Few surprises, but still highlights for Calgary's housing market this past year, say experts

In a year of sales declines, price adjustments and mortgage rule changes, the one constant for Calgary's housing market in 2016 was the number of challenges it faced as the result of soft economic conditions, say industry observers.

Yet officials also maintain challenges for some created opportunities for others. And, perhaps more importantly, there is renewed optimism heading into 2017 thanks to improving numbers during the second half of this year and a series of large energy infrastructure announcements.

Accessible University provides mobility-challenged Calgarians with online resource

Calgarians with limited mobility have access to a new online resource to help make their homes more accessible.

Accessible University, an initiative the non-profit Accessible Housing Calgary organization launched in September, provides room-by-room renovation guides, as well as lists of resources such as contractors and funding assistance.

"We get at least a phone call a day from someone who needs help," said Nicole Jackson, research and policy co-ordinator with Accessible Housing, which traditionally provides barrier-free living arrangements to low-income disabled Calgarians.

1988 CREB® president Jerry Roberts recalls Winter Olympics arriving at the right time for Calgarians

Like many Calgarians, the first thing Jerry Roberts remembers about 1988 was the Winter Olympics.

The international sporting event transformed Calgary, as 1,423 athletes from 57 nations competed in 46 events over 16 days in February 1988.

But perhaps more importantly, it put Calgary, then a city of 675,000 and the first Canadian city to host a Winter Olympic Games, on the world map, said Roberts, who was president of CREB® that year.

National activity down from 2015, but consistent with 2014, says CMHC

Foreign ownership of condominium-style apartments in Calgary this year is unchanged from a year prior and continues to represent a small proportion of the total market, according to a new report.

In a recent briefing, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) noted foreign buyer activity in the city's apartment sector represented 0.9 per cent of all activity in 2016. That's down from 1.1 per cent in 2015, but up from 0.2 per cent in 2014.

Stakeholders say Alberta can't be overlooked when creating national strategy

As the federal government moves closer toward a national strategy on housing, key Alberta stakeholder groups say recognition of different local and regional challenges is critical to any policy changes.

"We are encouraged the federal government is doing this, but we are hoping its actions will be localized," said Kevin McNichol, vice-president of strategy for the Calgary Homeless Foundation, leader of the city's plan to end homelessness.

"In Calgary, we have the highest median income in the country, so it might be easy to overlook us. But we also have the lowest rate of affordable housing in Canada."

How eco-therapy can warm the soul during the holidays

Whether you believe in gift giving or not this is the time of year to be thankful for your garden and for nature. And the physical benefits gained aren't limited to things we have to buy.
Here is a seasonal selection of garden gifts to ponder:

Winter

Chelsie was at the landfill in late November when she noticed someone else had left large birch branches behind. Knowing these could be striking additions to her seasonal garden containers, she swapped out her waste for someone else's, and happily left with a few striking white branches. Later, she included them in her seasonal outdoor pots and planters.

Pilot planning initiative puts public health front and centre of new community development

A stretch of Nose Creek that straddles Calgary's northwest and northeast quadrants may now be only home to scenic, rolling grassy hills.

But soon enough, about 9,000 city residents could being calling it home sweet home, along with 21,000 jobs, as planning is underway to develop a community with residential, commercial and industrial opportunities.

Most notably, however, is this community, once built, will be one of city's healthiest places to live, work and play.

Luxury sales numbers rebound; experts point to demand's impact on pricing

Calgary's luxury resale housing market bucked the trend in 2016, posting modest improvements in sales volumes throughout the year and recovering somewhat from the significant decline experienced in 2015.

Yet industry observers urge caution at interpreting this past year's numbers at face value, saying a return to long-term averages is still far away.

Detached prices dip below $500,000 for first time since 2014

Coming off a month of stronger sales activity, November's resale residential housing market returned to previous trends, according to CREB®.

In its November housing summary released Dec. 1, year-over-year monthly sales totaled 1,227 units, which is nearly three per cent lower than last year and 17 per cent below long-term averages.

"November was the first full month with CMHC's new lending rules in effect," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie. "As suspected, the gains in last month's sales were temporary. Stringent conditions for borrowers are converging with the current economic climate and weighing on demand."

Q&A with surrounding communities

Calgary's satellite communities and their respective housing markets saw economic conditions play out in different ways this past year.

CREB®Now spoke with the mayors of Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks and Chestermere to get their perspectives on 2016. Here's what they had to say: