buildex
winter maintenance
bay building
Conference to showcase construction and design
Is your vehicle prepared for snowy conditions?
A downtown Calgary relic
commercial A15
how to A16
heritage A19
FREE nov 2 to nov 8 2012 issue 02-43 www.crebnow.com facebook.com/crebnow twitter.com/crebnow
secondary suite questions remain
With rental rates increasing and vacancy dropping, housing options continues to provoke debate cody stuart
managing editor
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recent pilot project from City Hall has once again cast a spotlight on the hotly contested issue of secondary suites in Calgary. One of Mayor Naheed Nenshi’s major talking points during his 2010 campaign, the citywide legalization of secondary suites, remains an unrealized goal as the Mayor comes to the end of his term. Although city council agreed in April to allow the suites in all new neighbourhoods, it’s unlikely such a move will make much of a dent in Calgary’s hot rental market. Bryan Backman-Beharry is one of those Calgarians whose home purchase was aided by the option of adding a legal secondary suite. Having already tackled the biggest hurdle by purchasing a home already zoned to allow secondary suites (RC2 as opposed to RC1, where secondary suites are not allowed) Backman-Beharry’s southwest home contained a pre-existing suite that the first-time homeowner hoped would be grandfathered in. “The fact that the home had an existing suite, albeit illegal, was a significant factor in our decision to purchase the home,” said Backman-Beharry, who purchased the home along with his fiancée earlier this year. “The home was outside our budget, but we decided that income from the suite would enable us to make up the difference in time.” Due to changes made to the suite over the last 60 years, the suite was not granted legal status. After the previous owner informed him of the City of Calgary’s Secondary Suites Grant Program, which offers a grant of up to $25,000 to cover 70 per cent of the costs of developing or upgrading a legal, Backman-Beharry decided to make the necessary changes to legalize the suite.
cody stuart, Managing Editor
SINGLE FAMILY
2761 2980 3093 3367 3501 3842 3817 3646 3535 3486
4024 4395 4616 4744 4630 4573 4753 4486 3761
Mandatory new contents home warranty news briefs A3 protection test your knowledge A6 Secondary suites introduced CREB® STAFF
SEP10 OCT10 NOV10 DEC10 JAN11 FEB11 MAR11 APR11 MAY11 JUN11 JUL11 AUG11 SEP11 OCT11 NOV11 DEC11 JAN12 FEB12 MAR12 APR12 MAY12 JUN12 JUL12 AUG12 SEP12
2712
3073
3504
3869
4880 4528
MLS® MONTH END INVENTORY* SEP ‘10 – SEP ‘12
*All statistics based on monthly data compiled by CREB® via MLS® activity.
secondary suites A3
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lbertans purchasing a new place to call home will have warranty coverage for their purchase under new legislation proposed by the Alberta government. Bill 5, the New Home Buyer Protection Act, was introduced in the legislature on Oct. 25. The Act requires builders to provide home warranty coverage for all new homes built in the province starting in fall 2013.
industry A3
event listing weekly feed mortgage rates explained
A6 A6 A10 A14
commercial map open houses
A15 B1 B19
Building envelope
Exhibitors Register Now! Early Bird Pricing available until October 31, 2012! The CREB® Forecast Conference & Tradeshow is the largest gathering of Calgary and area REALTORS® and one of the most anticipated real estate events in Western Canada. Our event offers you an exclusive opportunity to personally introduce yourself, your company and your products and services to more than 1000 Real Estate Industry Professionals.
To register please go to www.crebforecast.com