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By
Naomi Powell
Luxury home sales rising in Calgary, Montreal. Vancouver, not so much
Calgary and Montreal are on track to eclipse Toronto and Vancouver as Canada's fastest growing luxury real estate market this year as rising consumer confidence boosts demand for homes over $1 million.
A new Sotheby's report on the luxury sector shows sales of $1 million-plus homes in Montreal increased by 20 per cent to 104 units in the first two months of this year, while transactions in Toronto and Vancouver flagged amid headwinds from government policy interventions.
"Montreal has been Canada's 'dark horse' in luxury real estate," said Brad Henderson, president and chief executive of Sotheby's International Realty Canada. "For many years, political uncertainty and a stagnant economy tethered performance, but those factors have now dissipated. This spring, we expect strong gains that will set new records for the city."
An uptick in luxury sales is also expected in Calgary as growth in the province's gross domestic product exceeds expectations and an increase in oil prices, manufacturing exports and population flows improve consumer confidence. Sales of real estate priced over $1 million rose 45 per cent to 94 units in January and February compared to the same period a year ago.
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Calgary Herald
By Josh Skapin
7 THINGS: to know about Calgary area's single-family real estate market
Calgary Herald
By
Harrison Mooney
MEXICO, U.S. the top destinations for Canadians seeking real estate abroad: Study
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 Calgary Herald
'Location!' This fixer-upper in Vancouver is going for $6.9 million
The reason for the high price tag? "Location, location, location!!!," according to the description by realtor Sydney Deng.
The two-storey, 1922 house on 1511 Barclay has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and an eye-popping list price of $6.98 million. That's especially noteworthy considering the same house sold for $2.8 million just over two years ago, $700,000 above its then-asking price.
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 The Calgary Sun
Easy ways to follow the trends
Lovely lavenders: Lavenders and lilacs lend an air of royal sophistication to any space while bringing out beautiful, deeper tones in surrounding accents and furniture.
Statement lighting: Overhead light fixtures make for gorgeous focal points and help you set the ambiance for the room. Choose a stand-out piece that complements your décor, like an artisan chandelier or vintage sconces or pendants.
Warmer metals: Golden brass is becoming a surprisingly warm and subtle substitute for stainless steel and polished nickel. Stay on-trend with brass accents and décor, or dive in with faucet fixtures in your kitchen or bathroom.
Bold patterns: Big and bold is the way to go for patterns right now. If you want something more feminine and seasonal, go with boho-inspired florals that look like the work of an artist's paintbrush. Hard geometrics are a fun, modern alternative - think large circles in repetitive, balanced styles. Incorporate the trend with accent pillows or graphic wallpaper.
Intelligent design: Convenience is always in fashion, so look for elements that make life easier. Window treatments with PowerView motorization from Hunter Douglas allow you to operate your shades from anywhere in the world using your mobile device. This must-have feature seamlessly integrates with other whole-home automation systems, like Google Home and Alexa.
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 The Calgary Sun
Tips to help you choose a window treatment
The perfect window treatment should do more than just cover a window.
Light control: Harsh light at the window? The right window covering can transform sunlight into a wonderful soft glow and help protect your furnishings from damaging UV rays.
On the other hand, if you're looking for more light, opt for a treatment designed to help channel light deeper into your room, filling dark corners and reducing the need for electrical lighting.
Energy efficiency: You can keep your rooms warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer and save on home bills with energy-efficient products. Look for products engineered with innovative cellular air pockets that can block up to 50 percent of the heat transfer at the window.
Smart home shade automation:
Imagine your shades moving automatically to the exact position you prefer for the specific lighting effect you love or adjusting themselves for the optimal energy efficiency throughout the day. For this revolutionary hands-free experience, check out the PowerView motorization system from Hunter Douglas that automatically moves your shades according to schedules you set.
Beautiful, unique designs: The right window fashion can become an interior's focal point, setting style throughout your home. Choose textures, finishes and colour combinations that complement your space in durable materials for long-term reliability.
