Posts Tagged ‘moving to calgary’

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Reasons for a move to Calgary, Alberta

Friday, December 31st, 2021

Peace Bridge - Downtown

 

 Calgary general info

  • The current metro area of Calgary population of Calgary in 2021 is 1,581,000 a 2.2% increase from 2020
  • In 1988 Calgary Hosted the Olympics
  • Home of the world-famous Calgary Stampede
  • Calgary is a very cultural diverse City,  approximately one in 3 people living in Calgary were born outside of Canada

 

Top Reasons why people choose to move to Calgary

1. Calgary is only a one-hour drive to the Rocky Mountains

Banff National Park

The Rocky Mountains provide days of adventure including Skiing, Snowshoeing, mountain climbing, hiking, golfing, or simply a nice stroll down Banff Avenue.

2. Pathways and Trails

Calgary communities, parks, and natural areas are connected by an extensive network of multi-use pathways.  The City maintains the most extensive urban pathway and bike network in North America with approximately 1000 km of regional pathways and 96 Km of trails.

3. Global Livability Ranking 

The Global Livability Ranking is a yearly assessment published by the Economist Intelligence Unit,  ranking 140 global cities for their urban quality of life based on assessments of stability,  healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.  In 2019 Calgary ranked 5th with a livability score of 97.5

4. Canada’s Sunniest city

Calgary is the sunniest of Canada’s large cities, enjoying an average of 2396 hours of bright sun each year, spread over 333 days. That amounts to just over half of Calgary’s daylight hours.

5.  Key points from Calgary Economic & Development 

  • Calgary has more than 100 corporate head offices, the most per capita of any Canadian city, and is home to more than 700 startups, many in tech.
  • At 8% Alberta has the lowest income tax rate in Canada

6.  Among the Lowest Taxes in Canada

Alberta has some of the lowest taxes in North America — with no provincial sales tax, no payroll tax, no health care premiums, and some of the lowest corporate income taxes in Canada.

7. Affordable Housing 

While Calgary is not the least expensive city to purchase a home in, Calgary is substantially cheaper than Toronto or Vancouver.  Calgary’s Median price currently sits at $530,000 for a detached single-family home.

 

Attractions

Whether visiting or living in Calgary here are some attractions you may want to put on your list to see

  • Calgary Exhibition and Stampede:  A 10-day event that starts the first Friday of July
  • Heritage Park 
  • Olympic Plazza
  • Saddledome with the Calgary Flames (NHL) 
  • 17th Avenue Retail & Entertainment district 
  • Eau Claire Market 
  • Princes Island Park 
  • Calgary Zoo 
  • Telus Convention Centre 
  • Calgary Tower  (once Calgary’s tallest structure) 
  • Telus Spark 
  • Calgary’s new Central Library 
  • Canada Olympic Park 

 

If you are considering making a move to Calgary TSW Real Estate Group can be a resource you can count on.  Being a native Calgarian I have a vast knowledge of Calgary Communities and the housing market.   There are many other valuable things we can provide to help you make a decision if Calgary is right for you.  Contact us here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Stunning Bi-Level in Tuscany Just Listed

Sunday, July 5th, 2020

Just Listed this stunning Bi-Level Home in Tuscany.

MLS: 4306068

More Details Here

Stunning Bi-Level

Stunning Bi-Level located on a quiet street in Tuscany.  A unique open bi-level plan with an additional bonus room above the garage.  Soaring vaulted ceilings and a wall of windows provides an abundance of natural light, features new laminate flooring central air and water softener. Kitchen features cherry cabinets, newer stainless appliances updated lighting and provides access to your 2-tiered deck for entertaining.  Living room features vaulted ceilings and a gas fireplace. Master bedroom features vaulted ceilings, a 4 – piece ensuite and walk in closet.  Additional Bedroom and main bath complete main floor.  A few steps up you will find the massive bonus room which makes a great office space or family recreation room. Basement is professionally developed and provides a large recreation room, an additional 2 bedrooms, a full bath, and tons of storage space.  Enjoy the benefits of living in Tuscany with the amenities and activities of the Tuscany Club, close to shops, groceries, restaurants, schools.  Great location to escape to mountains.  For your commute to work the LRT is only a few minutes away.

