Calgary's most walk- and transit-friendly communities

While Calgary is still viewed by many as a car-centric city, there are many other ways for Calgarians to get around – whether you choose to walk, bike or take transit. Just ask the residents of the following communities, the proud recipients of some of the city's highest walk and transit scores from www.walkscore.com.

Newport in Canal's Landing offers affordable townhomes in Airdrie's premiere water-focused community

If you've been searching for a beautiful and affordable townhome in the heart of an established community, look no further than the picturesque community of Canal's Landing in Airdrie. On June 23, Genesis Builders Group is hosting a grand opening for Newport, its latest offering in the community.

"Newport is really a community within a community, and is perfect for millennials, professionals or downsizers," said Kelsey Orvis, marketing co-ordinator at Genesis Builders Group. "It's really designed for anyone who wants to spend more time enjoying life, rather than shovelling snow and cutting grass."

Stunning scenery and affordable homes make Cochrane a perfect fit for discerning homebuyers

As the warm spring sun crests the eastern horizon, its dazzling rays cast a purple light on the foothills circling Cochrane's western fringe. Below this stunning backdrop, the Bow River sparkles, as it winds its way through the town's core.

The beauty of this quaint town of 30,000 people is one of the things that attracted South African expats Heidi and Allan Lester-Olivier. The couple has lived all over the world, but Canada has always called out to them. In 2012, after spending two years in Houston, they made the trek north to Calgary with three young children in tow, settling in Tuscany.

Five tips for summer home sellers

For many Calgarians, summer means the Calgary Stampede, camping season and perhaps a family vacation before the kids go back to school. But for others, it's also when they plan to sell their home.

While the conventional wisdom is that spring and fall are prime real estate seasons, there's no wrong time of year to sell, says Margaret Neff, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX First in Calgary.

Big things are in store for East Victoria Park

What would you do if you had a chance to remake a large area of Calgary's inner city to meet the needs of today?

That's the opportunity the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) was given when it began redevelopment of the Rivers District along the Bow and Elbow Rivers near downtown.

First it tackled the Downtown East Village, but now the City of Calgary-owned corporation has turned its sights to East Victoria Park, in an effort to transform the area into a cultural, entertainment and residential hub.

Many Canadian energy-related municipalities within Alberta and Saskatchewan have seen housing markets struggle over the past few years, resulting in price declines.

The recent mortgage rule changes and higher lending rates are factors weighing on demand and prices across some of those areas.

Industry reports paint positive picture for Alberta recreational property market in 2018

Two major reports on the Canadian recreational property market are forecasting a healthy market across the country and growing demand within the province of Alberta for the rest of 2018.

Royal LePage's annual survey of their recreational property specialists predicts an average price increase of 5.8 per cent for the country as a whole, but varied results in British Columbia and Alberta because of new speculation taxes in B.C.

Builders and the City work together to rein in urban sprawl

It used to be that mentioning the word "density" would get some Calgarians riled up over plans for a new community they felt had too many homes per hectare, or a condominium project with too many units.
But faced with the alternative of urban sprawl, increasing density is now an established policy for residential development.

In 2009, city council approved a new Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Calgary Transportation Plan (CTP) that address density in both new communities and established areas.

May sales activity continued to ease, with the largest declines occurring in the detached sector. Additional gains in new listings continued to increase inventory levels.

Citywide sales activity in May totalled 1,726 units, 19 per cent below last year's levels and 24 per cent below longer-term averages. Sales activity in the detached sector declined to levels not seen in over a decade.

"The impact of rising lending rates and stricter qualification levels is causing demand to ease across all product types," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

New B.C. speculation tax could prompt Albertan vacationers to look closer to home for second-property purchases

Scott Henderson has split his work time between clients in the Okanagan and those in his hometown of Calgary for the last 15 years.

Eight months ago, the marketing/communications agency owner got pre-qualified for a mortgage for a second residence in Kelowna. Then, this February, B.C.'s provincial government announced a speculation tax on out-of-province and foreign owners to discourage buy-up of housing by investors who, it claims, leave homes empty and drive up home prices. A homeowner can avoid the tax by living in, or renting out, the home half the year.