Safety: Kids and pets are innately curious about the world around them, so even basic household items like window coverings can turn into potential hazards. Look for enhanced safety features that reduce the risk of accidents, like cordless and motorized operating systems, retractable lift cords, cord tensioners and wand controls.
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 The Calgary Sun
Plogging: The latest fitness craze
As the spring thaw lays bare the discarded waste of winter, many Canadian fitness enthusiasts are trying to spread the word about plogging, an eco-friendly exercise mashup that combines the endorphin rush of jogging with the environmental benefits of picking up trash.
Plogging is a portmanteau of jogging and the Swedish phrase "plocka upp," meaning pick up, and the premise is as simple as its name suggests.
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 CREB Now
RED MILE REVAMP
City eyes the future with 17th Avenue facelift
Whether you're a person or a stretch of pavement, 30 years of hard labour can take its toll. When you're as heavily travelled as 17th Avenue S.W., the effect is multiplied. That's why the City of Calgary, armed with a $44 million budget, is giving much of the area a facelift. From Macleod Trail to 14th Street S.W., the City is upgrading utilities, rebuilding the road and improving pedestrian areas to pave the way for future use.
"This began as simply a road construction project," said Ryan Murray, a spokesperson for the City of Calgary's transportation department. "After 30 years, it was time to dig down and rebuild the foundation of 17th Avenue. We decided that while we were down there, we should make the most of it by upgrading old utilities and rebuilding the road."
Apart from the work beneath the surface, it was also a chance to make major enhancements above ground. That includes improving crosswalks and intersections for those on foot, replacing or repairing sidewalks, and adding LED lighting, sitting areas and new trees.
Projects like this are all about short-term pain for long-term gain. For the most part, people seem to accept that, and the City is working hard to keep the pain to a minimum.
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 Huffington Post
'Trading Spaces' Brings High Stakes Back To Home Improvement TV
A happy ending? Never a guarantee with designers like Hildi Santo-Tomas.
In the premiere episode of the revived "
Trading Spaces," homeowner Michele and her husband, clad in matching red button-down shirts, stare blankly at designer Hildi Santo-Tomas as she explains the art concept for the guest room of Michele's sister and next-door neighbor, Melissa.
The design will be penguin-inspired, Santo-Tomas declares, so she wants her team to hand paint a "deconstructed penguin" mural on the room's walls and ceiling. One wall, however, will be covered in mirrors, creating a kaleidoscope effect - abstract penguin parts everywhere.
Michele's eyes light up, unfortunately out of fear and not excitement.
If you're a former fan of TLC's "Trading Spaces," this scenario is tantalizingly familiar. Santo-Tomas was one of the more ornery designers featured on the original home improvement reality series, which returns this weekend after a decade off the air. In an era of television dominated by reboots, TLC decided to resurrect the beloved "Trading Spaces." Its simple premise remains intact: a pair of neighbors fix up one room in each other's homes with the help of a designer, carpenter and returning host Paige Davis. They have two days and $2,000 (twice the budget of the original show) to pull it off without tears.
Or in the case of Santo-Tomas, who once glued straw onto the walls of someone's living room, with many, many tears.
Drama tends to weave its way into "Trading Spaces," separating the series from other, tamer home improvement reality shows. Take, for example, "Fixer Upper," a show that pretty much guaranteed each happy new homeowner would walk away from the show with a
Joanna Gaines-certified farmhouse design.
"We promise a happy ending," general manager of HGTV programming Allison Page told HuffPost. "You know if you're coming to HGTV they're going to find a house, make it beautiful."
TLC's "Trading Spaces" gives its participants no guarantee. Although the channel is owned by the same network as HGTV (Discovery), the show departs in several ways from the usual renovation fare. Instead of providing a top-to-bottom rework like most other shows, "Trading Spaces" stakes claim to only one room, often of utmost importance to its owners. And instead of allowing the actual homeowners to wince and "wow!" at pre-approved designs, the various designers go forth and renovate on theme without their explicit permission. (Sure, neighbors can advocate against truly heinous decisions, but does that ever really stop Hildi Santo-Tomas?) The show simply hopes everyone will be satisfied with their respective finished products. It hopes that the interventions won't amount to a breakdown of next-door relations.
