The space is great but there are a couple of other things to keep in mind. Also you have to consider possible drawbacks associated with living further away from the City and amenities. If you have teenagers, consider. 

Remember it is a trade-off for the Country Life, You don't want to end up being an Uber for your teenagers, and when they learn to drive, make sure the roads around your acreage are well lit in the winter months. It has to be said that during a snowy winter both Municipalities are really good at clearing roads, especially on School Routes.  

Here are 7 things to consider when buying a rural property, so you can weigh the costs and benefits of investing in the countryside before you move forward. 

1. Logistics

Always consider the logistics for everyone in the family. Mom and dads work location for sure. But also schools and colleges if you have children. Consider the pick up and drop offs for Hockey, Rugby etc, after school and before they learn to drive. They grow up, so it won't be forever, but it needs to be considered.

2. Road Access

Year-round road access and maintenance are things to pay attention to when investing in a rural property. Especially in the winter months with our snowfalls, but both Rural Rocky View County and Foothills County are excellent at clearing the roads, and school routes take priority. 

3. Garbage Collection 

Garbage pick-up is no big deal on a rural property, most owners use a twice monthly pick up company and leave the bags on a scheduled day at the end of the drive. You also have the option to take it to the refuse dump yourself. Maybe burn it yourself in the yard, and in older homes you may have kitchen compactors, which come in very useful.   

4. Water Supply

Your water source is important,  you may be on a water coop or have your own water well, which will need to be serviced annually. Osmosis filters can be added to main supplies also, and in some cases you may be lucky enough to be connected to municipal water source. 

5. Septic Systems

Sewage and water waste in the country are much different than in a suburb or city. If you are building you will have the added cost of putting your own in. This may be a holding tank or tank and field, remember to chose a septic system big enough for your house and the subsequent amount of occupants.  

6. Energy Lines

Power lines and backup energy are things to ponder when looking at a rural property, but in Calgary and Area not many places have them above ground, power services here are pretty good, but you can still consider a power generator if the power lines get damaged given that you’ll be one of the last areas served for repairs.   

7. Your Neighbours

Your neighbours may be a fair distance away compared to the city. Look hard though at how they keep their property, what animals if any, they may have. Always be aware of your boundary lines and understand your property rights. 

Acreage living is certainly a different lifestyle, it does not work for everyone. But if you dream of the peace, quiet and relaxation, this could be perfect for you.

Sometimes finding the right rural property can take longer to find. You may consider a 2 acre property surrounded by similar sized homes a bit closer to the city, or go our further to get a bigger acreage.

Rural acreages can be a different buying process, but as always, we are here to help.

Questions Direct : Stewart 403-850-0669

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1) Price Your Home Right!

Your home must be priced at market value for Calgary, your community and street. This is the most important tip of all. Price it to high and your home will sit on the market and become an old listing. Buyers then become suspicious and think there is something wrong with the property. We have a responsibility as licensed Realtors to prepare you a detailed Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). This will give you the market value price range of your home, based on relevant and Comparable Active and Sold homes in your community.

2) Choose An Experienced Listing Realtor

Get the job done in the quickest time with the best conditions and price. Make sure you have all the information. Let us give you the full picture based on what is happening in your community, and what you can expect. This includes price range, days on market and advice on preparing to sell.

3) Prepare The Home to Sell And Compete with Other Listings

Properties that sell quickly are well prepared, from de-cluttering to the cleaning. Follow our tips of getting the home ready. Make sure the outside is looking good to, when buyers are thinking of particular homes, they drive-by them and image themselves in the area. They can also dismiss them without even going in!

4) Online Marketing Can Go Two Ways

In today’s world of Internet Home searches and with 92% of buyers looking online. The online presence has to be good. Creb provide the facility for 50 MLS photos and additional remarks. When we list Rural properties we also include Aerial Drone Photographs, to make sure the potential buyer can see the surrounding land as well. But remember, buyers today are looking at your home online alongside many others, so it has to grab them and make them look further in depth

5) Professional Photographs & Glossy Brochures.

It goes without saying that the photographs of your home have to be first class. Gone are the days (well nearly!) when Realtors would take photos on their phone with the toilet seat up, and all the clutter around. Standards are high and you will no doubt be competing with a similar home down the road, so it has to have the best shot. That goes for brochures to! If a potential buyer has looked at a lot of homes, let them have a glossy brochure to take away so they can remember what they liked about yours.

