In a release from the Alberta Government, condo owners will soon have more protection with the introduction of Bill 13: The Condominium Property Amendment Act.

"Buying a condo is an affordable option for Albertans entering the housing market and is often their first real estate experience," said Doug Griffiths, minister of Service Alberta. "After careful review and discussion with stakeholders and Albertans, our government will update the Condominium Property Act to make it easier for owners and builders to understand their responsibilities on the sale of condos."

MLS System offers option to post and search rental listings

A new feature to the MLS® System allowing REALTORS® the option to post rental listings is earning positive
reviews.

Justin Warthe, a REALTOR® with CIR Realty has posted two rental listings on the MLS® System and has experienced success with the new service.

"I've found the success to be quite good, it has been a good way to get in front of people and offer an extension of services," he said. "I like the idea, because someone who is renting their house now will be selling their house later, so it is a good way to build relationships."

Power Corporation of Montreal donates $1 million to music centre project

Calgary's National Music Centre has received a $1-million boost from the Power Corporation of Canada.

The money will be used to support construction of a new centre expected to open in 2016. The gift will be recognized through the Power Corporation innovation Stage, a space that will focus on telling stories of musicians,
inventors and industry builders who have helped make Canada what it is today.

New policy could mean changes to remediation and disclosure

The Alberta government has accepted 37 recommendations which could mean large scale changes to the way the province deals with grow-ops.

The recommendations, which are the result of a consultation with key stakeholders from the housing industry as well as an expert panel that included members of the Calgary Police Service and Alberta Health Services address concerns about the health, safety and remediation of former marijuana grow-operations.

Good news continues in Calgary's million-dollar plus market

The weather wasn't the only thing heating up in April as Calgary's luxury market saw the third highest number of transactions ever recorded in the city in a single month.

From April 1 to April 30, 79 homes priced $1 million or up were sold in Calgary, falling just short of the all time
record of 83 set in May 2013. The second highest number of sales occurred in May 2012 when 80 million dollar-
plus homes changed hands.

New listings up; Calgarians making the choice to buy in tight rental market

Not even a snowy spring kept sales and listings this April from increasing over last years' numbers.

CREB®'s monthly stats reported new residential listings for April at 3,754 units, an eight per cent increase compared to the same time last year.

"[Buying] made the most sense," said Sarah Hammond, a previous homeowner who purchased a home in the
southeast with her boyfriend, a firsttime buyer. "I already owned a condo so was not interested in trying to fight
the rental market to pay. Basically mortgage payments are the same or less than rental fees right now."