Urban Upgrade & NewInfills

CITY-WIDE REZONING - 1 YEAR LATER

Posted on Aug 08, 2025 in Real Estate News

It’s been a year since Calgary approved blanket rezoning to allow rowhouses and townhomes (R-CG and similar) across all residential areas. The intent? Improve housing affordability and choice by enabling higher density.

So, was it a big change? On paper, absolutely. It’s now possible to build multi-unit infills in nearly every established neighbourh...

NEW GST REBATE FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS

Posted on May 28, 2025 in Real Estate News

Big Savings Ahead: New GST Rebate for First-Time Home Buyers!

On May 27, 2025, the federal government introduced a game-changing initiative aimed at making homeownership more attainable for Canadians taking their first step into the housing market. The First-Time Home Buyer (FTHB) GST Rebate offers substantial financial relief for those purchasing o...

NEW MORTGAGE REFORMS

Posted on Oct 02, 2024 in Real Estate News

Many Canadians work hard to achieve the dream of owning a home. Yet, skyrocketing mortgage payments have made homeownership increasingly difficult, especially for Millennials and Gen Z. To address this challenge, the Canadian government has rolled out significant mortgage reforms aimed at making homeownership more accessible, particularly for first...

KEY CHANGES TO THE R-CG ZONING BYLAW

Posted on Sep 05, 2024 in Real Estate News

Blanket rezoning was passed (with amendments) on a 9-6 vote earlier this year, and it is now officially in effect as of August 6th.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

R-CG is now the citywide base low-density residential zone.
R-G is now the base low-density residential zone in developing areas.
H-GO zoning has been implemented in areas identified in approved Local...

NEW MORTGAGE OPTIONS FOR NEW HOMES

Posted on Aug 02, 2024 in Real Estate News

Starting August 1, 2024, homebuyers in Canada will have a new mortgage option available for newly built homes. This initiative, introduced by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), aims to support affordable homeownership by offering insured mortgages with a 30-year amortization period, when it was previously a 25-year amortization p...

NEW SECONDARY SUITE INCENTIVES

Posted on Jun 15, 2024 in Real Estate News

If you're considering adding a legal secondary suite to your home or future home, we have news for you! The City of Calgary is working hard to combat the housing crisis and provide more housing for Calgarians, both veterans and newcomers, by offering an incentive to encourage and assist homeowners in building legal secondary suites. The Secondary S...

CALGARY PASSES CITYWIDE RE-ZONING

Posted on May 15, 2024 in Real Estate News

Blanket rezoning has been passed with a 9-6 vote, but with some amendments to the original proposal. On Tuesday, May 14th, a record-breaking City Council meeting adjourned after 16 days leading to the long-awaited decision from Calgary's lawmakers. Rezoning has been a hot topic since it was first proposed in 2023, and as suggested by the longest ev...

LONGER AMORTIZATIONS FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS

Posted on Apr 24, 2024 in Real Estate News

The news that the federal government will now allow a 30 year amortization period -- instead of 25 -- for certain first-time homebuyers has Canadian families breathing a sigh of relief. With the current housing market putting home ownership out of reach for so many, this change coming into effect August 1, 2024 will open up the doors for Canadians...

GOVERNMENT CANCELS FIRST-TIME BUYER INCENTIVE

Posted on Mar 01, 2024 in Real Estate News

There's a change coming for prospective first-time homebuyers in Canada. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) says it is ending the First-Time Homebuyer Incentive program (FTHBI), a plan that was meant to help reduce monthly mortgage payments. In a nutshell, the government offered a loan of up to 10% of the purchase price, which would...

CALGARY LUXURY MARKET OUTPACES LARGER MARKETS

Posted on Feb 22, 2024 in Real Estate News

Calgary seems to be the star of the show these days when it comes to real estate trends and records, and the luxury homes market is no different with Calgary coming out on top in 2023! While other major city centres, such as Toronto, saw a decline in luxury home sales, and Canada as a whole plateaued, Calgary soared. Luxury home sales over $1-milli...

