super snakes
Chestermere/Langdon Feature
Why serpants are beneficial in the garden
A8 – A9
donna balzer A4
CREB®Now’s three-part series examining the news, community and culture of cycling in the city.
A6
FREE apr 18 to apr 24 2014 issue 04-15 www.crebnow.com facebook.com/crebnow twitter.com/crebnow
real estate news from industry experts
More for less
Communities surrounding Calgary see double-digit sales growth in the first quarter of the year reporter/photographer
G
etting more for less can mean a lot to a first time homebuyer. When it came to the purchase of their first home, engaged couple Kristie Bogle and Erin Dorscht set their sights on Bogle’s hometown of Airdrie. “I just kept seeing all these signs, crazy cheap new developments throughout [Airdrie] and I came home one day and was like ‘Look how cheap this is compared to what we’re paying in Calgary’,” said Dorscht. Over the past nine months communities surrounding Calgary recorded double-digit sales growth in resale housing. In the first quarter of this year, 44 per cent of new single-family home listings in surrounding areas were priced below $400,000. In con-
trast, only 23 per cent of single-family homes in Calgary were available under this price point. “Besides lifestyle preference, homebuyers are attracted to communities outside of Calgary because of the relative price advantage,” said CREB® President Bill Kirk. “These communities provide alternatives for price sensitive consumers and a selection of home options that may not be available in Calgary.” At 25 and 27 respectively, Bogle and Dorscht wanted to live somewhere that allowed them to build their life together as newlyweds while still being able to do things they enjoy, like traveling, without being weighed down by hefty mortgage payments or monthly rent cheques.
kelsey hipkin, Reporter/Photographer
Erin Dorscht and fiancé Kristie Bogle made the decision to buy their first home in Airdrie. Airdrie posted its fourth consecutive quarter of double digit sales.
towns A3
$520,686
$527,764
$516,447
$516,244
$512,359
$517,234
$524,900
$527,162
$521,887
$518,392
$510,834
$496,579
$496,636
$488,311
$492,777 $468,360
$475,272
$478,528
$489,271
$483,519
MAR12 APR12 MAY12 JUN12 JUL12 AUG12 SEP12 OCT12 NOV12 DEC12 JAN13 FEB13 MAR13 APR13 MAY13 JUN13 JUL13 AUG13 SEP13 OCT13 NOV13 DEC13 JAN14 FEB14 MAR14
$472,465
$502,065
$518,452
$550,312
SINGLE FAMILY
MLS® AVERAGE PRICE* MAR ‘12 – MAR ‘14 $556,402
kelsey hipkin
*All statistics based on monthly data compiled by CREB® via MLS® activity.
New city manager announced for Calgary CREB® STAFF
contents news briefs event listing mortgage rates industry
A3 A6 A10 A10
Commercial community
A10 A11
municipal
A15
map open houses
B1 B23
BMO report
T
he City of Calgary has welcomed Jeff Fielding as the new city manager. The search for the position spread internationally before Fielding, who has been in the business of municipal government since 1978, was selected. “It was important we cast a wide net to find the best person to lead this organization. Council and I are very pleased to find such a qualified candidate in Jeff Fielding,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
municipal A3
Safe communities Attainable Homes
151 Gleneagles View Cochrane