Find Your Place In Canmore Alberta

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December 2020 Market Update

The Canmore market has seen some dramatic shifts in 2020. 

The first Covid lockdown in February 2020  resulted in a sharp decline in sales and a 5% correct in prices.  However, instead of a continued slowdown when things opened up again, we experienced the opposite, with greatly increased buyers demand and inventory to match. 

 

Now in December 2020, in the midst of a 2nd Covid lockdown, we are looking toward 2021 to anticipate the likely market factors that will affect real estate in the new year. 

 

2021 Outlook

 

It is expected that we will see a sharp rise in prices in 2021 and 2022 in Canmore. We are unlikely to see a major correction for many years to come. 

This is due to several factors. 

 

  1. Covid created demand for 2nd homes in recreational areas for vacation homes.  (Alberta’s don’t know when they can travel to United States and are not exactly welcome in BC. Canmore is pretty much the only recreational location in Alberta. It is close to Calgary and the closest town to the ski hills one can buy in. )

 

  1. Covid created demand for 2nd homes in recreational areas for part-time work from home. (It seems some form of work-from-home is here to stay. There has been an influx of buyers buying property in Canmore to spend more time at, as they can spend half of the time here now working from home,  instead of just visiting occasional weekends.) 

 

  1. Cost of lumber and other construction materials have increased about 4X the cost of a year ago. This is not expected to correct for at least a couple of years, and is adding significant costs of new construction in Canmore. As we have low inventory in resales at this time, new home construction is taking up the slack in sales, with expected increasing prices. 

 

  1. Though we had a very active market for most of 2020, it was a balanced market, with enough inventory to satisfy buyers. We are starting to see the inventory dry up, and buyers demand remains high. This will also lead to an increase in price. 

 

  1. Future retirees, who were the dominant driving buyers market prior to Covid, continue to purchase their future retirement homes. This market recognizes the increasing competition in the finite market of Canmore, and buying with more urgency now for their retirement in 3-7 years. 

 

  1. The current buyers are purchasing with genuine use in mind. In past markets, there have been international buyers and speculation investors purchasing for the purpose of buying to flip. We see almost no international buyers nowadays and very few that are buying with speculation in mind.  Almost all buyers now intend to use the homes themselves as a full time home, 2nd home or future retirement home, giving genuine value to the homes and the prices paid

 

  1. Canmore has some new construction slated, but it is limited and there is a finite footprint to what can be built. There are only a handful of new phases that can be built in town before buildout.  

 

 

Overall, almost all factors lead us to believe that the Canmore real estate market will continue to increase in buyers demand and appreciating price point. 

 

June 2018-Canmore Real Estate Market Report

The Canmore Real estate market is very active with high buyers demand. Inventory is still on
the low side, though there is a healthy amount of sales taking place. Desirable and
appropriately priced properties tend to sell in the first week on the market, sometimes with
multiple offers, which is not uncommon.
Buyers tend to be quite knowledge about current real estate in the area, and understand
market pricing when considering a purchase. Over priced properties can still remain on the
market for some time, even in this active market with strong buyers demand.
The following factors are affecting the market in Canmore at this time:
1. We have a lot of future retirees buying now. They do not want to wait the 5-7 or so years
to retirement, as they know prices in Canmore are going up and there is a very limited
amount of development in the area.
2. We have increasing tourism, so the tourism and hospitality businesses are growing and
there is an escalating requirement for housing for their staff and employees. (Both to buy
and rent)
3. Increased demand in rentals is encouraging investor buyers.
4. Two new taxes in BC that target both out-of-country buyers, and out-of-province buyers,
as well as new laws that remove some landlord protections, have encouraged investors and
recreational buyers to purchase in Alberta instead of BC. As Canmore is a desirable location
for both recreation and investors, we are seeing an increase in buyers that would otherwise
have purchased in BC.
5. The possibility of hosting the Olympics is attracting a small contingent of speculators, that
think Canmore’s values will increase, if we get the Olympics, or even if we just bid, due
increased international exposure of our stunning scenery.
There is some new construction in Three Sisters and Spring Creek Mountain Village, which
helps satisfy some of the increase in buyers demand, though is not enough to create a
balanced market inventory.
The woes in the oil and gas industry that has affected other real estate markets in Alberta for
the past few years, has not affected the Canmore market. The activity here remains buoyant
and growing.

