Communities surrounding Calgary see double-digit sales growth in the first quarter of the year

Getting more for less can mean a lot to a first time homebuyer.

When it came to the purchase of their first home, engaged couple Kristie Bogle and Erin Dorscht set their sights on Bogle's hometown of Airdrie.

"I just kept seeing all these signs, crazy cheap new developments throughout [Airdrie] and I came home one day and was like 'Look how cheap this is compared to what we're paying in Calgary'," said Dorscht.

The Town of Cochrane announced April 14 it has signed a service agreement with the City of Calgary for fire response.

In the case of such an agreement, each municipality maintains jurisdiction within their borders and identifies the circumstances under which they'll ask for assistance from neighbouring municipalities.

For the third consecutive quarter, sales growth in all communities surrounding Calgary was in the double digits. In addition to lifestyle preferences, demand in surrounding areas has improved due to the relative price advantage over Calgary and less supply constraints in many of the surrounding markets.

During the first quarter of the year, 44 per cent of new listings in surrounding areas were priced below $400,000. Within the city of Calgary, 23 per cent of single family homes were under this price point.