Housing affordability was centre stage when the federal government announced the new First-Time Home Buyer Incentive program as part of their 2019 budget, and it promises to be a big campaign issue this fall.

Financing your first home purchase can be intimidating, especially with Canada's frequently changing guidelines. However, there are resources available for Calgarians, including a variety of rebates, tax credits and opportunities for down-payment assistance.

CMHC report includes interesting findings on prospective homebuyers

Many companies and organizations release survey results to the public regularly. Because there are so many reports to sort through and they are often self-serving, they often get ignored by the media.

However, every so often, interesting or significant findings fly under the radar, especially in the real estate industry.
A notable example of this was the recent 2018 Prospective Home Buyers Survey by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp (CMHC).

Homebuilding officials warn proposed governmental power shift could impact homebuyers in a big way

Before Calgarians step into a voting booth to elect a new city council a year from now, there could be a whole new ball game of city governance over everything from land assessments to affordable housing and even new taxing powers.

New city charters originally proposed in 2014, and only recently made available for public feedback, are intended to give new powers and responsibilities to Alberta's two largest municipalities. They may affect Calgarians on everything from residential speed limits and fines, environmental protection, integration of land-use and transportation strategies and investment to civic administrative efficiencies that stretch from council roles to establishment of bylaw tribunals.

And there will almost certainly be changes that impact the homebuilding industry, and ultimately homebuyers.

Advice from the experts

Buying a home will be the biggest purchasing decision most of us will face in our lifetimes. Adding to the weight of that decision is going through it the first time.

"Buying a home can bring together both excitement and stress, especially for a first-time homebuyer," said RBC Financial regional vice-president Joshua Johner.

"First-time homebuyers often need extra advice throughout the process. It's difficult to know exactly what to expect, but most issues can be resolved by doing a little homework at the outset."

Housing experts urge buyers to consider all the options before building, buying 

For Jennifer Weisgerber and Ian Muller, both 25, buying – and building – their first home has been the most important decision of their lives.

Muller, who installs fire sprinklers, and Weisgerber, who works for a company that sells parts for road construction, rented a townhome in Okotoks for five years. Last January, they signed with Morrison Homes to build a 1,700-square-foot three-bedroom home in the southeast Calgary community of Auburn Bay.

Housing market offers some surprises, different perceptions, say local experts

A quick look at today's real estate market might not exactly fill first-time homebuyers with optimistic anticipation. Yet dig deeper and there's plenty of reason to get excited, say housing experts.

Even though home sales are down by double-digit percentages in terms of units sold and money spent compared to a year ago, the average selling price is up slightly — about two per cent, to $474,605 in August, according to CREB®.

The changing face of the first home purchase

A starter home has long been understood to mean a dwelling that represents someone's first foray into home ownership.

Mattamy Homes' vice-president of sales and marketing in Calgary, Warren Saunders, says, at its core, "It's a home that offers the best price and the best value for a new family starting out."

Donna Moore, the outgoing co-CEO of the Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA) – Urban Development Institute (UDI) Calgary Region Association, qualifies, however, that what constitutes a starter home today is very different from one of 30 years ago.

Tips on how to see if you're bank account is ready for your first home

So you're ready to be a homeowner. But is your bank account?

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) offers the following tips to help first-time homebuyers determine if their financially ready to take that first step: