Best Deals in Real Estate 2015: Calgary

Eau Claire residents bike through Prince’s Island Park (Tourism Calgary)

The slide in Calgary’s housing market is a hot topic these days, but most Calgarians aren’t too worried. Certainly, the oil slump will dampen home prices in the short term, but Alberta’s largest city is a more resilient than it used to be. With a mayor who captures headlines for all the right reasons—Naheed Nenshi recently won the World Mayor Prize—and a six-part economic plan to keep the economy going, most native Calgarians know that the city is diverse enough to weather the immediate storm and boom once again. When we crunched the numbers for Calgary, we looked for growth communities that would minimize the risk of falling prices. Our No. 1-ranked neighbourhood is Glenbrook, a solid, middle-class community in the southwest, built just before the 1970s oil boom. Glenbrook features a grid of well-kept bungalows, “but it’s a neighbourhood in transition,” says Kevin Seitz, local realtor with Discover Real Estate Ltd. “Grandparents still live in this well-maintained community, but now the next generation of families is buying, moving in and renovating.” Although the area’s average house price is $30,000 more then the city average, it is still seen as offering great value thanks to great access to both the mountains and downtown. In less than an hour, residents can be in Canmore and the Rocky Mountains, and you can easily drive to downtown Calgary in just 15 minutes. Photo gallery: Top 25 Calgary neighbourhoods to buy in » Live chat: Romana King takes reader real estate questions » Rosscarrock, the No. 2 neighbourhood, is another southwest community dominated by raised bungalows, but the zoning for this neighbourhood now allows for infills, and developers are snapping up property. The extra-wide lots encourage building sets of two-storey, semi-detached homes with solid rooflines and stone accents. “These new builds are what attracts the urban professional who wants to start a family,” says Seitz. Those fortunate enough to buy an old bungalow can also renovate and enjoy a basic home that will appreciate as the area is developed. In the No. 3 neighbourhood of Kingsland, average home prices are about $40,000 cheaper than the city average and as a result, houses often sell within hours of being listed. According to Seitz, the neighbourhood is “a sort of return to their roots” for many Kingsland home buyers. “Buyers are getting a decent-sized raised bungalow that lets them tear out the inner walls quite easily to make the home into an open-concept space.” Plus, the area is centrally located, just a 15-minute drive from downtown, or a short walk or bus ride to two light-rail transit stations. Thanks to the plunge in oil prices, home-buying in Calgary is temporarily on hold, says Seitz. “The market is fickle and buyers are waiting to see if prices will drop,” he notes. But Seitz isn’t worried about the market permanently seizing up. “There are always people who need to sell or buy despite what the market is doing, so we concentrate on giving them the best options.”

