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Luxury Homes Feature A12 – A15
Real Estate (Central)
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FREE may 9 to may 15 2014 issue 04-18 www.crebnow.com facebook.com/crebnow twitter.com/crebnow
real estate news from industry experts
Gaining momentum PHOTO courtesy carlos amat
New listings up; Calgarians making the choice to buy in tight rental market kelsey hipkin
reporter/photographer
N
ot even a snowy spring kept sales and listings this April from increasing over last years’ numbers. CREB®’s monthly stats reported new
residential listings for April at 3,754 units, an eight per cent increase compared to the same time last year. “[Buying] made the most sense,” said Sarah Hammond, a previous homeowner who purchased a home in the southeast with her boyfriend, a firsttime buyer. “I already owned a condo so was not interested in trying to fight
the rental market to pay. Basically mortgage payments are the same or less than rental fees right now.” While Hammond said she and her boyfriend didn’t find the search for a new home “terribly challenging”, others aren’t finding homes with the same ease. “I have friends who have also bought a home recently [who] basically had to make a decision immediately when they found a house that was okay,” she said. While new listings are up, inventory for the month of April saw a decrease of more than 16 per cent compared to the
SINGLE FAMILY
3501 APR12 3842 MAY12 3817 JUN12 3646 JUL12 3535 AUG12 3486 SEP12 3114 OCT12 2586 NOV12 1859 DEC12 2075 JAN13 2048 FEB13 2727 MAR13 2977 APR13 3311 MAY13 3199 JUN13 2917 JUL13 2791 AUG13 2789 SEP13 2705 OCT13 2171 NOV13 DEC13 1515 JAN14 1671 1894 FEB14 2052 MAR14 2445 APR14
MLS® MONTH END INVENTORY* APR ‘12 – APR ‘14
same time last year. “While we did anticipate the rise in new listings this spring, certain segments of the market will likely remain tight,” said Ann-Marie Lurie, CREB®’s chief economist. “The single-family market continues to record declining listings for product priced below $400,000. Meanwhile, the growth in listings in April was mostly due to gains in the $500,000 to $999,999 range.” A tighter market for affordable homes might sway some buyers, yet in the case of a rental crunch like Calgary’s, homeownership can be a good alternative. A CIBC World Market
report released in February found Calgary and Edmonton have the lowest rental vacancy rates in the country at one and 1.4 per cent respectively.
stats A3
City ready to contents accommodate news briefs provincial suburban Grow-op report industry growth MLS® rentals CREB® STAFF
C
algary has enough serviced and zoned land to accommodate an expected 114,000 people in the next five years. In a new growth forecast and according to land supply numbers released by the City, there is enough serviced land with approved zoning for 18,846 single-family homes and 26,793 multi-family units.
*All statistics based on monthly data compiled by CREB® via MLS® activity.
$1,149,000 | C3600442
Kristyne Dolan and Courtney Figueira purchased a home in the community of Skyview Ranch through the Attainable Homes program.
municipal A3
A3 A6 A7
Municipal
A9
mortgage rates how to
A8 A11
National Music Centre
Exercise fire safety
APRIL MLS® STATISTICS A10 map B1 open houses B23
GorGeous! executive Home in souGHt after elbow valley estates
lake property just 35 min. west of calGary.
Tucked away in the corner of a quiet Cul de Sac with over 4,300 sq. ft. of developed living space. This home is sure to impress! Loaded with luxury features throughout. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, plus a Stunning master ensuite, 2 fireplaces, fully developed walk out basement, perfect for all your entertainment needs. South facing patio and upper deck looking out to natural landscape.
Cottage Club located in Ghost Lake is a new style of recreational living designed for families. Come for the day-weekend or even an afternoon. Onsite amenities ensure endless family fun. Gated community with private boat launch, sandy beaches, observation decks, and recreation centre complete with swimming pool looking out to the lake. This show suite is located front and centre with views of the lake!
$529,900 | C3607090
P l e a s e v i s i t o u r w e b s i t e f o r a d d i t i o n a l P h o t o ’ s a n d i n f o r m at i o n
Jacquie Troughton 403.780.6649
www.tntteam.ca
Zach Terlier 403.771.1336
REAL ESTATE (CENTRAL)