More details and complete photos here

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Relocating to a Different Town or City

Tuesday, June 16th, 2020

Moving around the corner or even across town is relatively simple because you are likely familiar with the various neighborhood’s and you can access them anytime. If there’s a listed home you want to view, you can simply go see it. Relocating to a different town or city, however, is much more challenging. It may not be possible for you to make multiple visits to see homes for sale. You may also be unfamiliar with the various neighborhood’s.  So what do you do if you want to move out-of-town or need to relocate due to work?

Your first step is to get the information you need.

  • You’ll want up-to-date data on the neighborhood’s so you can pinpoint the ones that are the best fit for your needs and lifestyle.
  • You’ll also want to get a sense of the types of homes for sale in those neighborhoods — style, size, features, listing price, etc.
  • A conversation with a Local agent can be a wealth or information.
  • Once you have an idea of area’s of interest have your agent set you up on a listing’s search – If you have time do this 3 -6 months early so you get a sense of prices in neighborhoods.

Your next step is to schedule a day (or more)  to view homes.  Remember buying a home is a huge investment so its wise to not rush the process. This visit must be carefully planned so you only see those properties that are likely to be of interest. You don’t want to travel all that way only to end up seeing properties you wouldn’t likely buy. What a waste of time!

So, if you’re relocating, you’ll need help. Give me a call. I can help make the relocation go smoothly for you.

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301, 4506 4th Street NW Calgary Ab. T2K 1A2

Thursday, July 18th, 2013

Just listed a great condo in Highland Park.  Only $269,900

Adult Building 50+  Pride of ownership shows in this lovely 2 bedroom & 2 bath corner unit with over 1000 square feet.  You will love the open layout and the extra windows for sunlight.  Living room provides newer carpet and is bright and features a sliding door to your private balcony.  Large kitchen with newer countertops, Island, pantry and lots of cupboards and countertop space.  Master bedroom has a 3 piece ensuite, and second bedroom is a good size.  Features Insuite laundry and storage room, heated tandem garage is aprox 30 feet deep allowing for 2 small cars or a larger car and plenty of extra storage space.  The building provides a passenger elevator lift and visitor parking. Great central location with easy access to downtown, amenities, transit and shopping.

003 - Open2view ID3527 - 301_4506 4 Street NW 015 - Open2view ID3527 - 301_4506 4 Street NW

 

 

 

Check out the full video at

301, 4506 4th Street NW Calgary Ab. T2k 1A2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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May’s Calgary Real Estate Market Snapshot

Monday, June 3rd, 2013

Want to know what’s really happening in the Calgary Real Estate Market.  The market is driven by supply and demand so here we show the inventory (supply) and sales (demand) and the effect on the price of Calgary Real Estate.   In summary the Calgary housing market is still very strong.  Sales are strong and our inventory is on the low side making it a Seller’s market.

Here is the details along with a few comments, all numbers are taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards Stats package for Realtors.

Calgary Listing Inventory:  Inventory levels for all categories except townhouses increased throughout May. The Townhouse inventory dropped only marginally.  Seeing our inventory increase is very normal at this time of year as many people wait until spring to list their homes.   This trend of increasing inventory should continue for the next few months.

Inventory 

April   2013   

May  2013   

Change
Single Family Home

2977

3311

+334
Condo    Townhouse

518

503

-15
Condo    Apartment

871

929

+58
Total

4366

4743

+377

Calgary Sales: 

Sales increased in all categories except apartment Condo’s this month.   Apartment condo sales dropped but by very little.  What is important here is that our sales increased at a lower rate than our inventory moving us towards a balanced market (although we have a long way to go).   We are still challenged to find good Single Family homes for buyers as there is little choice so many buyers are  moving into the townhouse market, the condominium market and surrounding towns.  

