CREB®Now connected with some of Calgary's housing industry experts and leaders for their opinions on 2018. Here's what they had to say. . .

Calgary's new northeast offers exciting opportunities and value for homebuyers

"A full, master-planned community destination." That's how Mattamy Homes vice-president of sales and marketing Warren Saunders describes Calgary's expanding – and evolving – northeast quadrant.

"That means choice for homebuyers," he said, noting that wasn't always the case in decades past.

In the "new northeast," Saunders says the expanding range of housing options allows different generations of homebuyers to remain in that sector of the city throughout their lives.

Calgary's Genesis Centre earns its name

The word genesis means a beginning or origin. When it comes to this definition, the Genesis Centre in northeast Calgary was aptly named. Opened in January of 2012, the centre filled a longstanding void in sport, recreation, wellness and cultural services for residents.

Hub living is the name of the game when it comes to new-neighbourhood design in northwest Calgary

When discussing the current trend of building Calgary residential communities around "hubs" (also known as "activity centres" or "nodes"), the phrase "back to the future" seems apt.

"It's about concentrating uses and activities in one area ... It's how settlements and civilizations have been developing forever," said Beverly Sandalack, associate dean and professor of landscape architecture and planning in the University of Calgary's Faculty of Environmental Design.

"It fell out of favour post-World War II with the over-reliance on the car, but, except for this 50-year aberration, main streets have always been the centre of community activity and business."

Local REALTOR® helps Mexican families find a home

For most Canadians, packing up and heading to Mexico means relaxing on the beach with a cold beverage in hand. For Calgary REALTOR® Dick Oakes, it means something else entirely.

New HQ or not, e-commerce giant's impact is already being felt

Let's call it the "Amazon effect": the cascading economic stimulation that comes from one of the world's largest corporations taking up residence in your market.

It is an effect already being felt in the Calgary region after the announcement that the e-commerce giant will be opening a 600,000-square-foot distribution centre in Balzac – employing 750 full-time workers, and an additional 450 part-time or seasonally, by the end of 2018.

Innovative University District set to fill area housing gap

The concept of an all-in-one community where residents can live, work and play was the inspiration for Calgary's University District, a comprehensive 200-acre community featuring a mix of residential housing, office space, retail developments, parks and green space.

Under development in northwest Calgary, University District is a community that typifies shifting attitudes about the city's expansion, says James Robertson, president and CEO of West Campus Development Trust.

Bringing people together sets new rec centre apart

Building a community and building a sense of community are two different things. The City of Calgary understands that distinction, and the new Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge is a prime example.

As construction of new neighbourhoods proceeds at a frantic pace, the City is doing its best to make these collections of houses feel like home. That's why it committed $480 million to develop four recreation centres in freshly built suburbs. One of those projects, approved in 2012 and set to open in January of 2018, is the new recreational facility in the northwest community of Rocky Ridge.

Time spent saving paid off in the form of a new Savanna duplex for Amandeep Khaira

Amandeep Khaira loves her five-year-old daughter Jannat with all her heart. So providing her with a safe and cozy home was at the top of the priority list when the 32-year-old, single mom moved to Canada from India three years ago. She scrimped and saved, and in July, she took possession of her first home – a three-bedroom, two-storey duplex in Savanna, a new section of the northeast community of Saddle Ridge. It was a dream come true.

Dear Santa,

I know you're pretty busy these days getting ready for your epic journey. You must receive millions of letters. I can't imagine how time-consuming it is for you, but if you have a chance, please read mine.