Rank	Rank	Neighbourhood (Area)	Neighbourhood (Area)	Average price	Average price	Average price vs. area	Neighbourhood price vs. metro district	Neighbourhood price vs. greater city area	Value grade	Value grade	1-year price appreciation	5-year price appreciation	Momentum grade	Momentum grade	Realtor grade	Realtor grade
1	1	Glenbrook (Southwest)	Glenbrook (Southwest)	$591,083	$591,083	84.5%	106.0%	103.9%	B	B	17.9%	45.6%	A	A	C	C
2	2	Rosscarrock (Southwest)	Rosscarrock (Southwest)	$596,823	$596,823	85.3%	107.1%	104.9%	B	B	13.3%	55.4%	A	A	C	C
3	3	Kingsland (Southwest)	Kingsland (Southwest)	$526,096	$526,096	75.2%	94.4%	92.5%	A	A	13.6%	41.8%	A	A	C	C
4	4	Westgate (Southwest)	Westgate (Southwest)	$586,254	$586,254	83.8%	105.2%	103.1%	B	B	13.0%	43.2%	B	B	C	C
5	5	Glamorgan (Southwest)	Glamorgan (Southwest)	$578,492	$578,492	82.7%	103.8%	101.7%	B	B	17.6%	32.1%	B	B	C	C
6	6	Walden (Southeast)	Walden (Southeast)	$503,120	$503,120	98.1%	90.2%	88.5%	D	D	14.3%	54.2%	A	A	B	B
7	7	Rutland Park (Southwest)	Rutland Park (Southwest)	$653,982	$653,982	93.5%	117.3%	115.0%	D	D	14.1%	51.6%	A	A	B	B
8	8	Coach Hill (Southwest)	Coach Hill (Southwest)	$659,047	$659,047	94.2%	118.2%	115.9%	D	D	14.5%	45.3%	A	A	B	B
9	9	Lakeview (Southwest)	Lakeview (Southwest)	$625,527	$625,527	89.5%	112.2%	110.0%	C	C	10.2%	38.8%	C	C	B	B
10	10	Woodbine (Southwest)	Woodbine (Southwest)	$520,826	$520,826	74.5%	93.4%	91.6%	A	A	15.2%	23.7%	C	C	B	B
11	11	Highwood (Northwest)	Highwood (Northwest)	$543,694	$543,694	95.7%	97.5%	95.6%	D	D	19.5%	40.1%	A	A	C	C
12	12	Haysboro (Southwest)	Haysboro (Southwest)	$503,879	$503,879	72.1%	90.4%	88.6%	A	A	9.8%	30.2%	D	D	C	C
13	13	Glendale (Southwest)	Glendale (Southwest)	$655,385	$655,385	93.7%	117.6%	115.2%	D	D	21.8%	47.3%	A	A	C	C
14	14	Silverado (Southwest)	Silverado (Southwest)	$506,769	$506,769	72.5%	90.9%	89.1%	A	A	14.6%	25.2%	C	C	C	C
15	15	Richmond Hill (Southwest)	Richmond Hill (Southwest)	$637,133	$637,133	91.1%	114.3%	112.0%	D	D	11.3%	34.2%	C	C	B	B
16	16	North Glenmore Park (Southwest)	North Glenmore Park (Southwest)	$752,779	$752,779	107.6%	135.0%	132.4%	D	D	16.0%	56.6%	A	A	B	B
17	17	Deer Ridge (Southeast)	Deer Ridge (Southeast)	$424,220	$424,220	82.7%	76.1%	74.6%	A	A	13.4%	25.5%	C	C	C	C
18	18	Sunalta (Southwest)	Sunalta (Southwest)	$611,376	$611,376	87.4%	109.7%	107.5%	C	C	9.3%	33.9%	C	C	B	B