PROPOSED BLANKET REZONING: WHAT IT ALL MEANS

Posted on Feb 21, 2024 in Real Estate News

In Autumn 2023, Edmonton passed huge residential zoning changes, leading many Calgarians to believe a similar bylaw would likely be passed in Calgary. As expected, it didn't take long for one to be proposed before Calgary City Council, and residents have a lot of polarizing opinions on the matter. It would mean a lot of changes for our city if this...

CALGARY VACANCY RATES ARE PLUMMETING

Posted on Feb 19, 2024 in Real Estate News

Reports of vacancy rates plummeting in Calgary have been flooding the local news in recent days, informing us that local rental rates are now officially on par with Toronto. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment has reached nearly $1,700, a rate increase of 14%, and a vacancy rate of 1.4%. These are growth numbers not seen since 2007, accord...

SHORT TERM RENTAL CHANGES HAVE ARRIVED

Posted on Jan 31, 2024 in Real Estate News

CREB - On June 6, 2023, The City of Calgary took a significant step in enhancing the regulation of short-term rentals, approving crucial bylaw changes that came into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. These changes, aimed at fostering accountability, improving safety, and minimizing negative community impacts, mark the city's commitment to creating a fair and...

CANADA'S PLAN TO COMBAT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

Posted on Dec 01, 2023 in Real Estate News

On November 21, 2023, the federal government of Canada unveiled its 2023 fall economic statement, with promises of new spending to help build affordable homes, support renters, and clamp down on Airbnbs. What exactly does the government have in store, and how do they plan to combat the housing affordability problem that is plaguing the minds of Can...

EDMONTON PASSES HUGE RESIDENTIAL ZONING CHANGES

Posted on Oct 25, 2023 in Real Estate News

It's making local headlines, but if you haven't heard, Edmonton passed its latest revised zoning bylaw. In a city council vote of 11-2, the majority voted in favour of ending so-called "exclusionary" zoning, which limited many residential zones to single-family only. Starting next year, Edmontonians will be able to build 3-storey apartments, townho...

WHY TOWNHOME CONSTRUCTION IS BOOMING

Posted on Oct 16, 2023 in Real Estate News

We've talked a lot about Calgary's housing crisis this year, and we're starting to see more and more ramifications as 2023 is winding down. The latest shake-up relates to the decline of demand for single-family homes and the increase of demand in townhomes and multi-units. Row house construction is up 37% in Calgary as builders and buyers alike see...

CANADIANS FLOCKING TO ALBERTA

Posted on Oct 02, 2023 in Real Estate News

Canadians are flocking to Alberta from their home provinces in never-before-seen numbers. Statistics Canada has estimated 184,400 people have migrated interprovincially into Alberta since this time last year, up over 4%, bringing the total population to 4.7 million. While other provinces, including Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, also saw an i...

ARE WE AT RISK OF RENTAL CONTROLS?

Posted on Sep 22, 2023 in Real Estate News

Rent in Calgary is becoming unaffordable for many local residents and newcomers alike. With our beloved city now experiencing a housing crisis due to lack of inventory and strong demand, many renters have been feeling the pinch. Rental rates have gone up approximately 40% in the last few years (depending on property type), but wages/earnings have n...

CALGARY'S PLAN FOR THE HOUSING CRISIS

Posted on Sep 07, 2023 in Real Estate News

We're facing the hard truth right now that Calgary is in a housing crisis. The city is experiencing a critical housing shortage, creating affordability issues and beyond. Many people are finding it difficult to obtain shelter, both rental and purchase, and if they can find a place, being able to afford it has become a bigger obstacle than usual. Pl...

CANADA'S NEW "ANTI-FLIPPING" TAX: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Posted on Feb 28, 2023 in Real Estate News

On December 15, 2022, Bill C-32 received Royal Assent, which means that the new "anti-flipping" tax has now become law. This new rule applies to any "flipped" residential property sales occurring on or after January 1, 2023.

What is a "flipped property"?
A "flipped property" is a property that is located in Canada, would not otherwise be inventory o...

IS THE HOUSING MARKET HEADED FOR A CRASH?

Posted on Feb 23, 2023 in Real Estate News

National headlines have been talking about a housing market correction lately, and they sometimes use scarier terms like "housing crash" or "housing bust". We've seen major headlines talking about significant price declines already occurring, with stats stating a 20% or 30% price drop is on the horizon, which is jumping out to people and causing co...

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