Calgary Real Estate

What You Need to Know Before Moving to Calgary

So, you’re thinking of planning a big move to Calgary? Whether you’re relocating from Ontario, the West Coast or beyond, it’s always important to do a bit of research ahead of time to ensure that you’re set up for success. Traditionally associated with cowboy culture, Calgary has established itself as a forward-thinking city with a high quality of life, vibrant food and drink scene, growing arts industry and more. In recent years, celebrities like Pedro Pascal and publications such as Condé Nast Traveller have put the city on the map, and we can see why!

As always, we’re acting as your local guides, here to share all the things you need to know before moving to the Stampede City.

The Calgary Housing Market

Currently, the Calgary Real Estate Market can be described as having low supply and high demand, with many factors affecting this. The leading factor is net migration – Calgary has experienced an influx of roughly 80,000 new Calgarians in 2023, and net migration is not slowing down. However, although 80,000 homes have not been built in the last year, we have an abundance of rental properties and a number of leads on some incredible preconstruction projects. Some examples are Sovereign on 17th Avenue, Autumn by AVI and Orson by Truman. Getting in early can save you a lot of stress down the road, and we’re here to guide you in the right direction. 

Learn more about the Calgary Housing Market by watching Josh’s State of the Union Address here.

Calgary Tops Many City Rankings

In 2023, YYC was listed among the top 10 cities on The Global Liveability Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit. We also made the Global 100 Ranking of the World’s Best Cities, due to our quality of life, housing affordability and high GDP per capita. The city’s climate commitment is also something that has earned it high praise in the last year. Among other things, Calgary is known to be a friendly, community-based city, often coined “a big city with a small town feel.” Condé Nast Traveler confirmed this with their Readers’ Choice Rankings that labeled Calgary as #1 Friendliest City in the World with a score of 97.86.

Proximity to the Outdoors

Calgary is centrally located between a number of interesting landscapes in all different directions. It’s widely known for its proximity to the Rocky Mountains (a huge draw for travellers), but the city is extremely close to the badlands of Drumheller, foothills of Montana and more. Of course, you can’t pass up a trip to Lake Louise, Jasper or Moraine Lake. 

Weather

According to Travel Alberta, YYC boasts 312 days of sun on average, per year. Although the winters can be cold (make sure you invest in a warm parka), the amount of sun is unparalleled. Throw in the frequent chinooks that the city gets throughout the winter, and you’re all set for the winter months. 

As you can see, there are a number of benefits that come from living in Alberta, and Calgary more specifically. If you need help with your home purchase as you prep for the future, reach out to us at office@lesliemethot.ca. We’d love to help!

Should I Buy a House Now or Wait Until 2024/2025?

With Calgary’s ever-changing Real Estate Market, many people have been asking us lately, “Should I buy a house now or wait until the latter half of 2024/2025?” We get it. The current economic climate has resulted in a higher cost of living, something we’re all experiencing. However, given that, our simple answer to the burning question is, “Don’t wait.” Strategic buyers are wanting to hold off on purchasing a home until prices and rates decrease, but the reality is that waiting provides no guarantee. For one, with such low supply in housing options across all markets, even if prices did decrease, there’d be more buyers fighting for fewer homes. Additionally, a major consideration is experts are predicting home prices to increase due to relatively tight market conditions persisting into 2024, which will significantly affect your purchasing power moving forward.  

Mortgage Rates

When it comes to mortgage rates, the Bank of Canada announced their last update on January 24, where they decided to keep their overnight rate steady to help reduce inflation. You can see on the Bank of Canada website that the rates have stayed steady since July. According to a number of recent forecasts, Calgary home prices are projected to see the most significant increases across all markets in the latter half of 2024, and rates are believed to stay relatively steady from here on out. The next update is set to come out on March 6. If you’re looking at buying a home, keep in mind an approximate 5% rate when home shopping. 

The Spring Market

As explained previously, moving into the spring Calgary Real Estate Market, we will continue to see low inventory and heightened demand, intensifying the competition. We are already seeing the market become increasingly competitive for single-family detached homes, townhomes, condos and more. Ultimately, delaying your homebuying decision could result in missed opportunity and a heightened sense of competition, haste and anxiety. 

What Now?

Our advice? Waiting longer is not only not a guarantee, but it may make it more difficult to buy a home in the summer. 🤞🏼If you find your dream home now, get on it. Need help? Not sure where to start? We’re here for you. Drop us a note at office@lesliemethot.ca.