Chestermere buzzing over new designation

"On the road "Force to be reckoned with Chestermere Mayor Patricia Matthews credited the Bee City designation to the efforts of community members who brought forward a great idea to make the city a better place. CREB®Now file photo "Domino effect Town of Cochrane economic development manager Mike Korman believes Cochrane’s population will grow by about three to four per cent, and building starts will maintain 2016 levels. Photo by Wil Andruschak/For CREB®Now "Foreign interest in apartment sector unchanged: report "Winter is coming "Foreign buyers roundtable "Foreign buyers roundtable "National homes sales post third consecutive decline "Mirror image Still buzzing with plenty of activity in new-home construction, Airdrie sales activity slowed in 2016 but hasn’t dropped compared to five-year averages. Photo by Carl Patzel/For CREB®Now "Cool runnings "Regional rundown Cochrane bucked the regional housing trend in April, reporting no change in sales levels compared to the same time last year. CREB®Now file photo "Tearing down trade walls Industry experts believe proposed drywall tariffs will eventually be passed onto homebuyers, adding about $1,000 to $2,000 to the price of a home. "Rinse and repeat Richard Cho, pricipal market analysis for Calgary with CMHC, expects rental vacancy rates to hover around seven per cent in 2017. Photo by Wil Andruschak/for CREB®Now "2016 CREB® President Cliff Stevenson CREB® president Cliff Stevenson. Photo by Michelle Hofer/for CREB®Now "55 Years of Calgary Real Estate: 1985 CREB® President Jim Moore Past president Jim Moore now spends his time as CEO and executive director of the Dream Centre. Photo by Michelle Hofer/For CREB®Now "55 Years of Calgary Real Estate: 1988 CREB® President Jerry Roberts Former CREB® president Jerry Roberts said the Winter Olympics in 1988 represented a turning point for Calgary and its real estate industry. Photo by Michelle Hofer/For CREB®Now "Q&A with CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie expects the market to turn around in 2017, but doesn’t expect conditions to return to long-term trends. Photo by Adrian Shellard/For CREB®Now "2016 year in review While final numbers have yet to be reported, CREB® expects Calgary’s housing market to have behaved by year’s end as first forecasted. At the end of November, sales in the city had declined by slightly more than six per cent, while benchmark price had fallen just under four per cent to $333,318. CREB®Now photo "Q & A with CHBA-UDI's Marissa Toohey Marissa Toohey, manager of government relations and committees for the Calgary Region at CHBA - UDI Calgary Region Association, believes there is not a single solution that will solve affordable housing. Photo courtesy Marissa Toohey "Reaching for the sun An example of a double-skin facade that could address solar challenges in multi-storey buildings., according to Caroline Hachem-Vermette, an assistant professor of architecture in the Solar Energy and Community Design Lab at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design. Illustration courtesy Caroline Hachem-Vermette. "Road smarts Yeatland Wong, senior engineer for intelligent transportation systems with the City of Calgary, at the traffic management centre along Spiller Road S.E. Photo by Wil Andruschak/For CREB®Now "The upside of carbon tax The provincial Residential No-Cost Energy Savings Program will supply and install — at no charge — simple products that save energy in homes such as LED light bulbs, efficient showerheads and faucets and various other components. "'Tis the season Joe Jacobs, president of Mortgage Connection Inc. in Calgary, said the best way to qualify for a mortgage is to decrease or eliminate other debts. Photo by Adrian Shellard/For CREB®Now "Runway ready One of the trends to be explored at the Renovation Runway will be the strong influence of Nordic design, whether it be through Scandinavian wallpaper, lighting, or the kind of hardwood used. Photo courtesy Wicket Blue Interiors. "Healthy homes, healthier people "Back to school "'Wave of the future' CHAC steering committee members. From left, Sarah Woodgate (City of Calgary), Jyoti Gondek (Haskayne School of Business), Kevin McNichol (Calgary Homeless Foundation), Beverly Jarvis (CHBA-UDI Calgary Region Association), Kim O’Brien (Horizon Housing Society), John Harrop (Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation), and Jennifer Arntfield (City of Calgary). Photo courtesy CHAC "Future of housing Canadian Home Builders’ Association-Alberta CEO Donna Moore said one of the organization’s top concerns when it comes to the development of a national housing strategy is to address affordability for first-time buyers.. Photo by Adrian Shellard/For CREB®Now "November sales slide into old patterns Year-to-date detached sales have declined by three per cent compared to last year, said CREB®. CREB®Now file photo "Canmore tackles affordability The Town of Canmore is planning to look at three proposals that would turn the four-acre (1.6 hectare) Moustache Lands site into employee housing and/or purpose-built rentals. Photo courtesy Town of Canmore. "Watershed moment Bordeaux Properties president and CEO Birol Fisekci, left and Qualico Communities senior manager of development Cary Kienitz stand in front of Harmony's central lake, with the community’s water and wastewater treatment facilities pictured in the background. Photo by Wil Andruschak/For CREB®Now "New life for community associations Dave McCarrel stands next to a new outdoor fitness park in Valley Ridge that opened earlier this fall. McCarrle has kept active within the local community association over the past 20 years because he feels it has helped make Valley Ridge a better place to live. Photo by Wil Andruschak/For CREB®Now "New life for community associations Dave McCarrel stands next to a new outdoor fitness park in Valley Ridge that opened earlier this fall. McCarrle has kept active within the local community association over the past 20 years because he feels it has helped make Valley Ridge a better place to live. Photo by Wil Andruschak/For CREB®Now "55 Years of Calgary Real Estate: 1991 CREB® President Nick Medwid Nick Medwid, who has been retired for more than a decade, recalled his time as CREB® president in 1991 was busy as many large Canadian companies moved their eastern-based headquarter out west that year. Photo by Michelle Hofer/For CREB®Now "55 Years of Calgary Real Estate: 2012 CREB® President Bob Jablonski Bob Jablonski, who coached baseball for 17 years, said his motivation to become CREB® president in 2012 stemmed from his desire to make a difference. Photo by Michelle Hofer/For CREB®Now "55 Years of Calgary Real Estate: 1981 CREB® President Kent Lyle Kent Lyle said few were spared from the National Energy Program's impacts in 1981. Photo by Michelle Hofer/for CREB®Now "Turning the page Denver Brust, vice-president internal with the Ramsay Community Association, said the decision to demolish the local seniors' centre has given the community an opportunity to more closely future development. Photo by Wil Andruschak/For CREB®Now "Next stop: Yorkville Mattamy Homes Calgary division president Don Barrineau, left and vice-president of land development Collin Campbell say plans for Yorkville call for a blend of walkability, residential and retail. Photo courtesy Mattamy Homes. "Cultivating new roots The 113-hectare D’Arcy development by United Communities in Okotoks will be bounded on the north by the town boundary, on the south by Sandstone Gate, on the east by Northridge Drive, and on the west by the D’Arcy Ranch golf course. Photo courtesy United Communities. "Let's make a deal Outside of some developments in the Beltiline, cash-for-density fund established by the City is being underutilized by developers. Illustration courtesy of Qualex-Landmark.