19	19	Highland Park (Northwest)	Highland Park (Northwest)	$533,138	$533,138	93.8%	95.6%	93.7%	C	C	14.8%	35.2%	B	B	C	C
20	20	Palliser (Southwest)	Palliser (Southwest)	$634,205	$634,205	90.7%	113.8%	111.5%	C	C	11.9%	33.7%	C	C	B	B
21	21	Lake Bonavista Downs (Southeast)	Lake Bonavista Downs (Southeast)	$462,937	$462,937	90.2%	83.0%	81.4%	B	B	15.5%	30.9%	B	B	C	C
22	22	Huntington Hills (Northwest)	Huntington Hills (Northwest)	$431,163	$431,163	75.9%	77.3%	75.8%	A	A	10.7%	29.2%	C	C	D	D
23	23	Silver Springs (Northwest)	Silver Springs (Northwest)	$550,195	$550,195	96.8%	98.7%	96.7%	D	D	13.4%	32.8%	B	B	B	B
24	24	Dalhousie (Northwest)	Dalhousie (Northwest)	$577,467	$577,467	101.6%	103.6%	101.5%	D	D	13.2%	35.7%	B	B	B	B
25	25	Oakridge (Southwest)	Oakridge (Southwest)	$519,624	$519,624	74.3%	93.2%	91.4%	A	A	5.0%	24.6%	D	D	B	B
26	26	Thorncliffe (Northwest)	Thorncliffe (Northwest)	$458,815	$458,815	80.7%	82.3%	80.7%	A	A	9.1%	28.4%	D	D	C	C
27	27	Regal Terrace/Renfrew (Northwest)	Regal Terrace/Renfrew (Northwest)	$666,957	$666,957	117.4%	119.6%	117.3%	D	D	16.5%	51.6%	A	A	B	B
28	28	Cedarbrae (Southwest)	Cedarbrae (Southwest)	$433,998	$433,998	62.1%	77.9%	76.3%	A	A	10.5%	26.2%	D	D	D	D
29	29	Scarboro (Southwest)	Scarboro (Southwest)	$1,281,919	$1,281,919	183.3%	230.0%	225.4%	D	D	33.2%	108.3%	A	A	A	A
30	30	Capitol Hill (Northwest)	Capitol Hill (Northwest)	$607,466	$607,466	106.9%	109.0%	106.8%	D	D	14.8%	30.3%	B	B	A	A
31	31	Killarney (Southwest)	Killarney (Southwest)	$661,121	$661,121	94.5%	118.6%	116.2%	D	D	6.9%	47.0%	C	C	B	B
32	32	Willow Park (Southeast)	Willow Park (Southeast)	$550,688	$550,688	107.4%	98.8%	96.8%	D	D	8.6%	36.7%	C	C	A	A
33	33	Evanston (Northwest)	Evanston (Northwest)	$497,746	$497,746	87.6%	89.3%	87.5%	B	B	10.4%	24.4%	D	D	B	B
34	34	Varsity Acres (Northwest)	Varsity Acres (Northwest)	$598,433	$598,433	105.3%	107.3%	105.2%	D	D	13.2%	35.4%	B	B	B	B
35	35	Hidden Valley (Northwest)	Hidden Valley (Northwest)	$445,794	$445,794	78.4%	80.0%	78.4%	A	A	11.5%	21.3%	D	D	C	C
36	36	North Haven Upper (Northwest)	North Haven Upper (Northwest)	$595,071	$595,071	104.7%	106.7%	104.6%	D	D	16.5%	37.7%	A	A	C	C
37	37	Richmond (Southwest)	Richmond (Southwest)	$756,314	$756,314	108.2%	135.7%	133.0%	D	D	16.8%	49.8%	A	A	B	B
38	38	Midnapore (Southeast)	Midnapore (Southeast)	$479,625	$479,625	93.5%	86.0%	84.3%	C	C	8.8%	34.0%	C	C	C	C
39	39	Shaganappi (Southwest)	Shaganappi (Southwest)	$777,025	$777,025	111.1%	139.4%	136.6%	D	D	16.5%	57.8%	A	A	B	B
40	40	Southwood (Southwest)	Southwood (Southwest)	$464,039	$464,039	66.4%	83.2%	81.6%	A	A	8.4%	26.8%	D	D	D	D
41	41	Citadel (Northwest)	Citadel (Northwest)	$482,289	$482,289	84.9%	86.5%	84.8%	B	B	10.7%	22.9%	D	D	C	C
