Calgary Real Estate Blog

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?

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.