YYC & YEG set to lead ALL of Canada for growth

Calgary and Edmonton and all of Alberta continue to grow = housing price support, which is pretty much the theme to 50% of the data I post. Alberta is the only province that is continually growing and we would be competing with China’s growth rate if Alberta were a country.

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Edmonton housing market overtakes Calgary in investment ranking

Both cities poised to lead Canadian economic growth

CALGARY — Edmonton has overtaken Calgary as the top community in Alberta to invest in residential real estate.

The ranking was done by the Real Estate Invesment Network and released Saturday. Edmonton was second behind Calgary on last year’s list.

“Before the flood hit, Calgary’s real estate market was performing right in tune to the underlying economic fundamentals. Not too hot, not too cold,” said Don Campbell, senior analyst of the REIN Research Institute. “After the floods hit, the rental as well as the housing markets over-performed the underlying fundamentals and have pushed it into the too hot level, but this situation should not last longer than 12 months. We continue to experience zero vacancy rates, strong in-migration, one of the strongest job creation economies in the country. So slowdown of the effect of the post-flood transaction bump will not be felt negatively in the market due to the pent-up demand. Good news overall for Calgary’s market for the coming years.

“Calgary did not, in essence, lose its No. 1 ranking. It is still one of the top places in North America for property investment. However, Edmonton grabbed the No. 1 ranking because it is behind Calgary in its residential and industrial recovery curve. This means that Edmonton’s market, beginning at a lower position in the real estate cycle, should slightly outperform the returns a homeowner or investors will experience in Calgary, which is already 12 to 18 months ahead on the cycle.”

Campbell said both cities are poised to be economic leaders in Canada in 2014 and 2015 and therefore the forecast for in-migration and housing demand remains very strong.

The ranking for other Alberta communities are: 3. Airdrie; 4. Leduc; 5. St. Albert; 6. Red Deer; 7. Fort Saskatchewan; 8. Fort McMurray; 9. Grande Prairie; 10. Lloydminster; 11. Okotoks; and 12. Lethbridge.