A closer look at ATB economic outlook

With the province now halfway through a thus-far turbulent year, ATB Financial has released its economic outlook for the forthcoming third quarter.

Providing "the most up-to-date portrait of the province's economy" and ATB's best estimate of what we can expect for the remainder of this year, the latest outlook shows that, at the very least, this year won't be the worst economic year in our recent history.

"While some forecasters continue to call for a recession in Alberta, ATB Financial remains confident that our province will see some growth this year (albeit small)," said ATB economist Nick Ford." But despite the differences in opinion, all of the major forecasts for the province have one thing in common; economic expansion is expected to hover around zero per cent this year."

Stampede event highlights continuing urgency to house Calgarians in need

With the Calgary Stampede shining a spotlight on our city's sense of community, an event held during this year's Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth highlighted the continuing needs of some of our community's most vulnerable citizens.

As part of Stampede Week, Horizon Housing – one of several local organizations dedicated to housing the city's most vulnerable residents – held a barbecue, with residents on hand from the organization's properties.

Serving tenants with a variety of special needs – including those with mental health challenges, physical disability, families and seniors living below the poverty line and the working poor – Horizon Housing executive director Kim O'Brien said while the current state of Alberta's economy is debatable, it hasn't changed the willingness of Calgarians to give to a good cause.

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.

Protecting your yard from overabundant foliage

Walking down the street this morning, I saw a sign on a tiny house: Bramble Cottage. The house with the cute name had a hedge so wildly overgrown, it blocked the view of the property, scaring away potential buyers and potentially attracting criminals.

No one deliberately plans for an overgrown garden. School children bring home evergreen trees from Arbour Day and plunk them in the front yard. Birds drop seeds when the house is new, which later sprout into seedlings a foot away from the foundation. Blooming shrubs offer a sweet scent by the window, but can turn into a unwieldly mock orange over time.

Communities of Bowness, Montgomery retain small town charm, big city amenities

Nestled along the Bow River in the city's northwest, the communities of Bowness and Montgomery each enjoy storied histories dating back to the turn of the 20th century.

Even today, their modern-day transformations from towns to neighbourhoods are far from complete, with ongoing development redefining expectations of life in Calgary.
Before the First World War, Bowness was a "suburb perfect" vision of Englishman John Hextall, the visionary behind Bowness Park.

Determining it may not be as simple as you think

Some would think a rate sheet would make mortgage-shopping process  easy. All you have to do is scroll through the list and find the company  with the lowest rate, right? After all, pretty much every mortgage is the same? All you need to do is find the best rate?

It's not quite that easy. Not all mortgages are created equal. Behind each of those rates is a set of terms and conditions that affect the price of the mortgage, quite often more than the interest rate itself.

Mary Moran has taken over the reins as president and chief executive of Calgary Economic Development (CED).

Moran, who has been with CED since 2010, took some time to chat with CREBNow about Calgary's economic resiliency and what she thinks is the city's best-kept secret.

A look at Calgary's development and off-site levies

Hopping in the shower or flushing the toilet is going to take its toll on Calgarians' wallets in coming years.

Calgary's current model for development levies is set to recover 50 per cent of the cost of water drained from your tap or toilet. Storm water is 100 per cent covered by developers.

Yet that's not sustainable for utilities coming to the city down the line – in the form of a $14-million shortfall for new water and sewage infrastructure this year.

Calgary's fledgling communities have plenty to offer

Calgary's growing list of new communities is providing a haven for buyers looking for a little bit of everything.

According to last year's civic census, nine of the city's fastest-growing communities are located in new areas, led by Saddleridge in the northeast, which saw 2,373 residents move within its borders in 2014.

It was followed by Auburn Bay (2,242), Cranston (1,858), Skyview Ranch (1,759), Evanston (1,704) and Panorama Hills (1,384).

Grow your own fruit from the comfort of your patio

If you had a chance to get sweet fruit right off your patio instead of a California truck, would you go for it?

What if fruit from home was also a chance to use recycled materials and have a lot of fun?

Sold.

In late May, money manager Rob Gray asked me to do a hands-on planting session with his clients. He wanted a chance to laugh and chat with clients and staff in an informal setting. We had worked together before, so he knew I was a closet urban farmer and keen food advocate.