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At first I couldn’t believe my own eyes when I saw the results of the latest real estate research that I have just completed. What I will share with you here will really shock you and it will definitely make you wonder why nobody is telling you this. Okay, here is what I had stumbled upon. The whole global economy has been going though recession for the last few years, and Calgary received its share for sure of loosing jobs, decreasing real estate prices, etc… In 2010 and recently I have ... Read Full Post

The Bank of Canada increased their key lending rate by 0.25 percent to 0.75 percent, as a result, most banks have risen their prime rates to 2.75%. Unfortunately economic recovery doesn't happen as quickly. The forecasted growth for May was 0.2 %, but in reality, only delivered 0.1 % growth. There is an estimated downturn from July to September before things are expected to pick up. Although retail trade grew slightly, construction decreased 1.6%, residential building was down 3.8%, and exist... Read Full Post

By Joe Samson, Calgary REALTOR ® If you are planning to sell your house this spring, and are disheartened by the amount of brand new homes for sale in your area, take heart! It seems the Government slide off more of our bucks than we probably realize, but at least one of these taxes could work in your favor. A new report that has been commissioned by combined builder and broker mortgage associations has been be-wailing one big disadvantage when buying a new home. The Canadian Government will... Read Full Post

The annual winter lull in the real estate market means that the time is good for prospective buyers who like to take their time. With Canadian unemployment at a 33 year low, the real estate market looks like holding strong despite the U.S. housing crisis. It is difficult for many of us Canadians to accept that while the U.S. real estate market may be floundering, the Canadian market is steady. In fact, due to the strength of our dollar and the weakness of the U.S. dollar against International... Read Full Post

On January 18th, 2007 Calgary REALTORS® saw their efforts come to fruition with the completion of the 60 unit affordable housing facility, Crestwood, open and ready for move-in. This project, located in the Milligan-Ogden area, has been in the works since 2005, with the Calgary Real Estate Board’s Charitable Foundation partnering with the City of Calgary to raise funds. The CREB® Charitable Foundation raised over 1.6 Million toward the project. Why did Calgary REALTORS® step forward? Bec... Read Full Post

"Two thousand and eight will be a good year and a year of opportunity for serious buyers and sellers," said Calgary’s newly elected, real estate board president Ed Jensen”. "Seeing a solid Alberta economy, strong employment, predictions of movements to past levels of net migration, I see the Calgary market moving closer to normal market conditions -- as normal as Calgary can be." The average sale price of a single-family home in the city will flirt with the half-million-dollar mark this y... Read Full Post

It seems there could be an exchange of property buying going on across the Canadian border. On the one hand Canadians are buying over the border in USA, and on the other hand Americans are opting to buy in the stronger Canadian realty market. Although contradictory, both scenarios can make sound financial sense, depending on which logical trail you are following. According to American Dollar Index figures, the American dollar has dropped to its lowest rating since the Index started in the sev... Read Full Post

The Calgary Real Estate Board’s Annual Forecast Conference and Tradeshow was held on Wednesday, January 16, at the Round-Up Centre with an exceptional attendance of 1,700 people.Ed Jensen spoke to the crowd about the Value of a Calgary REALTOR® and ended with his forecast for 2008. What should we expect in 2008? The following provides some highlights of the 2008 forecast: Listings in towns surrounding Calgary are expected to drop by 5 per cent over 2007, with an extimated total of 8,600. S... Read Full Post

The value of building permits in the city of Airdrie hit a record in 2007, soaring by 68 per cent over the previous year. Construction value in 2007 totalled $454 million compared with $270 million in 2006. In 2005, it was $185.3 million. A record 11,815 permits were applied for in 2007 against 9,443 in 2006, and city inspectors completed 23,866 inspections compared with 18,504 in 2006. The strength in the provincial economy is a factor in Airdrie's boom, said Kent Rupert, planning and econom... Read Full Post

No one is really arguing that the boom in Calgary has tapered off in 2007. Okay, the medium price of a single family house has actually dropped about $32,523 from the peak in June. But why did it happen and what can we expect to see in 2008. The best way to predict the future is by examining what happened in 2007. A lot of self declared real estate experts are now crying wolf that real estate in Calgary is done and finished. Two main reasons why they are saying this is due to the famous Royal... Read Full Post