Sales

April  2013  

May  2013  

Change

% Change

Single   Family Home

1611

1766

+155

+9.6%
Condo  Townhouse

341

365

+24

+7.0%
Condo   Apartment

429

413

-16

-3.8%
Total

2381

2544

 +163

+6.8%

 Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:  Please note that we are now using the Benchmark price for this comparison.

In May, the benchmark price increased slightly for all categories. This is simply a reflection demand outpacing supply and should continue until the inventory starts to increase faster than sales.   

Sales Prices

April  2013

Benchmark Price

May 2013

 Benchmark Price  

Change

Single   Family Homes

452,900

456,900

+$4,000
Condo   Townhouse

288,900

292,100

+$3,200
Condo  Apartment

261,300

263,600

+$2,300

  Sales Prices  “Year to Date”   

Year to date prices have increased in all categories.

Sales Prices Dec  31 2012    Benchmark Price 

May  2013

Benchmark Price 

Change

% Change

Single   Family Homes

434,800

456,900

+$22,100

+5.1%
Condo   Townhouse

284,100

292,100

+$8,000

+2.8%
Condo  Apartment

248,700

263,600

+$14,900

+5.99%

 

Absorption Rate (Months of Inventory)   (the inventory divided by the number of sales in the last month). What does this mean you might ask?

Buyer’s Market

>4.0

Balanced Market

Between 2.8 to 4.0

Seller’s Market

<2.8

Absorption Rate:  Throughout May there was little change in the absorption rate except for the apartment condo market which softened a little.

Absorption Rate  

April  2013  

May  2013  

Change

Single   Family Homes

1.85

1.87

+.02
Condo   Townhouse

1.52

1.37

-.15
Condo  Apartment

2.03

2.25

+.22
Total   Calgary

1.83

1.86

+.03

**Please note that these numbers do change on a community basis and more so for towns.  If you would like to find stats on your community please contact us.

If you have any questions about this summary or any Real Estate questions please feel free to contact us.

If you know anyone else who might enjoy seeing our monthly summary please feel free to pass this on.

Gord, Eric & Brent

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December 2011, Monthly Housing Stats Report

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

What”s happening in the Calgary Real Estate market?

  The stats below are taken from information supplied to realtors through the Calgary Real Estate Board.  As Real Estate is all about supply and demand that is what this article will focus on :

  • Our Inventory
  • Our Sales
  • and of course Prices

  As we are at a year-end I am providing both monthly and then yearly results.

Calgary Listing Inventory:  Inventory levels for both Single Family homes and Condo’s decreased substantially this month.   This movement is normal for this time of year as many people do not want their home on the market during the holiday season.  Expect that starting January our listing inventory will start to creep upwards.

Inventory   November 2011  December  2011 Change
Single Family Home 3761 2761 Decrease of 1000
Condo’s 1676 1287 Decrease of 389
Total 5437 4048 Decrease of 1389

 Calgary Listing Inventory year to date.  Very Similar numbers compared to last year.  

Inventory  Dec 2010  December  2011 Change
2712 2761 49
Condo’s 1429 1287 -142
Total 4141 4048 -97

Calgary Sales: 

Calgary Single Family home sales and Condo sales for the month of December declined slightly from November.  Again the holiday season can account for this trend.         

Sales November 2011 December 2011 Change
Single Family Home 962 722 -240
Condo’s 391 310 -81
Total 1353 1032 -321

Calgary Sales Year to Date

Sales for both single family homes and condos showed an increase over 2010, a very positive sign moving forward.

Sales Total  2010  Total  2011 Change % Change
Single Family Home 12,091 13,186 1095 9.06%
Condo’s 5,176 5,382 206 3.98%
Total 17267 18,568 1301 7.53%

Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:  In 2011 Single family home prices decreased by $9,175 while the median price of condo’s increased by $5,875.  The median prices are not showing any certain direction but are bouncing up and down every month.  Let’s look at the year to date numbers download free action game for girls below to really see what’s happening.