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When you list with The McKelvie group, who do you work with?
T
he answer is simple. When you meet with one of our realtors, and decide to list your home with us, you will work with that realtor to sell your home.
You will not be passed onto another realtor or to an assistant. If you meet with me, I will be the realtor selling your home.
The McKelvie Team Advantage
In addition to Rick, Melissa, Stefany, John and myself providing you personalized service, you also get the power of a support team working in the background to make things happen.
From our marketing director, professional photographer, and administrative assistants, the entire process is designed to free up your realtor's time to allow them to focus on what they do best - getting your home sold.
Our strong support team gives us (and you) the advantage of providing a superior customer experience - as our client reviews confirm:
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"As two busy young professionals looking to purchase our first home, I can honestly say we were overwhelmed. We needed someone to guide us and take charge, but who was also patient and understanding.
Melissa is a wealth of knowledge and really listened to our wants which in the end helped us find our dream home SUPER fast. Such a seamless experience!! I wanted to shout out to Debbie too! She was super on the ball and after we made our purchase was really helpful and made all the behind the scenes things go smoothly! So great!"
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Mario and Vesna S.
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"The McKelvie group was our 4th realtor. Right from the start, Kelly treated us, and our property, as a unique project with enthusiasm. The pictures and marketing was above and beyond expectations. The support staff, Debbie and Julie, are always happy, knowledgeable and helpful no matter what."
- Evelyn & Jim M.
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| "Fast, efficient, stress free, listing and selling of our property, Very good market evaluation and negotiation for selling price. Service and selling of our property was above our expectations. Very pleased with Rick's professionalism and negotiation skills to get selling price, in a very short period of time." - Norman W. |
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"The McKelvie Group is very organized, friendly, and transparent. We needed a realtor ASAP and we remembered
Stefany from a few open houses where she made a great impression on us. She helped us every step of the way in buying our new home, and there was almost no stress the whole time thanks to her guidance. The recommended businesses in their information packages worked out fantastically for us, as well. We couldn't have been happier with the whole process."
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Mark & Kathryn B.
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If you would like to meet with a realtor from our team, give us a call, we would be very happy to tell you more about what our team has to offer.
We can't wait to work with you!
Sincerely,
Kelly and Team
Kelly McKelvie
403-247-9988
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A new realtor has joined our team!
On behalf of our team, I would like to welcome John Bauman to our team. He brings more than 20 years of professional experience and a commitment to serving his clients with integrity, energy, hard work and enthusiasm. Being raised in Calgary and active in the community, he also brings practical knowledge about many Calgary communities and all they have to offer. We are excited John has joined our team and look forward to working together to serve our clients.
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CREB
Housing market inventory on the rise
Prices remain stable compared to last year
City of Calgary, April 2, 2018 - As expected, slow sales this quarter have persisted through March in the City of Calgary. This is not a surprise, after stronger growth in sales at the end of last year following the announced changes to the lending market. First quarter sales totaled 3,423 units, nearly 18 per cent below last year's levels and 24 per cent below long-term averages. Easing sales and modest gains in new listings caused inventories to rise and months of supply to remain above four months. "Economic conditions are slowly improving, but it has not been enough to outpace the current impact of higher lending rates and more stringent conditions," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie. "We are entering the most active quarters in the housing market with more inventory, which could create some price fluctuations. However, the improving economy is expected to prevent overall prices from slipping by significant amounts." While prices trended down on a quarterly basis, they remained relatively unchanged over last year's levels due to modest gains in the detached sector offsetting declines in the apartment sector. The citywide benchmark price for detached product averaged $502,000 in the first quarter. This is slightly lower than the fourth quarter of last year, but comparable to levels recorded in the first quarter of last year. In March, the detached price reached $503,800, 3.6 per cent below pre-recession highs, but one per cent above the lows recorded during the recession. "The market today is better than what we experienced at the peak of the recession," said CREB® president Tom Westcott. "You can find good value if you're looking to buy a home, and you can also get good value if you're selling. Being well-informed, in any economic condition, is the key, because there are differences in the market depending on what type of property it is and where it is located." Detached market inventories in the first quarter of 2017 were low compared to historical standards. This year, detached inventories have averaged 2,573 units over the first quarter, 10 per cent below first quarter averages recorded during 2015 and 2016. Spring will have more inventory than last year, slowing progress on price recovery. However, the amount of price adjustment will vary depending on competing supply by location and product type.
