Brought about by shifting market conditions, the face of the average Canadian homebuyer is also undergoing substantial changes.

As revealed in a national survey from RE/MAX, almost one in five prospective buyers in Alberta is single, with the number of young buyers – those aged 18 to 34 – the highest amongst all the provinces at 40 per cent.

With reports predicting doom and gloom for much of the Canadian housing market, Calgary continues to chug along, and should continue to be one of the country's top performers in 2013.

According to BMO's first housing panel of the year, the word is Calgary will continue to buck national trends while the rest of Canada will experience a "soft landing" after a decade long boom.