids and a good likelihood of increased school capacity in the medium term. It’s a fast-growing community, and shows no sign of slowing down.

To see our Cranston listings, view our Featured Listings.  To see homes available in Cranston, do a Quick Search.

To get a complete market report on Cranston, or any other neighbourhood you are interested in, use our quick and easy market report request.

Despite sounding like an ornithological journal, the National Migration Trend Report is actually an annual publication by that esteemed purveyor of inexpensive moving trucks, U-Haul. The report looks at one-way trips to any city in Canada as an indicator of relocating families and individuals, and found that in 2012, more people moved to Calgary than any other city. Not a huge surprise given Calgary’s upbeat economy, lack of snow (ha, ha), and excellent Realtors (that’s not a joke). Our province’s population is growing at more than double the national average, and Alberta is predicted to become the country’s third-largest province (leapfrogging BC) is just eight years. So next time you’re grouchy because traffic is snarled by yet another infrastructure project, bear in mind how many more people there are going to be on our roads in a few years.

141 Wentworth Pt SW

80 Everglade Dr Se, Airdrie

What a deal! Over 1500 square feet of fully developed space, and there’s even a garage! And this place is nice, too; tastefully appointed, including fresh paint and hardwood floors. Lots of large windows let the natural light flood in. The floor plan is one that works well with a large kitchen that has a ton of counter space. French doors lead to a huge deck. The location is superb, the home backs south onto a green-space with a pathway, and it’s just a short walk to Nose Creek Park. AE Bowers Elementary School and Muriel Clayton Middle school are an easy walk away. Grab this one while you can.

To view more photos, floorplan and full listing details visit our webpage.

150, 2211 – 19th Street NE

This is a great starter home! Good 3 bedroom town home away from streets and traffic. Easy access to the downtown core, schools, shopping and the airport. Possession is flexible. Act quickly!!

To view more photos and full listing details visit our webpage.

The roughly four square kilometre community of West Springs was once part of the MD of Rockyview, before the land was annexed by the City in the mid-90s. In 2001, West Springs proper was established, and since then it has grown to a population of more than 8000 residents, including the smaller sub-communities of Wentworth, Springside, and West Springs Farm. Skirting the westernmost limits of Calgary’s southern limits, West Springs is an upper-middle class community with average incomes around $90,000 per year; the median price of West Springs homes sold last month was about $550,000.

Wentworth is a small community of about 1000 people located within the larger area of West Springs, in southwest Calgary. Household incomes in West Springs are significantly higher than much of the city, averaging about $110,000 annually. Not surprisingly, then, homes tend to be large and pricey; 97% of homes are owned, as opposed to rented. Springside is a roughly 500 home community on 100 acres of land in West Springs off the west end of Bow Trail.

The Calgary Board of Education recently opened a new elementary school in West Springs, serving students up to grade 6, and there are also local junior high and high schools along with a Catholic elementary school and a private, hockey-focused school in the community.

Residents of West Springs tend to appreciate the relatively short commute times to downtown, with Bow Trail going right into their neighbourhood and the convenience of the new west LRT line that opened last fall. Some parts of West Springs are also walking distance to Canada Olympic Park, home to parks and pathways shared with Springbank, and not all that far from the mountain playground we have nearby.

To see our West Springs listings, view our Featured Listings.  To see homes available in West Springs, do a Quick Search.

To get a complete market report on West Springs, or any other neighbourhood you are interested in, use our quick and easy market report request.

In the second of my ongoing Focus On series, lets look at Tuscany, Calgary’s largest community with more than 19,000 residents in a little under seven square kilometres. Tuscany is known for its vast ravine system that offers ample walking and cycling opportunities, as well as its impressive mountain views. In good weather and bad, the sidewalks are nearly always busy with stroller-pushing moms and dads, dog walkers, and lycra-clad runners. The Tuscany Club, housed in the centre of the community, acts as a hub for all kinds of activities including yoga and dance classes, a highly-regarded preschool, and popular events to mark every major occasion of the calendar year including a massive Stampede breakfast in July.

Having only been around since 1994, Tuscany is one of the city’s newer communities, however it is firmly established and well planned. A C-train extension is planned for a 2014 opening, which should help commuters cut down on travel times, but many residents are as likely to go to Cochrane for services as downtown Calgary as Tuscany sits on the city’s westernmost boundary.

Tuscany median household income is a little over $92,000, with homes averaging $456,000 and condos $302,000 in 2012.

To see our Tuscany listings, view our Featured Listings.  To see homes available in Tuscany, do a Quick Search.

To get a complete market report on Tuscany, or any other neighbourhood you are interested in, use our quick and easy market report request.

From time to time, I’m going to focus on communities in and around Calgary as – like all Realtors worth their salt – I’m fascinated by the intricacies and individuality that define them. Today, let’s look at Varsity, which was named Avenue Magazine’s Best Neighbourhood in their 2011 & 2012 features. Encompassing both the University of Calgary and Market Mall, Varsity was established in 1963, and grew throughout the 60s and early 70s to nearly seven square kilometres. Varsity’s population grew a little over 1% from 2011 to 2012, to about 12,200 people, with a median household income of nearly $59,000.

About a third of the residences in Varsity are rentals, which makes sense given its close proximity to the University; the average home was assessed at $527,000 in 2012, while condos averaged $238,000. Varsity supports three public elementary schools, a public junior high, and a Catholic elementary and high school.

Gord Smith, the general manager of the Varsity Community Association, has sat on the Better Business Bureau’s board of directors for many years. The Association hosts a wide variety of activities, including Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, and a Good Samaritans program where volunteers help local seniors with daily tasks and chores.

To see homes available in Varsity, do a Quick Search.

To get a complete market report on Varsity, or any other neighbourhood you are interested in, use our quick and easy market report request.