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HOUSING MARKET FACTS
* While detached benchmark prices eased by 0.25 per cent over the previous quarter, the quarterly decline was not consistent across all areas. Prices were stable in both the south and south east districts, while in the city centre, prices improved over the previous quarter.
* Despite the recent easing of new listings, the apartment condominium sector continues to struggle with excess supply in the resale, new-home and rental market. This is impacting prices. Condominium apartments averaged $256,567 in the first quarter, one per cent below the previous quarter and three per cent below levels recorded in the first quarter of 2017. Overall, monthly apartment prices are over 14 per cent below the highs recorded in 2014.
* Year-over-year, attached price changes have ranged from growth of four per cent to declines of 3.7 per cent depending on the sector of the city. Prices improved in the city centre, north west and south east districts of the city. However, those gains were offset by the losses in the north east, north, west, south and east districts. Attached benchmark prices averaged $328,533 in the first quarter and remain unchanged from levels recorded at this time last year.
* Activity within the attached sector continues to vary based on row product versus semi-detached. Semi-detached prices remained relatively stable compared to last year and last quarter, thanks to recent improvements in the city centre district. Meanwhile, row prices eased slightly over the previous quarter, with prices easing across all districts compared to the fourth quarter of 2017
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CREB NOW
EVANSTON ENERGY
Northwest community is experiencing rapid growth, thanks to affordable homes and extensive amenities
One of the fastest growing communities in the city, Evanston was designed with lifestyle in mind. Located on the city's northern edge and bounded by two major arteries - Shaganappi Trail and Stoney Trail - the community features easy access to the downtown core and the mountains.
"Evanston's vision was wide-open spaces and a place for families to grow and flourish. It was achieved by creating parks, soccer fields, green spaces and amenities right in the community," said Laura Field, marketing co-ordinator for Qualico Communities, the developer behind Evanston.
That simple formula has attracted residents in droves. The first shovels broke ground on the community in 2007, and by 2013, the population had crested 8,000 residents. By 2017, that number had doubled, soaring to over 15,900, and it's still driving upwards, as the community releases its final phases. At final build out, there will be 3,348 single-family homes and 1,419 multi-family residences.
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Here are some useful links to great websites that feature...
THINGS TO DO AROUND CALGARY
COMING SOON
Calgary Poutine Week
Apr 20, 2018 to Apr 28, 2018
Need an excuse to go out for poutine? Here's a great one: Calgary Poutine Week is back from April 20 to 28. Throughout the nine-day event, participating restaurants offer unique and classic takes on the popular dish. More than 70 restaurants are participating this year, including The Guild, Vendome Cafe, National, Starbelly, Diner Deluxe, Cleaver and more. Poutine Week is also an opportunity to contribute to a good cause through your stomach - each time a participating restaurant sells it poutine dish, Mealshare matches that by giving someone in need a free meal. Last year, 8,000 poutine dishes were sold - that's a lot of free meals for those in need.
CALGARY METRO
By Sarah Mang
One month countdown to the opening of Panda Passage officially on
Calgarians eagerly await their first peek at the four fuzzy faces
Anticipation to see the four giant pandas who arrived at the Calgary Zoo on March 23 is building, as the opening of the Panda Passage exhibit is officially just a month away.