Prices and Stats 

2018
Current Inventory : 168 listings. (Below healthy, balanced inventory levels)
52- Single Family Homes
10- Half Duplexes
35- Townhouses
36- Apartment Units
19- Hotel Condos
16- Lots
Sale prices  Jan-June 2018:
31 Sales- Single Family Homes
Avg $- Single Family Home   $1,074,000
39 Sales- Townhouses
Avg $ – Townhouse $688,000
62 Sales – Apartments
Avg $ -$475,000
____________________________
Sale prices: Jan – June 2017:
35 Sales- Single Family Homes
Avg $ – Single Family Home  $1,168,000
61 Sales- Townhouses
Avg $ – Townhouse $684,000
55 Sales- Apartments
Avg $ 463,000

Canmore Real Estate Market Update SEMINAR

posterREGISTER HERE

Jessica Stoner-REALTOR with RE/MAX Alpine Realty in Canmore is hosting a Canmore Real Estate Market Update Seminar. Designed to update homeowners and potential purchasers in Canmore to the factors affecting the market value of their home, helping owners decide if it is a good time to sell or hang on, as well as coving what a buyer needs to know if planning on a purchase in Canmore, if it is a good time for buyers, and what inventory and new construction is in the plans.

The following affected the local Canmore real estate market in significant ways:

-Global recession and financial crisis

-Canmore flood 2013

-Three Sisters receivership and subsequent purchase

-Various other factors…

Find out how these occurrences have affected:

-Buying and Selling activity

-Market correction of prices

-Current sale prices and appreciation of the market

-Who is buying?

-What we can expect in the future

Saturday July 19th, 2014  at Stewart Creek Golf Clubhouse. 3:00pm – 4:30pm.

A free event, all are welcome. Limited space, so please REGISTER HERE. 

 

New Update-After Flood Canmore Real Estate Market

July 12, 2013

It has been 23 days since the flood water crashed into Canmore. It is truly amazing what people can accomplish in 23 days. The cleanup and repair of some major infrastructure took mere days,  where a more logical guess would have estimated it at weeks.  Things are certainly not back to normal for those unfortunate families hit the hardest. But as a Town, we are well on our way to recovery. Most businesses are open and ready for high volume summer business. (Please come to Canmore to hike, bike, golf, dine and all the many things you love Canmore for! It is the best way to show support. We want you here!)

What is happening in the real estate market is still an important and much asked question from owners, buyers and renters, as it affects us all. The answer at this point is quite surprising.

Three weeks after the flood,  the Canmore real estate market is strong and very active.   It is not what many expected. It was  assumed the market sales volume would slow down as we recovered from the flood. It was also assumed that buyers would be shy about buying after such a powerful and damaging display by mother nature, knowing she can get out of our control at times.

However, the buyer’s market has made its intentions clear. Canmore is an ever popular destination and buyers are buying.

Regardless of the flood, after 5 years of market correction in Canmore, it seems we have hit the bottom and are on our way to recovery in the real estate market.
Sales Since Flood

Since the flood on June 20, 2013 to today’s date of July 11, 2013 we have had 24 sales. This is the exact number of sales we had in 2012 for those same dates.  It seems there is no flood related slow down at all.

Canmore Inventory 

There are currently 272 properties for sale in Canmore at this time. This is very narrow inventory and a drastic change from the depths of the recession felt in Canmore, when we had 400-500 listings on the market at any given time.  Lower inventory numbers is healthy for both buyers and sellers. Sellers have less competition which is desirable for them.  For buyers,  lower inventory sometimes helps in the decision making process. Too much choice leads to indecision and delayed action on the buyers part, leading them to wait. Waiting sometime means higher prices when they are ready to purchase. Less inventory encourages buyers to make decisions more quickly, and therefore allowing buyers to take advantage of the lower prices now.

Are prices going up or down?

From Jan 2013-July 2013  the average sale price of Canmore properties is at $551,000. This is almost exactly the same (Within $2000)  as those dates in 2012.  However, for 2013, we are seeing a 22% increase in sales volumes of the equivalent time last year.

230 Sales Jan- July 2012

281 Sales Jun- July 2013

Should these higher sales volumes continue, It is likely we will start to see price appreciation across the board  in Canmore in the remainder of 2013.

