How building a garage can dramatically increase your home value

Driving has always been a way of life for Calgarians, and given the ubiquity of cars in in the city, garages are a must for almost every home.

Whether looking to build a home for the first time or renovating an old one, detached or attached garages are the options most builders choose. However, special builds also exist and can even include underground parking or tunnels, at costs upwards of $35,000 for a triple-detached unit.

Stunning scenery and affordable homes make Cochrane a perfect fit for discerning homebuyers

As the warm spring sun crests the eastern horizon, its dazzling rays cast a purple light on the foothills circling Cochrane's western fringe. Below this stunning backdrop, the Bow River sparkles, as it winds its way through the town's core.

The beauty of this quaint town of 30,000 people is one of the things that attracted South African expats Heidi and Allan Lester-Olivier. The couple has lived all over the world, but Canada has always called out to them. In 2012, after spending two years in Houston, they made the trek north to Calgary with three young children in tow, settling in Tuscany.

The shifting popularity of new-build home upgrades

Home command centres, extra-large closets, gyms, secondary suites, energy efficiencies and more – the new-build bells and whistles homebuyers are choosing today are all about convenience.

No matter the size of the home, buyers want products that support a busy lifestyle, says Michelle Jakeman, director of sales and marketing for Calbridge Homes.

Five simple tips for new-home horticulture

What makes a new home your new home? When you plant petunias, of course – or tomatoes, or your grandma's old peony...

This month, we celebrate your new home garden with five simple tips for success:

Housing officials expect new builds to post slight rebound in late 2017

"Turbulent." That's how the head of Calgary's homebuilders and developers group describes the new housing market in 2016.

And 2017?

"Recovery," said Allan Klassen, chair of the recently merged Canadian Home Builders' Association—Urban Development Institute Calgary (CHBA-UDI Calgary).

Homebuilders hope recommendations to lower duties will lead to lower cost for industry, consumers

Recent recommendations by a federal trade tribunal have the homebuilding industry hopeful that high duties on U.S. drywall imports will soon come to an end.

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal issued its Statement of Reasons Jan. 19 outlining why it found drywall duties on U.S. imports are negatively impacting Western Canada's housing industry. Yet it also found U.S. manufacturers were indeed dumping drywall into the Canadian market, an unfair advantage over domestic manufacturers.

Livingston to eventually house 30,000 people

Calgary's newest community came online this week as Brookfield Residential lifted the veil on its new Livingston development in the city's north that, when completed, will house as many as 30,000 people.

Covering more than 500 hectares straddling Centre Street north of Stoney Trail, Livingston is the first master-planned community in north Calgary within the past 20 years. It will include an estimated 10,000 homes, and will be anchored by a major activity centre that will include an estimated one million square feet of retail and institutional space,

Ward 3 Coun. Jim Stevenson, who attended the official construction launch June 28, calls Livingston "a new city north of the ring road."

Former CREB® president Patti Beaudry recalls city's fast pace in 1997

Former CREB® president Patti Beaudry recalls 1997 as a bright spot in Calgary's real estate history, in which resale housing activity and prices hit then peak levels and the city's population experienced a newfound surge.

The economy was vibrant, with new jobs bringing newcomers to the city by planes, trains and automobiles, recalled the 35-year real estate veteran, who guided the organization's board of directors through its boom year. By year's end, the city's population gained 3.3 per cent to 934,300 compared to 2.4 per cent growth the year prior. Three years later, it hit the once-mythical one-million mark.

Calgary's housing market at the time illustrated the impact of this new wave of new residents. Sales in the resale residential sector jumped more than 20 per cent to 18,423, while prices surged by more than six per cent to $146,788, according to CREB®.

New home industry to impact inventory, prices

Homebuyers could be in for more good news over the next several months as industry experts predict oversupply from the new home industry will create more selection and overall price softness.

"With the number of units still under construction, we do expect inventories to continue moving higher in the next couple of months," said Richard Cho, market analyst in Calgary for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC). "I think the impact that would have on the overall housing market and the resale market is more choice for buyers."

Cho added the number of units still under construction remains elevated, which will lead to the rise in inventory levels.

New homes construction in Calgary fell by 19.3 per cent in January

According to Statistics Canada, investment in new housing construction declined overall in Alberta by 19.3 per cent in January 2016 over last year.

Spending in the province decreased in all dwelling types except apartment and apartment-condominium buildings, which rose 22.5 per cent to $195 million.

With spending falling from $849.5 million to $685.4 million, Alberta's drop was the largest decline nationwide, with Saskatchewan's 30 per cent decline amounting to a cut of just $30 million.