Excited third-graders from Prince of Wales School waved hand-crafted panda masks as officials from the city and the zoo gathered to commence the countdown.
"They have already stolen our hearts, and I'm sure all of us will enjoy meeting them for the first time," said Ricardo Miranda, Minister of Culture and Tourism, of the expected opening day on May 7.
Both Miranda and Clément Lanthier, president and CEO of the Calgary Zoo, said they are expecting 1.5 million visitors in 2018 alone, generating a projected $18 million in tourism revenue.
The Alberta government contributed $10 million to the project, and the City of Calgary added $8.15 million.
The enclosure was designed with Asian architecture in mind, and features an all-natural flooring, hot and cold rocks for the pandas to lay on, as well as waterfalls and plenty of bamboo, said Kim Rishel, project manager at the Calgary Zoo.
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The McKelvie Group
Helping In The Community- Easy, Rewarding & Fun
Despite what you have going on at any given moment, it is always a worthwhile and rewarding experience to get involved in the community and share your time with those who need your assistance in some way
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Various Websites
VOLUNTEERING CAN BE VERY REWARDING
Here are some links that will help you find ways to help others.
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CREB Now
By Geoff Geddes
BACK TO THE FUTURE
High hopes for high-speed hyperloop
They might not see eye-to-eye on much, but Calgary and Edmonton are united by their interest in the latest effort to bring high-speed transportation to Alberta. The hyperloop concept consists of pressurized aluminum pods travelling in tubes. Using magnetic propulsion and levitation, the system can exceed speeds of 1,000 km/h. Calgary to Edmonton in less than half an hour, anyone?
"This project would go a long way to diversifying Alberta's economy," said Sebastien Gendron, the co-founder and CEO of TransPod, a Toronto-based startup that's developing hyperloop technology. "The province has an engaged community and if we can convince key people to develop the line, it will create jobs, help retain talent and create a worldwide centre of excellence where we could showcase the expertise of the province and grow the high-tech industry in Alberta."
With an estimated cost of $25 million/km, the TransPod hyperloop would need both private and public funding to become a reality. It's a steeper price tag than that of high-speed rail, but Gendron said the extra funds would be money well spent.
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 CREB NOW
ALONG THE RAILS
A short history of Calgary and the Canadian Pacific Railway
When construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) reached Calgary in 1883, the company built a train station on its land west of the Elbow River in present-day downtown.
The only problem was that most Calgarians in the small community already lived on the east side of the river, now Inglewood.
Local historian Doug Coats says, try as it might, the CPR could not convince Calgarians to move onto its land, so a plan was devised.
Railway officials asked postmaster James Bannerman to move the community post office nearer to the station and, the story goes, included a promise of $100 and two lots in the new townsite.
"So, one night, the CPR's chief engineer Herbert Holt put a rope around the post office and dragged it across the frozen Elbow River," said Coats. "Calgarians woke up the next morning wondering where their post office was.
"All of a sudden, the stampede was on. Most Calgarians moved over the river and this whole new town started springing up, all strung out along the railway tracks. The whole shape of the town was determined by the railway."
In the coming years, the CPR and other railways had a tremendous impact on how Calgary developed.
Coats says Archibald McVittie, a dominion land surveyor hired by the CPR, laid out the grid system of avenues going east and west and streets going north and south that characterizes the downtown core to this day.
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INTERESTING HOMES FOR SALE
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Various Websites
This Property for Sale in an Old Canadian Fishing Village Is the Most Romantic Place on Earth
Looks like something out of a postcard
"If I were writing a book, there would be chapters on humpback whales, kayakers, jigging for cod, swimming in clean, warm freshwater ponds, northern lights, phosphorescence in the harbor and meteor showers. This is an exotic place," says the current owner of Pickersgill Premises-a collection of six historical buildings for sale on Burden's Point in the town of Salvage in Newfoundland, Canada.
Asking Price: $350,000 (CAD)
For more information, visit the full listing on
CIRCA Old Houses.
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Sincerely,
