CREB^®Now has been a part of Calgary's news community since 1983, back when it was called Calgary Real Estate News or, simply, CREN. Since then, our humble newspaper has gone through a few different iterations and several redesigns.

To celebrate our final print issue, let's take a walk down memory lane:

When you buy a home, you're also buying the lot, so it's important to make sure you pick the right lot for your needs.

One of the key factors impacting the Calgary resale housing market in the last year or so has been affordability.

With economic uncertainty top of mind due to the collapse in oil prices and the COVID-19 crisis, prospective homebuyers are increasingly looking for more affordable options when making a purchase.

That will likely lead to more demand in the condominium apartment market in the future.

As we head into what is traditionally one of the hottest seasons for real estate – with homebuilders launching purchase incentives, promotions, new communities and new showhome models – there is a distinct air of uncertainty due to the outbreak of COVID-19 sweeping the globe.

Under these current circumstances, we understand that it is not business as usual.

CREB^® continues to take precautions in making sure its REALTORS^® and the public they serve remain healthy and safe. The well-being of the public and our members remains our top priority.

In an unscheduled move, the Bank of Canada (BoC) recently announced it was cutting its overnight lending rate to 0.75 per cent, effective March 16. The move was made to counter the negative economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and plummeting oil prices.

All the approvals are in place and all systems are go for the new southeast community of Belvedere, which will deliver more than 1,500 homes in the coming years.

Moez Moledina, general manager for Belvedere developer Tristar Communities, said the intention is to start stripping and grading the site by the middle of April or as soon as the weather allows.

This month saw a double-digit gain in sales, but last February was one of the slowest levels of activity since the late '90s.

With the extra day this February, monthly sales totaled 1,197 units.  A combination of these two factors resulted in a 23 per cent improvement over last year, but sales remain well below longer-term trends and consistent with the lower levels reported over the past five years.

The lands that became northwest Calgary's Mount Pleasant community were annexed by the City in 1910, making it one of Calgary's older neighbourhoods. When development began in the area in 1912, Calgary's population numbered fewer than 50,000 people.