Surrounding communities hold their value

The appeal to small-town living just a stone's throw from the "big" city is nothing new. Yet recent housing market intelligence suggests it's more than just lifestyle preferences driving homeowners beyond Calgary's borders.

While slower economic activity has influenced housing markets across the province, CREB®'s latest Surrounding Area Quarterly report found prices in areas surrounding Calgary have remained fairly stable.

Builder focuses on the extra flavours*

When Lisa Kaiser goes to suppliers seeking quality products for Genesis homes, she doesn't want the "vanilla ice cream" flavour they are offering every other builder.

"When everyone is buying vanilla ice cream, you get a lot of vanilla ice cream," said the company's project manager interior design. "I ask them to give us the new flavours."

It is one way of explaining Genesis Builders Group's focus on ensuring its new suburban homes don't fall under the stereotype of being bland when compared to its inner-city counterparts.

Calgary's neighbouring towns look ahead to 2015

Riding right along with their larger sibling, the towns around Calgary enjoyed a banner year for real estate in 2014. Topping the 4,439 sales seen in 2013, 2014 saw sales rise to 5,513, an increase of 24.2 per cent.

Airdrie was one market that posted particularly good sales activity in 2014, increasing annually by nearly 28 per cent to a new all-time record high of 1,695 units. Okotoks recorded 770 sales, narrowly beating out the 748 sales seen in Cochrane.

When looking for a reason so many communities outside of Calgary are seeing such a pronounced increase in sales, the relative affordability available in centres like Airdrie, Okotoks and Cochrane could be pointed out as a key factor.

Airdrie's housing market on pace for record year

Housing affordability and changing lifestyle choices are fueling double-digit growth in Airdrie.

The city's residential resale housing market recently posted its best third quarter ever, with sales activity jumping 16 per cent to 455 units between July and September, according to CREB®. Year-to-date sales, meanwhile, have increased by 28 per cent to 1,354 units compared to the same period in 2013.

Affordability driving sales growth in Airdrie, Cochrane and Okotoks

Calgary's surrounding communities and their respective residential resale housing markets are continuing their torrid pace in 2014, with 4,449 homes overall exchanging hands for the first nine months of the year, a 26 per cent increase compared with 2013, according to CREB®.

Airdrie, Cochrane and Okotoks all saw double-digit sales growth on a year-over-year basis.

Communities surrounding Calgary see double-digit sales growth in the first quarter of the year

Getting more for less can mean a lot to a first time homebuyer.

When it came to the purchase of their first home, engaged couple Kristie Bogle and Erin Dorscht set their sights on Bogle's hometown of Airdrie.

"I just kept seeing all these signs, crazy cheap new developments throughout [Airdrie] and I came home one day and was like 'Look how cheap this is compared to what we're paying in Calgary'," said Dorscht.

Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta held a celebration Aug. 21 for two families who received new homes in Airdrie.

Ground was broken on the semidetached homes in October 2011 in the community of Bayside. Through Built Green Canada, the project is certified platinum and will reduce the overall water and utility costs for the homes.