Vote Calgary

Builders keeping eye on affordability

Vote Calgary — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:05:13 +0000

There’s something different about housing lots in Calgary’s new subdivisions this year. They’ve gone from tumbleweeds rolling across empty land to places where construction workers are busy with hammers and saws. Ballooning housing construction starts have already seen triple-digit percentage increases during 2012 — including a 207-per-cent swing in April compared to the same time [...]

The Limits of Density

Vote Calgary — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:32:26 +0000

Density is all the rage these days. Urban economists, some of whom could be heard extolling the praises of "sun, skills, and sprawl" just a few years ago, now see increasing density as the key to improving productivity and driving economic growth. In his story for The Atlantic, "How Skyscrapers Can Save the City," Harvard [...]

Luxury home sales booming in Calgary

Vote Calgary — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:28:13 +0000

Growing confidence in Calgary’s residential housing market has spilled over into luxury properties with first-quarter sales over the $1-million price point, the best on record since 2007, says a report released Wednesday by Re/Max. The Upper-End Market Trends 2012 report said 115 homes changed hands in the first quarter, up from 106 during the same [...]

Caviar condos set to flood Toronto market

Vote Calgary — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:22:41 +0000

Five months after buying one of Toronto’s new luxury hotel condominiums, Oliver Baumeister is girding for a glut of suites like his to hit the market as the biggest names in the hotel business open hundreds of units in Canada’s largest city. Baumeister, himself a real estate agent, is in no rush to sell. When [...]

Calgary leads country in year-over-year MLS sales growth

Vote Calgary — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:10:13 +0000

Calgary led the country in April with the highest year-over-year growth in MLS sales, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. In a report released Tuesday of housing market activity in Canada’s major centres, CREA said MLS sales of 2,720 in Calgary were up 30.3 per cent from a year ago. In Canada, sales of [...]

Home starts triple year over year

Vote Calgary — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:29:24 +0000

The numbers for the Calgary housing market are close to, but not completely in, the stratospheric heights of the boom years from late 2005 to early 2008, but they’re certainly knocking the socks off of 2011. New home starts figures for April released this week by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) show new home [...]

Women more likely to be first-time homebuyers, Canadian poll finds

Vote Calgary — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:16:50 +0000

Women are more likely than men to be first-time homebuyers among Canadians who plan to buy a home within the next two years, according to the 19th Annual RBC Homeownership Poll released Monday. The poll said 49 per cent of women and 35 per cent of men plan to be first-time homebuyers. “We are seeing [...]

The State of American Infrastructure

Vote Calgary — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:48:32 +0000

A growing number of American states and metropolitan areas understand that their competitive position and quality of life depends on investing both in growing infrastructure backlogs and cutting-edge opportunities. They know that to succeed in the global marketplace, and compete successfully for jobs and residents, they must build 21st century infrastructure. Self-interest, disciplined by scarce [...]

Mortgage arrears rate highest in Alberta

Vote Calgary — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:03:35 +0000

The mortgage arrears rate in Alberta is by far the highest in the country, according to the CIBC Household Credit Analysis report released Wednesday. In January, the rate in Canada was 0.4 per cent while in Alberta it was 0.7 per cent. “This reflects the fact that, on average, homeowners in Alberta are younger and [...]

Ward 9 Profile: Part 2

Vote Calgary — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:02:48 +0000

This week, we bring you the second part of our Ward 9 profile. There’s a lot going on in Southeast Calgary’s Ward 9. Read all about the ward’s demographics and Alderman Gian-Carlo Carra in last week’s Ward 9 Part 1 to get up to speed. What’s Happening in Ward 9? Mission Road Innovation Project: Arguably [...]