What will happen to the homes backing to Cougar Creek?

There are processes in place to asses the damage and structural integrity of these homes. Many will be repaired likely with backfill replacing some of the lot lost to erosion. Others may not be able to be saved. It is unknown at this point what will happen to these homes and homeowners.  The Town of Canmore and the Province of Alberta are working with homeowners to assess the damage at this point.

Will work be done to Cougar Creek to avoid another events such as this?

Again, things are still in the assessment stage. There have been no concrete (no pun intended) plans on the future of Cougar Creek yet.

 

Over all, the Canmore real estate market is beneficial for both buyers and sellers. It is a fairly balanced market with lots of activity.   Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have at any time, or if you are considering buying or selling a Canmore home.

 

Jessica Stoner -Associate Broker

RE/MAX iREALTY Innovations

403-678-8006

jessicastoner@remax.net

(Top of page photo courtesy of Aviva West of letsgoeverywhere)

Real Estate Update After Canmore Flood

Real Estate Update after Canmore Flood

canmore flood clean upJune 24, 2013

Jessica Stoner- RE/MAX iREALTY Innovations- Canmore, AB

This is a difficult post to write.  1st, because so many of our friends, family, colleagues and clients have suffered in some way over the past few days. Be it by the stress of evacuation, concern about the safety of their homes, family and friends and the limitation on travel separating loved ones.

The 2nd reason this is difficult to write, is because there is still a lot of unknowns. I want to provide as much information as possible, to buyers, sellers and home owners in the Canmore area, and there simply isn’t  a lot of information yet.

I’ll share what I know with you.

The majority of homes in the Cougar Creek and Eagle Terrace areas of Canmore remain unaffected. Having said that, most (not all) homes backing directly onto Cougar Creek have suffered extensive damage to the property. Some have lost much of their lot due to the erosion of the widened creek during this flash flood, others have lost much more, including their decks and parts of their foundations.  It is unknown at this time what the fate is of these homes and lots.

In addition, there has been other pockets of areas affected by water run off, and widespread flooding in some areas of the valley floor due both to water run off from Cougar Creek or rising water table from below.

 

Bow River

The Bow River that runs through the Center of Canmore has remained contained and has not spilled its banks. It remains high now, as the Lake Minnewanka dam releases excess water. This excess release of water from the dam is keeping the river running high and fast.

 

Insurance

Flood insurance for homes is not available in Alberta (unless it is due to sewer back up.) Here is the explanation from the Insurance Bureau of Canada:

Why isn’t overland flooding covered?

The purpose of insurance is to spread risk among many policyholders. But overland flooding is a risk for only the small percentage of the population who live in flood plains or flood-prone areas. Since most homeowners aren’t  exposed to this risk, they cannot be expected to share in the cost. This means the price of flood coverage would be very high for the small number of people who might need it.

 

Comprehensive vehicle insurance will cover damage to vehicles due to this event.

 

Disaster Relief

In these cases of flooding in Canmore, home owners can file for disaster relief from the Province. This process is not in place yet.

 

Will this happen again?

We don’t know. There will be significant work completed to reduce risk of such an event again. Having said that, it is unwise to make blanket statements about mother nature.

It was an unusual set of circumstances that created this weather pattern in this area. It was somewhat of a “perfect storm” scenario, that involved several unusual weather events to converge to bring this amount of water to the area and keep it here for an extended period of time.

 

Is the rest of Cougar Creek and nearby areas at risk?

Nature is unpredictable so we don’t know, but it is anticipated that the currently unaffected homes are not at risk in the future.

 

Will property values go down?

Some have postulated that property values in the Cougar Creek area may go down, as people are concerned about a repeat event and shy away from buying in that area. We don’t know what will happen with the real estate market, but we can make an educated guess.

It is unlikely that values of the unaffected properties in Cougar Creek will be permanently affected due to this event. It is possible that property values could be temporarily affected.  There may be a strong desire for a small number of home owners to move out of Cougar Creek, after the trauma of the last few days.  It is also understandable for buyers to be wary of the area in the immediate aftermath of such an event. While there are still ubiquitous vivid images of the destruction on the news and social media, it is hard for this not to affect immediate buying decisions.