42	42	South Calgary (Southwest)	South Calgary (Southwest)	$826,710	$826,710	118.2%	148.3%	145.4%	D	D	15.2%	67.1%	A	A	B	B
43	43	Beddington (Northwest)	Beddington (Northwest)	$411,288	$411,288	72.4%	73.8%	72.3%	A	A	13.1%	24.1%	D	D	D	D
44	44	Hawkwood (Northwest)	Hawkwood (Northwest)	$554,276	$554,276	97.5%	99.4%	97.5%	D	D	13.2%	29.4%	C	C	C	C
45	45	Fairview (Southeast)	Fairview (Southeast)	$427,009	$427,009	83.2%	76.6%	75.1%	A	A	8.1%	25.9%	D	D	C	C
46	46	Ramsay (Southeast)	Ramsay (Southeast)	$551,659	$551,659	107.5%	99.0%	97.0%	D	D	27.6%	40.5%	A	A	C	C
47	47	Parkhill/Stanley Park (Southwest)	Parkhill/Stanley Park (Southwest)	$1,070,776	$1,070,776	153.1%	192.1%	188.3%	D	D	21.3%	73.0%	A	A	B	B
48	48	Briar Hill (Northwest)	Briar Hill (Northwest)	$1,332,124	$1,332,124	234.4%	239.0%	234.2%	D	D	52.7%	56.0%	A	A	A	A
49	49	Charleswood (Northwest)	Charleswood (Northwest)	$628,125	$628,125	110.5%	112.7%	110.4%	D	D	10.0%	35.1%	C	C	A	A
50	50	Maple Ridge (Southeast)	Maple Ridge (Southeast)	$573,661	$573,661	111.8%	102.9%	100.9%	D	D	21.8%	27.6%	B	B	B	B
51	51	Saint Andrews (Northwest)	Saint Andrews (Northwest)	$1,330,147	$1,330,147	234.1%	238.6%	233.9%	D	D	25.0%	97.3%	A	A	A	A
52	52	Acadia (Southeast)	Acadia (Southeast)	$451,055	$451,055	87.9%	80.9%	79.3%	B	B	9.3%	23.9%	D	D	C	C
53	53	Sunnyside (Northwest)	Sunnyside (Northwest)	$723,981	$723,981	127.4%	129.9%	127.3%	D	D	48.5%	39.6%	A	A	B	B
54	54	Cougar Ridge (Southwest)	Cougar Ridge (Southwest)	$646,994	$646,994	92.5%	116.1%	113.8%	D	D	9.3%	31.6%	D	D	B	B
55	55	Garrison Woods (Southwest)	Garrison Woods (Southwest)	$816,214	$816,214	116.7%	146.4%	143.5%	D	D	10.5%	57.7%	A	A	B	B
56	56	Riverbend (Southeast)	Riverbend (Southeast)	$451,558	$451,558	88.0%	81.0%	79.4%	B	B	10.0%	23.4%	D	D	C	C
57	57	Millrise (Southwest)	Millrise (Southwest)	$441,220	$441,220	63.1%	79.1%	77.6%	A	A	8.1%	22.7%	D	D	D	D
58	58	Canyon Meadows (Southwest)	Canyon Meadows (Southwest)	$468,556	$468,556	67.0%	84.0%	82.4%	A	A	6.5%	20.2%	D	D	B	B
59	59	Sandstone (Northwest)	Sandstone (Northwest)	$460,599	$460,599	81.1%	82.6%	81.0%	A	A	11.3%	20.6%	D	D	C	C
60	60	Tuxedo (Northwest)	Tuxedo (Northwest)	$515,820	$515,820	90.8%	92.5%	90.7%	C	C	0.9%	27.0%	D	D	B	B
61	61	McKenzie Towne (Southeast)	McKenzie Towne (Southeast)	$460,674	$460,674	89.8%	82.6%	81.0%	B	B	6.3%	22.7%	D	D	B	B
62	62	North Haven (Northwest)	North Haven (Northwest)	$563,626	$563,626	99.2%	101.1%	99.1%	D	D	10.4%	31.0%	C	C	C	C
63	63	Mount Pleasant (Northwest)	Mount Pleasant (Northwest)	$676,146	$676,146	119.0%	121.3%	118.9%	D	D	13.7%	36.0%	B	B	B	B
64	64	Braeside (Southwest)	Braeside (Southwest)	$450,857	$450,857	64.5%	80.9%	79.3%	A	A	9.8%	21.0%	D	D	D	D
65	65	Spruce Cliff (Southwest)	Spruce Cliff (Southwest)	$776,100	$776,100	111.0%	139.2%	136.5%	D	D	10.4%	84.6%	A	A	B	B
