In the past couple of years, since the gravy train stopped and housing came back down to earth in Calgary, I have heard too many comments from people who moved here and  now didn’t like it. I’m sure most of you have read at one time or another an article or story of some poor homesick Maritimer or Saskatchewanite bemoan how they missed home and how much cheaper it is to live there. An article than ran in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix refutes the belief that Calgary is a heartless, money crazy city with no other value than good jobs and soaring real estate prices. Read on.The Star Phoenix article supports Calgary’s vibrant attitude, business savvy and honest business practices. While there is some truth to some of the complaints, I’m thinking that most of the griping comes from people who really weren’t here in Calgary for the right reasons in the first place. While the land of opportunity has it’s bumps, it has weathered the recession as well or better than most. It is rated by REIN, the real estate investment network to be the best place in Canada to invest right now. That isn’t based simply on a soft market, but other factors such as future value, amenities, employment growth, etc. The grass has been greener here for a very long time, and it is inevitable that there will be a downturn. What we seem to have retained is our entrepreneurial optimism while holding true to our value systems, even when it got tough to do so.

Fear not, better times are coming soon, as predicted in many circles, and when they do, those who bashed the city or left may wonder if pulling up stakes and leaving was perhaps premature. While I don’t have a crystal ball (who does?), I am inclined to see 2011 and 2012 as strong real estate years. More on that subject as we get closer. In the meantime, I appreciate the kind words and know that the city at the top always has the largest target on it when things get rough.