Calgary inventory levels ease

Despite the 18 per cent year-over-year decline in June home sales, for a total of 2,183 units, transaction levels remain only five per cent below the 10 year average for June and three per cent above levels over the past five years.

"We've seen less concern from consumers lately," said CREB® president Corinne Lyall. "One of the main reasons is that we haven't seen the worst case scenarios play out in the energy and housing sectors.

"Consumers who were waiting for wide-spread price declines have been surprised to see that it just hasn't happened yet, and so they've decided to take advantage of the improved selection and lower lending rates.

Calgary housing prices change direction in May

For the first time since December 2014, Calgary's residential unadjusted benchmark prices improved over the previous month. Within the city of Calgary, housing prices totaled $454,100 in May, a monthly and year-over-year increase of 0.55 and 0.96 per cent.

"For the third month in the row, new listings have eased compared to last year, helping push the market toward more balanced conditions, despite the current environment of slower sales activity," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie. "This has helped prevent further declines in the unadjusted benchmark price."

By: Areni Kelleppan, Green Calgary

The benefits of rain barrels, composters

Calgarians are getting ready for spring, and that means gardening.

With a small investment and a little hard work, we can make our homes more appealing and welcoming. A tree here, a shrub there and a few plants sprinkled throughout will not only make your neighbours smile, you will, too.

And whether you skillfully harvest home-grown veggies or are just starting out with a few perennials, nothing makes your plants happier than un-chlorinated rainwater and nutrient rich compost. 

Increased selection for attached, apartment homes in March

Proving that selection is sometimes the best sales pitch, attached and apartment listings increased year-over-year in March from a combined 1,272 to 1,360, according to CREB®.

The increase comes as combined sales decreased by 28 per cent during the month, from 975 last year to 700 units this year.

Coupled with the fact benchmark prices in the attached apartment sector have softened more than in other sectors – dropping by 1.46 per cent compared to a 0.4 per cent decline in the detached and attached sectors – the increased selection offers prospective buyers an attractive combination.

February sales activity remains low

Read the monthly stats package in full here.

Year-over-year new listings growth eased from 37 per cent last month to nine per cent in February. However, as sales activity remained below long term averages for the month, Calgary inventory levels rose to 5,474 units in February.

"While housing supply levels continue to be higher than we have seen in this market for some time, they remain below February 2008 record highs of nearly 7,000 units," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie. "If the pace of growth in new listings continues to ease, this could place some downward pressure on the supply growth in the resale market."

Price growth eases as supply improves

Calgary's hot condominium market helped fuel a 10 per cent increase in Calgary's residential resale housing market in October.

Overall sales for the month totaled 2,147 units, compared with 1,948 during the same period last year, according to the latest statistics from CREB®.

"Two consecutive years of relatively strong employment and population growth, combined with rising wages and low lending rates, have supported demand growth in our housing sector," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

May sales activity highest ever recorded for Calgary

There were 2,948 sales in Calgary in May, a 16 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.

The numbers are the highest recorded in Calgary for that month, ever.

"Strong sales activity is a reflection of improving fundamental conditions such as a growing population, favourable lending rates and rising wages," said Ann-Marie Lurie, CREB's chief economist. "Leading up to May, resale market sales were somewhat restricted by a lack of choice. However, recent price gains have encouraged growth in new listings, helping meet some of the housing demand."

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.