Scotiabank report shows renovation spending fast growing

A report from Scotiabank shows more and more Canadians are taking the renovations route when it comes to their homes.

The report, Canada's Housing Market — Transitioning to Slower Growth shows renovation spending is a fast growing segment, which is impacted by rising home prices, tight resale market conditions, attractive financing and g o v e r n m e n t
tax credits.

In their Spring Market Trends Report, RE/MAX found Calgary's harsh winter didn't keep people from entering the home market.

"Calgary experienced a red-hot seller's market in the first two months of the year with listings 30 per cent lower than where they would be in a balanced market," said the report.

For those in search of community, culture and culinary delights, Calgary's inner city is the perfect place to call home.

For those seeking a home in communities bordering the downtown core, walkability is a huge factor when it comes to inner city life.

"The biggest thing I love about living in the inner city is not needing a car to get to everything," said Beltline resident Mark Pfeifer. "I can walk to everything I need to including work, grocery stores, parks, the river, pubs, restaurants etc. I do have a car, but it is primarily used to get out of the city, generally to the mountains."

The Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) is partnering with the Alberta Emerald Awards to sponsor the Shared Footprints Award celebrating excellence in land use.

The Shared Footprints Award, which recognizes excellence in Integrated Land Management (ILM)—a strategic planned approach to managing and reducing the human-caused footprint on public and/or private land—was created in 2009 in partnership with Alberta Sustainable Resource and Development.

Home sales are up in Canmore.

Home sales in the mountain town hit an all-time high, topping pre-recession levels not seen since 2008. The town saw an increase of 38 per cent from 365 home sales in 2012 to 503 home sales in 2013.

The City has submitted a $900 million flood repair list to the Alberta Government.

The list of projects has been submitted for provincial funding, but councillors are requesting city administrators categorize the list into musthaves and nice-to-haves.

The exterior of one of Calgary's most storied buildings is on its way to earning a historic designation protecting it from demolition.

In the Alberta Gazette — a Government of Alberta newspaper - notice was given that Minister of Culture Heather Klimchuk intends to make an order that the Barron Building on Eighth Avenue SW be designated a Provincial Historic Resource.

Housing starts in Calgary increased 11 per cent between February and March this year.

The trend, compiled by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation(CMHC), is a six month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR) of total housing starts. Calgary saw 16,647 units started in March compared to 14,978 in February.

Calgary is a young city, and it has the homebuyers to prove it.

According to a survey from BMO Economics, Calgary is home to the youngest first-time homebuyers in all of Canada. The survey showed the average age of those Calgarians entering the housing market for the first time to be just 32-years-old compared to the national average of 36-years-old.