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.

It’s nice to see that, notwithstanding the record-high prices and country-leading growth Calgary’s real estate market has been enjoying, it remains among the most affordable markets in the country.

“Well, that’s weird,” you say. “How could a highly-valued market also be an affordable one?” Easy: despite some revenue dips, Alberta’s still rocking and rolling on the economy front. Our version of a ‘tough times’ budget would be welcomed with open arms in many other provinces, especially Ontario and BC, which are the two other biggest provinces for real estate sales. In the article cited above, RBC’s Affordability Index listed bungalows in Calgary at requiring just under 39 percent of an average household’s pre-tax income; in BC, that number is 82 percent.

Many of us make good money for honest work in Alberta, and we like to put it into our homes. Fortunately a middle class family here can afford to do that without having to live on just 18 percent of our gross. That kind of Alberta Advantage helps to make up for snow in May, doesn’t it?

Calgary’s oldest neighbourhood, Inglewood was established along the Bow River in 1875. Its obviously central location means its in the heart of everything: while Fort Calgary was, you know, a fort when Inglewood was first established, now it’s a perennial tourist attraction; Inglewood is also near the Zoo, plenty of shopping, the downtown core, natural walking areas, and Spolumbo’s!

Home to nearly 3500 people, Inglewood is a bustling community with a lively arts and culture scene. The Inglewood BRZ – slogan: Calgary’s Original Main Street – runs an up-to-date website listing all the happenings and opportunities in the area. The Inglewood Community Association features a three-room hall available for rental to residents.

Median income is close to the city’s average, around $60,000 per year, and nearly half of all residents are in the 25-44 age range.

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

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

Yet another good news article about Calgary’s real estate market: we saw more than a 10 percent jump in sales from March to April, as opposed to the national trend going down more than three percent in the same period. And this is just the beginning.

Spring is obviously the time new home developers start churning out properties, and despite what the noisemakers might have you believe, there is plenty of land already approved for community growth. New home builds will probably be plentiful, and marketing aggressive. As housing prices continue their steady climb upwards, we can expect lots more existing properties to go on sale with some people looking to move up, and others downsizing.

If you’re thinking about making a move, it’s a good time to sell – prices going up – but also a good time to buy thanks to the copious inventory. Things usually aren’t so balanced, but so it goes in Calgary. I can help you sort it all out – contact me for more information.

The growing community of Glenbrook, part of Calgary for nearly 60 years, offers both a glorious mountain view and a mere 8 kilometre commute downtown. Residents enjoy the facilities offered by nearby Optimist Park, a rustic community hall with an outdoor hockey rink, and close access to a variety of stores and services.

Within the boundaries of Glenbrook, there is a full array of public and private school options for kids up to the junior high level; older children must travel a short distance to neighbouring communities.

Median incomes in Glenbrook is a bit below the city’s average, which makes sense given that the majority of its residents are young (a full third are between 25-44) and unmarried. Most of Glenbrook’s real estate offerings is made up of single family dwellings, with an active rental market.

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

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

North Glenmore Park is one of Calgary’s older neighbourhoods, having been established in the city’s southwest in 1959. It is home to about 2400 people, in just over a square kilometre of area. The majority of residents are in the 45-54 age range, making a median income of about $65,000.

North Glenmore Park is both well-connected and well-serviced. With quick access to both Crowchild Trail and Glenmore Trail, commuting to nearly any part of the city is relatively easy. Residents have close access to both Chinook and Westhills shopping centres, Heritage Park, the Rockyview hospital, and Mount Royal University. Also a plus is the busy community centre run by the North Glenmore Park Community Association, housing a dance studio, gymnasium, offices, and a boardroom; some residents of the nearby community of Lakeview are also permitted to join North Glenmore’s community association and use the facilities.

The neighbourhood is served by a full array of schools, and counts about 22 percent of its population as being under the age of 19.

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

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

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.

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