Sales Prices November Median Prices December  Median Prices Change
Single Family Homes $402,925 $393,750 -$9,175
Condo’s $252,000 $257,875 $5,875

 *** Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices Year to Date

As you can see from the chart below the Median Sales price of both single family homes and condos remained almost constant this year.  We had a bit of a roller coaster with prices bouncing up and down but they are not showing a single direction.

   End of 2010 End of 2011 Change % Change
Single Family Homes  $389,000 $393,750 $4,750 1.2%
Condo’s  $260,000 $257,875 -$2.125 -.82%

 

Forecast for 2012

On the 18th of January the Calgary Real Estate Board put’s on their annual forecast breakfast where they bring in experts and share the forecasts for 2012.  As soon as the forecasts are available I will summarize for you.  

If you have any questions about this summary, or would like a full copy of the December Stats package please contact us. 

Gord, Eric & Brent

Check out our new Market Snapshot – a monthly look at active and sold listings in your community.

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October Monthly Housing Stats Report at a glance!

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

Trying to make sense of the Calgary Real Estate market?

Below I have reported key indicators on what is really happening in the Calgary Real Estate market.  All numbers are taken from the Monthly Stats report for Realtors prepared by the Calgary Real Estate Board.

Here is October’s summary.

Calgary Listing Inventory:  Inventory levels for Both Single Family homes and Condo’s decreased this month.  Inventory levels have moved both up and down so it is not showing a definite direction.

Inventory September 2011 October Change
Single Family Home 4753 4486 (267)
Condo’s 2008 1935 (73)
Total 6761 6421 (340)

 Calgary Sales: 

Calgary Single Family home sales for the month of October showed a slight decrease.  Sales for Condos,  however decreased by about 15% from September.   Sales numbers dropping is very normal at this time of year as the peak selling season is typically April through June.  Interestingly, sales for single family homes and condos beat sales levels for October 2010 and we are on track to have higher sales in 2011 than in 2010.       

Sales September 2011 October Change
Single Family Home 1036 988 (48)
Condo’s 429 368 (61)
Total 1465 1356 (109)

 

Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:    For October Median prices for Single Family homes decreased by $5.000 while condo’s increased by $2,625.00 over September.  We seem to be bouncing up and down every month but overall prices are remaining fairly stable.      

Sales Prices September Median Prices October Change
Single Family Homes $400,000 $395,000 (5,000)
Condo’s $260,000 262,625 +2,625

 The median sales price of Single Family homes in January was 390,000 so we are up $5,000 for the year.

The Median sales price of Condos in January was $255,000 so we are up $7250 for the year.

Overall we are still in a buyer’s market where buyers have lots of selection and buyers although buying are looking for value.

If you have any questions about this summary please contact us.   

Gord Piper, Brent Wilcox & Eric Dennis

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September 2011, Real Estate Market Snapshot

Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

Tired of sorting through all the reports and want a snapshot of whats happening in the Calgary Real Estate Market.  All data below has been taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards monthly September 2011  Stats package for Realtors.

When trying to understand the market all we really need to know is supply and demand – the inventory and sales.  Of course you might want to know about prices too but what happens with prices is dependent on inventory and sales.  Below you will find this helpful information with a few of my own comments.

Calgary Listing
Inventory: Inventory levels for both Single Family homes and Condo’s increased only marginally this month and going  up and down so it is not showing a definite direction.

Inventory August
2011		 September
2011 		Change
Single Family Home 4573 4753 +180
Condo’s 1997 2008 +11
Total 6570 6761 +191

Calgary Sales:

Calgary sales for the month of September showed small decreases
for single family homes and for condos. Sales numbers dropping is very normal at this time of year as the peak selling season is typically April through
June.  Interestingly, sales for single family homes in September were 10.6% higher than in Sept 2010 and sales for Condo’s were 17.2% higher than in 2010.     

Sales August
2011		 September
2011 		Change
Single Family Home 1106 1036 (70)
Condo’s 468 429 (39)
Total 1574 1465 (109)

Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:

For September Median prices for Single Family homes decreased by $2,251 while condo’s increased by $5,000 over August.  We seem to be bouncing up and down every month but overall prices are remaining stable.