However, time heals all wounds and Cougar Creek remains  a very popular neighbourhood in Canmore and for good reason.  Many families seek the area specifically due to the close proximity to the elementary school, the abundance of daylight and the close knit communities in the area.  The desirable traits are still prevalent in the area, and will likely eventually override concerns due to this event within a short period of time.

Market values may take a temporary dip in these neighbourhoods, but it is anticipated that they will return to balanced levels within a relatively short period of time.

 

Will property values go up?

Others anticipate that many of the homes along the creek cannot be saved, (we don’t know whether this is true or not at this point or not) and there will be an influx of these home owners becoming new buyers, driving prices up in Canmore. This scenario is unlikely as well. If there is a number of home owners looking for new homes due to this event, it will not be an immediate action. It will take time to asses the damage, to save homes that can be saved and to provide relief for those that require relief. Eventually some of these home owners may be looking for a new home in the Canmore area, however it will not be in a large influx of new buyers all at once.  It is predicted that property values will not see a surge due to this event.

 

How will this affect my Canmore home values, not in an affected area?

If you own in Canmore, in an area that has not been affected, your home may be more saleable than homes that are in affected areas, for the immediate future. Homes in unaffected areas, may see a slight temporary increase in property values though is likely a temporary adjustment.  With time, the market will in all likelihood, balance again.

 

How will this affect my Canmore home in an affected area?

If you are backing to Cougar Creek, we don’t know have enough information on the state of these homes to make a reasonable prediction at this point.

If you are in a home that is in a known flood plain, such as some areas of the valley floor, this years event may affect your property value or salability temporarily. Buyers have more concern purchasing in a known flood plain when the evidence of such an event is fresh in ones mind. However, the valley floor of Canmore is a highly desirable and sought after neighbourhood. In addition, most homes on the valley floor were built specifically to deal with these known water issues, so most do not suffer damage from events such as this. Home buyers in the area are informed of the flood plain and potential issues with the high water table on the valley floor, yet the area remained popular and desirable with buyers over the years.  It is very likely that the immediate saleability of homes in these areas could see some decline temporarily. Given the much desired location, it will likely see balance in the real estate market in this area again within a short period of time.

That’s all I have for now. I will continue to post more information as it develops on the market activity after this event and how it is affecting all Canmore home owners.

Take care.

2013 Canmore Condo Report

798953_700 

Condo Market Overview

Canmore, AB

June 13, 2013

The previous couple of years in Canmore has seen steady sales and prices. This last 12 months continues to see steady pricing, however, with a much increased volume of sales.   For the first time in 5 years, we are seeing a shortage of inventory, and multiple offers are not wholly unusual for prime or well priced properties.

Stats: (For apartment style condominiums in Canmore*)

June 2010-June 2011

-64 Sales

-Average sale price $361,000

-Average Days on Market 119

__________________________

June 2011-June 2012

-68 Sales

-Average sale price $358,000

-Average Days on Market 146

__________________________

June 2012-June 2013

-118 Sales

-Average sale price $365,000

-Average Days on Market 131

 

*Hotel condos, that do not allow full-time living (VA Zoned) are excluded from these stats

 

Hotel Condo Market Overview
Canmore and Surrounding area, June 14, 2013
(Hotel condos are for properties that are zoned VA, that does not allow fulltime
living)


The hotel condo market in the past 12 months has increased in sales volume significantly. This is likely due to a visible drop in pricing by the sellers, urging buyers to move forward with pent up purchase demand.

The hotel condo market has several challenges.

First the zoning that does not allow full time living, reduces the potential buyers market to only recreational buyers. Recreational buyers however, are not limited to hotel condos, but look at all of the potential listings as possible purchases.

The hotel condos also have more difficulty with financing, as lenders tend to shy away from any property with a front desk. If lenders do lend on these types of properties, they tend to require 3040% down.

Lastly, the tax rate is higher on these types of properties which is a detriment.

Currently the inventory of hotel condos is quite high, with far more sellers than buyers. Sellers who price at
current market value have seen successful sales. There are many more sellers currently listed, or waiting for
the market to recover before listing. It is likely to be several years before the inventory is absorbed and the
hotel condo market in the Canmore area is once again balanced.

Stats:
Currently : 60 Hotel Condos Listed

Sold June 2012 to June 2013: 37
Average sale price: $187,000

Sold June 2011 to June 2012: 12
Average sale price: $244,000