Royal LePage Benchmark donates more than $13,000 to Children's Cottage Society

For the last five years, the crew at Royal LePage Benchmark have been fundraising for the Children's Cottage Society (CCS), including this year's offering of more than $13,000.

"[CCS] helps the world's most vulnerable population, the children," said Corinne Lyall, owner/broker for Royal LePage Benchmark and president-elect of CREB®. "Our agents really like the idea of supporting families and trying to keep them together and providing counselling in order to make the families a healthier group."

Calgary's condo sectors continue to set the pace for the city's residential resale housing market, which recorded 2,148 sales in September, nearly 12 per cent higher than the same period last year.

"September's sales growth was stronger than expected, due largely to a surge in condominium apartment and townhouse sales," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie, who credits Calgary's strong economy and fewer options in the lower-priced single-family market behind the continued demand.

Calgary's commercial sector still among nation's busiest markets

With cranes a seemingly permanent fixture of Calgary's growing skyline, it's of little surprise the city's commercial market has been one of Canada's busiest.

According to a report from commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE Ltd., demand for office space in Calgary and Toronto has contributed to a decline in the national office vacancy rate, which fell for the first time in two years during the third quarter of 2014.

"The Canadian economy may not be firing on all cylinders, but the Toronto and Calgary office markets turned out quite a performance last quarter," said CBRE chairman John O'Bryan.

Calgary's housing market continues to come of age

* Part two of three in the CREB®Now real estate news' latest series Growing Up

Calgary's increasingly sophisticated housing market is crossing a vital threshold following RioCan Investment Trust and Embassy BOSA's recent announcement of a $300-million 500-unit condo project for the burgeoning East Village, according to industry experts.

"Calgary is on the tipping point right now, with condo living becoming a more sought after alternative to suburban life," said Embassy BOSA president Ryan Bosa in announcing the new development at Sixth Avenue and Third Street. S.E. "The future of Calgary is up not out, and developments like the East Village showcase how Calgary is creating vibrant, sustainable communities."

Expert says Calgary home inspections should be mandatory

When first-time homeowner Mario DeMarco made the "largest purchase" of his life, he wanted to ensure there were no surprises – that there would not be any major issues with the property before he signed on the dotted line.

DeMarco quickly turned to a home inspector – a move he credits as key in contributing to what turned out to be a smooth buying process.

"[It was] one of the few times in the process that I had the ability to control the situation," he said of purchasing his condo in Lower Mount Royal. "It is no different than getting an inspection on a used car before purchasing it. I wanted to know if there was water damage, electrical issues, plumbing issues..."

Report finds Canada trails only Hong Kong as ideal spot for Chinese immigrants

This is the second of a four-part homebuying series for new Canadians in partnership with the Epoch Times. Each month, the series will explore hot-topic issues such as understanding market trends, processes for buying a home, determining factors that influence house prices and more.

The lure of future employment, particularly in oil-and-gas-rich Alberta, has made Canada
a top destination for Chinese citizens, a new report found.

In a release from global financial services provider Barclays titled The Rise of the Global Citizen, Canada is the second-most popular place Chinese citizens to call home, preceded by Hong Kong and just ahead of the United States.

New Central Library design highlights Calgary's increasing stature

Calgary's transition into architectural adulthood continued this week with the public getting its first look at the newly announced Central Library.

Replacing the 1960s-era bunker-like WR Castell Library, the new library, to be located at Third Street and Seventh Avenue S.E., will feature a four-storey "chinook arch-esque" atrium built over top of a section of LRT line.

Not only will the building bring 240,000 square feet of usable library space to Calgary's East Village, its ambitious design represents another step forward for a city that many believe is finally growing up.

An additional $300 million in development and as many 500 new condos are slated for East Village after a partnership announcement between RioCan Investment Trust and Embassy BOSA including a Loblaws grocery store.

"Calgary is on the tipping point right now, with condo living becoming a more sought after alternative to suburban life," said Ryan Bosa, president of Embassy BOSA. "The future of Calgary is up not out, and developments like the East Village showcase how Calgary is creating vibrant, sustainable communities."

*CREB®Now real estate news luxury feature*

Calgary's prosperity driving demand for high-end housing

While the final tally won't be in for a few more months, it appears Calgary's luxury homes market is on the verge of the best year in the city's history.

According to CREB®, 611 homes priced at $1 million or more have sold through the first eight months of 2013. That number includes a record-setting 69 properties sold in August alone, which broke the previous record of 64 .

New development to bring restaurants, retail to RiverWalk

East Village's historic Simmons Building will soon have a fashionable new neighbour.

A fitting mix of Calgary's past and future, the new project will bring 17,000 to 20,000 square feet of retail and office space to M2 – a quarter-acre lot alongside the Bow River in downtown Calgary.

"M2 is a highly visible site and, even though it's small, it will have a huge presence in East Village," said Kate MacGregor, president of Calgary's XYC Design + Development.