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Real Estate (Central)
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FREE july 19 to july 25 2013 issue 03-28 www.crebnow.com facebook.com/crebnow twitter.com/crebnow
real estate news from industry experts
wide open spaces Pre-flood home sales in Calgary’s surrounding communities increase in second quarter of 2013 kelsey hipkin
reporter/photographer
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re-flood home sales activity in communities surrounding Calgary saw an increase of 4.6 per cent over the first half of the year, but CREB® cautions the cleanup and rebuilding post-flood will have an as-yet unknown impact on those communities. “While not all towns follow the same pricing trends, on aggregate the surrounding areas have been recording year-over-year price gains in excess of six per cent,” said Ann-Marie Lurie, CREB®’s chief economist. “This in part is a result of the tighter supply levels in the city market spilling over into the surrounding areas.” Total sales in the community of Airdrie for the second quarter of this year hit 401, a 14.25 per cent increase over the same period in 2012. Okotoks saw a slight decrease in that same period down 2.43 per cent while Cochrane saw a decrease of 3.91 per cent. “Price recovery has been slower in the Cochrane market, as excess inventory levels lingered longer in this market than some other surrounding areas,” Lurie said. “Furthermore, there has been a surge in new home construction, adding to the competition in the resale market.”
kelsey hipkin, Reporter/Photographer
Brenda Allan and her family — when leaving Lethbridge — made the decision to move to Strathmore instead of Calgary for the opportunity to get more house for their money and have easier access to schools.
towns A3
SINGLE FAMILY
MLS® AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET* JUN ‘11 – JUN ‘13
58
60
52 52 49 49 48
49
48
43 40
41 38 37 36
51 47
Alberta home contents to highest rate news briefs community of natural Life after the flood population MARKET increase Sales up in June
A3 A6
mortgage rates COMMERCIAL GOVERNMENT
A8 A13 A14
CREB® STAFF
43 42 43
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37 31 31
JUN11 JUL11 AUG11 SEP11 OCT11 NOV11 DEC11 JAN12 FEB12 MAR12 APR12 MAY12 JUN12 JUL12 AUG12 SEP12 OCT12 NOV12 DEC12 JAN13 FEB13 MAR13 APR13 MAY13 JUN13
33
34
*All statistics based on monthly data compiled by CREB® via MLS® activity.
ith a strong economy attracting thousands from other provinces and countries, Alberta has the fastest growing population in Canada. In ATB’s Daily Economic Comment, numbers show 7.7 of every 25 new people in the province come from natural population increase — the number of babies born minus the number of deaths.
provincial A3
A8
New flood policies
POP THE QUESTION
A15
Guy Huntingford
map open houses
B1 B23