66	66	Coventry Hills (Northwest)	Coventry Hills (Northwest)	$416,831	$416,831	73.4%	74.8%	73.3%	A	A	8.8%	19.7%	D	D	C	C
67	67	Bridlewood (Southwest)	Bridlewood (Southwest)	$425,280	$425,280	60.8%	76.3%	74.8%	A	A	9.5%	18.6%	D	D	C	C
68	68	Harvest Hills (Northwest)	Harvest Hills (Northwest)	$454,647	$454,647	80.0%	81.6%	79.9%	A	A	10.6%	20.7%	D	D	D	D
69	69	Mountview/Winston Heights (Northwest)	Mountview/Winston Heights (Northwest)	$653,597	$653,597	115.0%	117.2%	114.9%	D	D	9.8%	42.4%	B	B	B	B
70	70	Balmoral (Northwest)	Balmoral (Northwest)	$515,820	$515,820	90.8%	92.5%	90.7%	C	C	0.9%	27.0%	D	D	B	B
71	71	Southview (Southeast)	Southview (Southeast)	$390,933	$390,933	104.3%	70.1%	68.7%	D	D	16.0%	26.9%	C	C	D	D
72	72	Evergreen (Southwest)	Evergreen (Southwest)	$499,107	$499,107	71.4%	89.5%	87.8%	A	A	5.4%	17.5%	D	D	B	B
73	73	Sage Hill (Northwest)	Sage Hill (Northwest)	$531,173	$531,173	93.5%	95.3%	93.4%	C	C	11.0%	24.2%	D	D	C	C
74	74	Albert Park (Southeast)	Albert Park (Southeast)	$356,523	$356,523	95.1%	64.0%	62.7%	B	B	8.6%	25.1%	D	D	C	C
75	75	Country Hills (Northwest)	Country Hills (Northwest)	$408,693	$408,693	71.9%	73.3%	71.9%	A	A	3.3%	19.8%	D	D	C	C
76	76	Vista Heights (Southeast)	Vista Heights (Southeast)	$410,156	$410,156	109.4%	73.6%	72.1%	D	D	19.1%	25.1%	C	C	C	C
77	77	Woodlands (Southwest)	Woodlands (Southwest)	$534,207	$534,207	76.4%	95.8%	93.9%	B	B	2.6%	20.3%	D	D	B	B
78	78	MacEwan Glen (Northwest)	MacEwan Glen (Northwest)	$440,592	$440,592	77.5%	79.0%	77.5%	A	A	7.8%	19.0%	D	D	C	C
79	79	Meadowlark Park (Southwest)	Meadowlark Park (Southwest)	$722,042	$722,042	103.3%	129.5%	127.0%	D	D	8.3%	36.6%	C	C	B	B
80	80	Forest Heights (Southeast)	Forest Heights (Southeast)	$348,631	$348,631	93.0%	62.5%	61.3%	B	B	17.1%	26.0%	C	C	D	D
81	81	Skyview Ranch (Southeast)	Skyview Ranch (Southeast)	$468,964	$468,964	125.1%	84.1%	82.5%	D	D	11.1%	40.5%	B	B	C	C
82	82	Erlton (Southwest)	Erlton (Southwest)	$686,350	$686,350	98.2%	123.1%	120.7%	D	D	(2.8)	49.9%	D	D	C	C
83	83	Shawnessy (Southwest)	Shawnessy (Southwest)	$424,617	$424,617	60.7%	76.2%	74.7%	A	A	6.8%	19.6%	D	D	D	D
84	84	Mayland Heights (Southeast)	Mayland Heights (Southeast)	$464,038	$464,038	123.8%	83.2%	81.6%	D	D	14.0%	31.9%	B	B	C	C
85	85	Crestmont (Southwest)	Crestmont (Southwest)	$719,598	$719,598	102.9%	129.1%	126.5%	D	D	8.1%	40.9%	C	C	C	C
86	86	Radisson Heights (Southeast)	Radisson Heights (Southeast)	$354,116	$354,116	94.5%	63.5%	62.3%	B	B	14.8%	16.8%	D	D	D	D
87	87	Somerset (Southwest)	Somerset (Southwest)	$445,113	$445,113	63.7%	79.8%	78.3%	A	A	8.9%	17.9%	D	D	D	D
88	88	Greenview (Northwest)	Greenview (Northwest)	$389,100	$389,100	68.5%	69.8%	68.4%	A	A	(3.4)	21.5%	D	D	D	D
89	89	Ogden Lynnwood (Southeast)	Ogden Lynnwood (Southeast)	$347,361	$347,361	67.7%	62.3%	61.1%	A	A	13.3%	12.2%	D	D	D	D