6) Property Repairs.

Make sure repairs & maintenance jobs are done before the home is listed. Such as ceiling stains, loose door handles and railings, painting touch ups. As a potential buyers walks through your home, they have your “list Price” in their mind. But as they walk around they are looking at “jobs” that need doing. Most buyers don’t mind “a project” to do, but not too many! Remember that a job that needs doing is not too expensive for a seller to do, but twice as expensive when the buyer is viewing it.

7) Negotiating with Buyers.

When an Offer comes in ensure you look at all offers and you are reasonable and negotiate in “good faith”. Be sensible when Home inspection comes back with issues that the seller should have sorted out. Price reduction may be necessary to close the deal if there are repair issues, such as roof repairs!

8) Showing Your Home

Preparing to show your home and allow us to take appointments can be stressful, but our policy is always “day before notice” especially with Rural bigger homes. So the trick is to always keep the home part ready to show, so you only have to do a quick tidy, especially if you are going to work. Curtains back – blinds open, make sure the home has lots of lights. If you are only out for the period of the showing- make sure you leave lights on in darker rooms.

9) Make Sure your Out And Remove Pets For Showings

Pets should be removed for all showings, maybe if you have a smaller dog, pop them in a cage in the garage. Some buyers won’t even enter a home if they know there is a dog around. . Buyers are put off property very quickly when pets are in the house. The Seller ideally should not be at home, people will discuss and stay longer if there is no one at home.

10) Make Sure There Are No Odours!

Especially cigarette smells, pet smells, spicy food smells and basement smells. If it is not the middle of winter- open the windows and let some air in. Those Plug-in air fresheners can to ok but nothing too heavy and not too many of them.

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Calgary, Alberta, November 1, 2024 – Sales gains for homes priced above $600,000 offset declines at the lower end of the market, resulting in October sales that were similar to last year. The 2,174 sales in October increased over September and stood 24 per cent above long-term trends for the month.

“Housing demand has stayed relatively strong in our market as we move into the fourth quarter, with October sales rising over last month,” said Ann-Marie Lurie, Chief Economist at CREB®. “However, activity would likely have been stronger if more supply choices existed for lower-priced homes. Supply levels in our market are improving relative to the ultra-low levels experienced last year, but much of the gains have been driven by higher-priced units for each property type. This results in conditions far more balanced in the upper end of the market versus the seller's market conditions in the lower to mid-price ranges of each property type.” 

The gains in new listings relative to sales over the past six months have supported inventory gains in the city. As of October, 4,966 units were available, a significant improvement over the near-record low of 3,205 units reported last October. While inventories are starting to reach levels more consistent with long-term trends, the inventory composition has changed as nearly half of all the residential inventory is now priced above $600,000.

Adjustments in supply are helping move the market away from the tight market conditions experienced in the spring. However, conditions remain relatively tight, with 2.3 months of supply and a 67 per cent sales-to-new listings ratio, and the months of supply does vary significantly by price range and property type. For example, detached homes priced below $700,000 are reporting less than two months of supply, while homes priced over $1,000,000 are reporting over three months of supply. This is likely resulting in different price pressures depending on price range and property type.

Overall, the total residential benchmark price was $592,500 in October, over four per cent higher than last October and on a year-to-date basis, averaging over eight per cent higher than last year's levels. The unadjusted benchmark prices did ease slightly over last month due to seasonal factors, as seasonally adjusted prices remained relatively stable in October compared to September. 

Detached
Home sales rose to 1,071 in October, a gain over last month and nearly 10 per cent higher than last year. While new listings were higher than last year, they slowed over last month, causing the sales to new listings ratio to rise to 69 per cent and preventing any further monthly gain in inventory levels. With 2,199 units available, the months of supply remained near two months, a gain over the under two months reported last year at this time, but slightly lower than last month.

The unadjusted detached benchmark price was $753,900 in October, slightly lower than last month but still eight per cent higher than levels reported last October. Additional supply choices in the higher price ranges have taken some of the pressure off home prices. However, the recent monthly pullbacks are more related to seasonal conditions, as seasonally adjusted prices have remained relatively stable over the past three months.