Sales Prices August
Median Prices 2011		 September Median Prices Change
Single Family Homes $402,251 $400,000 ($2251)
Condo’s $255,000 $260,000 +$5,000

Overall we are still in a buyer’s market – however a slightly stronger Buyers market than last month with inventory going up and sales going down our turnover rate has increased.

If you have any questions about this summary, the attached
stats package or any Real Estate questions please feel free to contact us.

Free no obligation Home Evaluation

Gord Piper & Brent Wilcox

CIR Realty

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June 2011, Calgary Real Estate Stats at a glance

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Want to know  instantly whats happening in the real estate market in Calgary.  Below you will find a summary of some key areas with a few short comments.  All stats are taken directly from the Calgary Real Estate Boards monthly stats package for June 2011.  These highlights are all you need to stay informed.  Provided to you courtesy of Gord Piper and Associates.

Calgary Listing Inventory:  As shown below our inventory in Calgary Metro increased marginally this month.   

Inventory May  2011 June 2011 Change
Single Family Home 4616 4744 128
Condo’s 2092 2023 (69)
Total 6708 6767 59

 Calgary Sales: 

Calgary sales for the month of June showed increases in both single family and condos. Of interest, this is the first month all year where condo sales beat the number of condo sales in the same month of last year.  Single family homes have done this for a few months After years of research and testing the new system is designed to provide learner drivers with all the training, resources and qualified bronx driving schools instructors required to become a licensed driver. now.    

Sales May 2011 June 2011 Change
Single Family Home 1313 1398 85
Condo’s 503 581 78
Total 1816 1979 163

 

Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:    Prices for Single Family homes and for condos decreased very slightly this month.  It’s interesting that for the last 3 months prices of single family homes have been almost flat at 420,000, 423,000 and 417,250.   Condos have stayed between $260,000 and $270,000 for the last 3 months.   This makes sense as our inventory is holding steady and sales are strong.  

Sales Prices May  Median Prices June Median Prices Change
Single Family Homes $423,000 $417,250 ($5750)
Condo’s $269,250 $265,000 ($4,350)

 Overall we are still in a slight buyers market. 

If you have any questions about this summary, or would like to receive the entire stats package or have other Real Estate questions feel free to contact us.  

Gord Piper and Brent Wilcox 

CIR Realty

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May 2011, Calgary Real Estate Stats

Friday, June 3rd, 2011
Calgary Real Estate Board Stats for the month of May have been published and here is our summary  of some key areas with a few short comments. 

Calgary Listing Inventory:  As shown below our inventory in Calgary Metro increased by 308 listings this month.   This is very typical to see listings rise as spring arrives.  

Inventory  April  2011 May 2011 Change
Single Family Home 4395 4616 +221
Condo’s 2005 2092 +87
Total 6400 6708 +308
 Calgary Sales: 

Overall Calgary sales for the month of May increased slightly from April.  Single family home sales increased while condo sales decreased ever so slightly.  Interesting enough sales of Inner city homes increased by almost 4%    

Sales April 2011 May 2011 Change
Single Family Home 1217 1313 +96
Condo’s 535 503 -32
Total 1752 1816 +64
 Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:    Prices for Single Family homes increased by $3,000 this month while condos increased by $8,500.  This makes sense as our inventory is holding steady and sales are remaining steady.  

Sales Prices April Median Prices May Median Prices Change
Single Family Homes $ 420,000 $423,000 +$3,000
Condo’s $260,000 $268,500 +$8,500
  

Absorption Rate:  When looking at Real estate stats it is imperative to look at the absorption rate.

Absorption rate is simply the total inventory divided by the number of sales in the last month.  An absorption rate of between 2.3 to 4.0 months reflects a balanced market while a higher rate reflects a buyer’s market and therefore a lower rate reflects a seller’s market.  From the chart below you can see that we are still in a slight buyers market.

 May Absorption Rate Chart

If you have any questions about this summary, the attached stats package or any Real Estate questions please feel free to contact us.  

Gord Piper  & Brent Wilcox                                                                                                                                                     

CIR Realty

403-861-2256

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