90	90	Abbeydale (Southeast)	Abbeydale (Southeast)	$320,336	$320,336	85.5%	57.5%	56.3%	A	A	11.7%	21.7%	D	D	D	D
91	91	Marlborough Park (Southeast)	Marlborough Park (Southeast)	$358,159	$358,159	95.6%	64.2%	63.0%	B	B	13.9%	22.7%	D	D	D	D
92	92	Forest Lawn (Southeast)	Forest Lawn (Southeast)	$322,588	$322,588	86.1%	57.9%	56.7%	A	A	13.5%	22.7%	D	D	D	D
93	93	Temple (Southeast)	Temple (Southeast)	$362,432	$362,432	96.7%	65.0%	63.7%	C	C	14.2%	22.6%	D	D	D	D
94	94	Ranchlands (Northwest)	Ranchlands (Northwest)	$417,926	$417,926	73.5%	75.0%	73.5%	A	A	8.1%	18.1%	D	D	D	D
95	95	Falconridge (Southeast)	Falconridge (Southeast)	$323,416	$323,416	86.3%	58.0%	56.9%	A	A	11.9%	26.5%	C	C	D	D
96	96	Lynnwood Ridge (Southeast)	Lynnwood Ridge (Southeast)	$357,029	$357,029	69.6%	64.0%	62.8%	A	A	9.5%	15.5%	D	D	D	D
97	97	Penbrooke (Southeast)	Penbrooke (Southeast)	$323,236	$323,236	86.2%	58.0%	56.8%	A	A	11.5%	24.4%	D	D	D	D
98	98	Erin Woods (Southeast)	Erin Woods (Southeast)	$328,547	$328,547	87.7%	58.9%	57.8%	A	A	12.6%	18.4%	D	D	D	D
98	98	Dover (Southeast)	Dover (Southeast)	$317,060	$317,060	84.6%	56.9%	55.7%	A	A	14.2%	21.8%	D	D	D	D
100	100	Castleridge (Southeast)	Castleridge (Southeast)	$329,717	$329,717	88.0%	59.1%	58.0%	A	A	10.3%	22.8%	D	D	D	D
101	101	Pineridge (Southeast)	Pineridge (Southeast)	$354,240	$354,240	94.5%	63.5%	62.3%	B	B	11.6%	19.2%	D	D	D	D
102	102	Fonda (Southeast)	Fonda (Southeast)	$364,444	$364,444	97.2%	65.4%	64.1%	C	C	16.9%	25.4%	C	C	D	D
103	103	West Dover (Southeast)	West Dover (Southeast)	$366,292	$366,292	97.7%	65.7%	64.4%	C	C	6.3%	55.0%	C	C	D	D
104	104	Marlborough (Southeast)	Marlborough (Southeast)	$358,516	$358,516	95.7%	64.3%	63.0%	B	B	11.7%	19.5%	D	D	D	D
105	105	Rundle (Southeast)	Rundle (Southeast)	$374,267	$374,267	99.9%	67.1%	65.8%	C	C	11.5%	19.2%	D	D	D	D
106	106	Martindale (Southeast)	Martindale (Southeast)	$353,361	$353,361	94.3%	63.4%	62.1%	B	B	10.5%	18.7%	D	D	D	D
107	107	Whitehorn (Southeast)	Whitehorn (Southeast)	$375,403	$375,403	100.2%	67.3%	66.0%	C	C	11.7%	20.3%	D	D	D	D
108	108	Montgomery (Northwest)	Montgomery (Northwest)	$510,161	$510,161	89.8%	91.5%	89.7%	C	C	17.6%	41.4%	A	A	D	D
109	109	Dover Glen (Southeast)	Dover Glen (Southeast)	$325,878	$325,878	86.9%	58.5%	57.3%	A	A	9.9%	23.1%	D	D	D	D
110	110	Applewood (Southeast)	Applewood (Southeast)	$379,387	$379,387	101.2%	68.1%	66.7%	C	C	15.4%	14.1%	D	D	D	D

SOURCES: Calgary Real Estate Board, MoneySense expert realtor panel 2015 We would like to thank national licensed real estate brokerage Zoocasa for making its experienced realtors available for our expert panel. When ranking the top neighbourhoods not all metrics were weighted equally. Read our full methodology.