Semi-Detached
Sales in October rose over last month and were over six per cent higher than levels reported last year at this time, contributing to the year-to-date growth of over three per cent. New listings for semi-detached homes have also been on the rise, supporting some steady gains in inventory levels. The shift in supply compared to demand has helped push the market toward more balanced conditions, especially for higher-priced properties. However, with only two months of supply, the overall conditions still favour the seller.

The unadjusted benchmark price was $677,000 in October, similar to last month and over eight per cent higher than last year. Year-to-date prices have averaged an over 11 per cent gain. 

Row

Following a strong start to the year, sales activity has slowed since June. However, the pullback in sales is not due to a shift in demand but related to supply constraints. The declines in sales have been driven by homes priced under $400,000, the same segment of the market which reported a 35 per cent decline in new listings. Year-to-date sales have remained relatively stable compared to last year, as pullbacks in the lower range offset the gains in the upper price ranges. Over 70 per cent of the sales have occurred over $400,000, a significant shift from last year, where the upper end accounted for 47 per cent of all the sales.

Improvements in supply did cause the months of supply to push above two months in October, the first time that has happened since the end of 2021. Supply growth, especially in the upper price ranges, has helped take some pressure off prices. However, with an unadjusted benchmark price of $456,600, prices are still over eight per cent higher than last October and year-to-date, which have averaged an increase of nearly 16 per cent.

Apartment Condominium

While sales in October improved over last month, October marks the fifth consecutive month with a year-over-year decline. However, it is important to note that the 6,782 sales so far this year are only down slightly over last year's record high and nearly double the number of sales we have averaged over the previous decade. Higher lending rates, rising rents, and limited supply choices for lower-priced properties have fuelled demand for apartment condominiums. However, like other property types, sales declines were driven by pullbacks for lower-priced units due to a significant drop in supply. Inventory levels in October did rise over the previous year, with most of the gains occurring in the $300,000 - $500,000 range, supporting more balanced conditions in those price ranges. Meanwhile, conditions remained relatively tight for lower-priced condominiums.

The additional supply choices, especially in the higher ranges of the condominium market, are taking some of the pressure off prices. In October, the unadjusted benchmark price was $341,700, down over last month but still 11 per cent higher than last year's levels. While much of the monthly decline can be attributed to seasonal factors, areas with a relatively high number of newly constructed and completed projects are impacting resale activity, resulting in a slightly higher monthly decline. Nonetheless, on average, year-to-date prices are nearly 17 per cent higher than levels reported last year.

REGIONAL MARKET FACTS

Airdrie
While both sales and new listings improved over the levels reported last October, the monthly pullback in new listings was enough to cause the sales-to-new-listings ratio to rise over last month, reaching 67 per cent. While this slowed the growth in monthly inventory levels, the 365 units in inventory is a significant gain over the exceptionally low levels of 213 reported last year at this time. Following three consecutive years of low inventory levels, recent gains are helping shift the market toward more balanced conditions. 

A shift away from the extreme sellers’ market has reduced the pressure on home prices. The unadjusted benchmark price was down over last month in October, but it was still five per cent higher than last October. Some of the monthly decline is related to seasonal factors, as seasonally adjusted data indicates prices remained relatively stable over the past four months.

Cochrane

Sales this month improved over last year, keeping above long-term trends for the town. At the same time, new listings also improved, reporting the highest October total on record. Recent gains in new listings relative to sales have helped support some steady gains in inventory levels. However, with 178 units available in October, inventories are still below long-term trends, keeping the months of supply relatively low at 2.3 months. 

While conditions are not as tight as in the spring, the shift is slowing the pace of price growth. The unadjusted benchmark price in October was slightly lower than last month but still six per cent higher than last year's levels. Overall year-to-date average benchmark prices are over nine per cent higher than last year's levels.

Okotoks

Sales in October improved over last year's levels as recent gains in new listings provided choices for many buyers struggling with supply options. While the sales gain relative to new listings prevented further monthly gains in inventory levels, the 103 units available in October significantly improved over the near-record low of 66 units reported last October. 

With less than two months of supply, conditions continue to favour the seller. The persistent seller market conditions have driven price growth in this market throughout most of the year. While unadjusted prices did ease slightly over last month in October, levels are still over six per cent higher than last October and over eight per cent higher on a year-to-date basis. 

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