My fan page on Facebook now has a tab to find hundreds of the newest listings. Just click on the link above, or go to www.facebook.com/ScottBakerRealtor. On the left hand side, click on ‘Calgary Home Listings’, and, Voila! It’s a super easy way to see all of our office listings. Just email or call me if you see anything you like. The best ideas are always the simplest.

I just listed this wonderful home in Woodbine, in Calgary’s Southwest. Built  originally for a plumbing contractor, this home has six baths, including four full baths, two with steam showers in them. The home also has three fireplaces, and sits on a huge pie lot with dramatic mountain views to the west. Have a look at the tour of this super executive home.

The Cranston Community Association and my team are holding our parade of garage sales on June 11th in Cranston. All you have to do is register with me and I will provide the signage and some maps to hand out at the office. For more information please email me at info@CalgaryHomeListings.ca. If you are thinking of selling in the next six months, this is a great way to get ready for it. It’s also a great way to get the exposure you need to sell off all those things cluttering your home. Even if you’re not selling any time soon, de-cluttering is essential to enjoying your home space. Let’s hope for good weather, but we’ll be going, rain or shine!

The long awaited development of Calgary’s East Village along the Bow River, and just east of downtown, got more good news with the recent announcements of two developments equalling 1,450,000 square feet of mixed-use, residential and retail space. As the article points out, this area will eventually house 11,500 Calgarians. This is a major shot in the arm for Calgary as a major city. It provides a ‘work, live, play’ environment for those who wish to be closer to the action downtown, and professionals who see the benefits of core living, while still being close to recreational facilities like the Talisman Centre and Downtown Y. Also, as the article points out, it links downtown to Inglewood, and the expanded Stampede Park. Look for new condos to be ready by the end of this year. Exciting news for people looking to see further dynamic growth in Calgary.

The Calgary Real Estate market is recovering slow but sure. According to the Calgary Real Estate Board President, the time to sell a home has dropped, and we are in a more balanced market than traditionally for this time of year, when inventory of homes is higher. In an article in the Calgary Herald, the Board reports that the average price for single family homes in 2011 is $460,000, which is just marginally ahead of 2010. The Board predicts 14,500 sale this year in single family homes, and about 7,000 in condos. Much of the growth over last year will happen as the year unfolds, as net migration and better economic growth drive sales, rather than lower mortgage rates.

In another article, the President of REIN, the real estate investment network, is predicting that Alberta is headed for a real estate frenzy in about 18 months. Don Campbell says that the GDP forecast for Alberta of 4.3% growth far exceeds the 3% regarded to be healthy. Calgary real estate will be affected more, and first, according to Campbell. So what does this mean to buyers? Get a game plan together in the next six months, and plan to buy or move up before prices climb. This year, single family home sales in McKenzie Lake, McKenzie Towne, Chaparral and Cranston have all  increased, with inventories slightly lower, meaning sales of new listings are stronger this year over 2010. While the sale prices are mostly in line with last year, the volume is cause for optimism, as many sellers were frustrated by the 2010 market.

The March statistics for Calgary’s real estate market are out, and while the numbers don’t indicate a huge turn-around, the do show that both sides of the transaction have opportunities in the single family market:

“CALGARY’S HOUSING MARKET RECOVERY DRIVEN BY SINGLE FAMILY HOME SALES

Calgary’s NW sector boasted the largest gains in single family homes sales in the first quarter

Calgary, April 1, 2011 – According to figures released today by CREB® (Calgary Real Estate Board), Calgary Metro sales remained at levels similar to the first quarter of 2010.  Improved sales in the single family market have largely been offset by declining sales in the condominium market, indicating that the gradual recovery will continue to be driven by the single family market for the better portion of the year.

Single family home sales in the first quarter of 2011 were 3,309, a 4 per cent increase over the first quarter of 2010. The combination of stable home prices, low interest rates and year-over-year improvements in employment are the primary factors fueling the growth.

March 2011 single family home sales totaled 1,355, a 3 per cent decrease over March 2010 figures.  The decline in sales was accompanied by a 19 per cent year-over-year decline in new listings. As a result, inventory remained at three months, which indicates a balanced single family market.

The NW sector boasted the largest gains in single family home sales in the first quarter of 2011 with 1,198 sales, a 13 per cent increase over the first quarter of 2010. Sales in the SE posted quarterly gains of 5 per cent, while the SW remained relatively unchanged and NE sales declined by 9 per cent.

“Improved affordability levels in single family homes have offered some individuals the opportunity to purchase homes in areas of the city that were once unattainable,” says Sano Stante, president of CREB®.

The SW sector recorded the highest single family average home price in the first quarter of 2011 at $570,748, while average home prices in the NW and SE were $464,990 and $422,821 respectively. The NE sector continues to remain the most affordable, with average prices hovering around $282,713.

“Average single family home prices remain relatively stable compared to the first quarter of last year, as people continue to purchase more homes at the lower end of the price spectrum,” says Stante.  “The rise in sales has been primarily offset by a corresponding increase in listings, resulting in stable average prices.”

Calgary Metro average price of single family homes in March 2011 was $462,947, a 2 per cent decline from March 2010, and virtually unchanged from the previous month.  Meanwhile, the median price declined by 5 per cent compared to March 2010.

Quarterly condominium sales continue to fall over levels recorded in the previous year, down by 11 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2010, while quarterly average prices are down by 1 per cent.  It is important to note the quarterly average price of condominiums is skewed upwards for 2011 due to the sale of a $4.1 million condominium.  If we remove this sale, quarterly average price would have declined by over 2 per cent.

The average price of condominiums in March 2011 was $280,781, while the median price was $256,000, a respected 5 per cent drop and 7 per cent, respectively, from levels recorded in March 2010.

Improved selection of affordable single family homes and higher inventory levels of new condominiums have reduced the demand for resale of condominiums. It is anticipated that demand should gradually recover in the latter half of the year, as Calgary’s economic recovery continues to take hold. “This provides a window of opportunity for condo buyers early in the year to discover a large selection of available product at affordable prices,” says Stante.

Calgary’s labour market has shown some recent improvements, however, it is still in the early stages of recovery as job growth remains below the 5-year average.  Improvements in the energy sector are anticipated to show stronger job growth in the second half of the year, providing the foundation for continued recovery in the housing market.”

If you think that buying a home in Canada is a challenge, an article on the world’s 12 most overpriced nations for real estate puts that into perspective. In Calgary, buyers have been king for almost two years. Our current market is now very close to being balanced, but our upsurge in prices in 2006/2007 pales in comparison to such countries as Australia and Hong Kong. Read the rest of this entry »

The President of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce came out in support of secondary suites in Calgary in an article in the Calgary Herald. This stance has also been supported by the Calgary Real Estate Board, as well as other organizations. I think much of the opposition to them stems from many homeowners only point of reference in the past, illegal suites. Read the rest of this entry »

The general feeling in real estate so far this year is one of cautious optimism. Support for this rather unscientific feeling is found in an article about Calgary’s Economic Growth in both GDP, as well as net migration by Canadian Mortgage Broker News. I know that within my own RE/MAX office, we are seeing signs of movement in properties, and a slight uptick in sales that may very well become a seller’s market in the next few months.  Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s some of the latest sales information on Calgary area real estate sales. The Southwest showed the highest average price, but that’s not really surprising, given that there are more high priced neighbourhoods. McKenzie Towne showed the largest    sales activity in zone D, which is roughly the southeast area of the city.