People are Moving to Alberta

Recent data from the moving company U-Haul suggests more people moved into Alberta in 2021 than any other province. In fact, Alberta jumped from being the third most moved-to province in 2020 to overtaking British Columbia for top spot. The number one city in the province for U-Haul arrivals last year was Calgary! Calgary’s bedroom community of Airdrie was also a destination of choice, ranking 24th nationally, a drop from its 19th place the year prior. In 2021, the communities of Red Deer and Medicine Hat also received a significant influx of U-Haul trucks, ranking 8th and 15th respectively, which again is remarkable as neither city placed in the top 25 the year prior. These smaller locations that are experiencing an…

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VR in Real Estate

By Simon Rose

Virtual reality or VR is a kind of technology that’s been around for a while now. With VR, a person can view a three-dimensional image or perhaps an entire environment and even interact with it. VR is able to create and resemble how things will or do look in the real world. Alternately, VR can create a completely different fantasy landscape or an alien planet for one to explore. It’s been predicted for quite a while now that virtual reality would be the next major technological development. Historically, its been widely utilized in things like video games and the entertainment industry. Today, VR is being used notably in the real estate business. The ongoing pandemic and restrictions on people meeting in close…

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Calgary’s Resale Housing Market: The Overview

By Mario Toneguzzi

It won’t be another record year in 2022 for Calgary’s resale housing market but MLS activity is expected to remain stronger than levels experienced in recent years.\

Ann-Marie Lurie, the Calgary Real Estate Board’s Chief Economist, is forecasting overall prices in the residential market to increase by 4.46 per cent in 2022 compared to last year’s hike of 8.25 per cent with overall sales dipping to 25,598 from the record high of 27,686 in 2021.

In her annual forecast report, Lurie says the residential real estate market in the Calgary region is being supported by strong economic fundamentals.

Citing the Conference Board of Canada, Lurie says Alberta can expect annual GDP…

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How Old is Old?

By Simon Rose

Just exactly how old is old these days? Improvements in medical care and deeper knowledge of fitness and nutrition have increased life expectancy. Today many people are living into their eighties and beyond, whereas thirty or forty years ago this was much less common. As the population has aged, this has led to a rethink in how companies engage in marketing and promotion to older potential customers.

The fast pace of technological developments over recent decades has been a big factor in this. It almost seems that in the past, companies simply assumed that old people wouldn’t be able to use computer technology or the Internet. Perhaps they would not even be interested in it at all. In addition, since this is an…

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NFT – Bubble or Opportunity?

By James Clarke-Lister

NFT’s, or ‘non-fungible tokens,’ are revolutionizing the concept of ownership and transferability of nearly every conceivable item, whether it digital or physical.

Most of you have likely heard the term ‘NFT’ going around – many of you wondering, what exactly is it? Is it a type of JPEG or digital art? One way to think about an NFT is as a unique identification code, similar to that of a serial number. Unlike serial numbers stored in a database under a corporate entity, an NFT and all its data are stored on what’s called the blockchain. Understanding the blockchain can be complicated; however, at a surface level, we can think of blockchain technology as quite literally, a chain of Internet…

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A 2022 REIN FORECAST

By Danielle Rourke

It’s described as ‘the great Canadian (Real Estate) migration,’ a prediction that came to life in April of 2020, the beginning of our continually evolving and ever changing pandemic. Why and how does migration continue to rapidly sweep across Canada and impact real estate? My recent interview with REIN CEO Patrick Francey reveals this and more, including forecasts predicted for 2022 within the real estate landscapes of Canada.

Firstly, despite the crisis of the pandemic, Patrick believes opportunity still thrives. The continual seeming melt down of the world over these past 2 years, has in turn created a major shift in people’s overall view of the world.

People generally have a greater…

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Real Estate Forecasts and Loving Your Job

By Danielle Rourke

Ann-Marie Lurie loves her job. I mean she really truly loves her job. It’s one of those phrases so many of us strive to truly feel. With 11 years of working as chief economist for CREB under her belt, Ann-Marie is no stranger to forecasting real estate. And she adores every minute of it. Many of you may know her as a popular CREB forecast speaker, this year recent presentation being no different. I had the pleasure of speaking with Ann-Marie, a born and raised Calgarian, uncovering a little more about her, and about what she sees in our future for 2022.

While studying at U of C, Ann-Marie originally planned on becoming an accountant. With the encouragement of several professors, she…

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URBAN ATHLETE – Where Members are Friends, not Numbers

By Carla Grundison

Urban Athlete is a locally-owned, one-of-a-kind fitness studio in Kensington. The goal is to help people ‘reach their fitness goals in a welcoming, community focused and supportive environment’ says Kohl Kehler, of the gym he co-owns with Karly Renman. Having previously owned contracting and painting businesses together, the two have found that Urban Athlete aligns well with their lifelong passion for fitness. Although smaller in square footage than some gyms, don’t be deceived by its size. It packs in enough high-end equipment, stellar fitness classes, as well as talented trainers and instructors – yet somehow maintains an atmosphere that never feels overcrowded. Kohl…

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AI - A Blessing or a Curse?

By Simon Rose

Artificial intelligence or AI is often discussed these days in the media, and even during the pandemic humans continue to make technological advances. Science fiction, whether on screen or in print, often features powerful computers. Some of the stories from decades ago were set in eras that at the time were far into the future, but these are now much closer to when we’re currently living.

Technological advances aren’t always for the best, or at least can sometimes be a double-edged sword. This can happen even if the original inventors weren’t thinking ahead, wondering if their invention might one day be used for something that wasn’t good. Think of the pioneers of aviation, who most likely weren’t…

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SOCIAL CONNECTION & OUR MENTAL HEALTH: QUALITY NOT QUANTITY

By Carla Grundison

I asked family therapist, Stacey Nealon, and Distress Centre’s Mike Velthuis Kroeze to share their observations around our lack of social interaction in the past 18 months, and for ideas on how to stay connected as we move forward.

CONNECTION IS A PILLAR OF WELLNESS Socializing and connection is an imperative pillar to our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing,’ Stacey shares. While diet and exercise often hog the limelight, ‘a good support system with deep meaningful connections is just as – if not more – important for good health.’ Mike adds that it’s not about how many people someone can interact with over the course of a day or week, but rather the quality…

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