Blog

Notes from the field

Writing on Calgary real estate. How the market actually works, what buyers and sellers run into, and how David thinks about the calls his clients face.

Buying · 9 min read

How Much Under Asking Should You Offer in Calgary? Start With How Long It's Been Listed

The rules of thumb say offer 5 per cent under. The 20,962 Calgary homes that sold in the past year say it depends on how long the home has been listed. The gap opens quickly in the first month and more slowly after that. Here is what that looks like by property type, and what it means when you write an offer.

Sep 21, 2026

Market · 10 min read

Calgary Repealed Blanket Rezoning. Here Is What the Permits Actually Show in the Southwest.

For two years the argument about blanket rezoning was about what it would do to your street. The repeal took effect on August 4, so now there is a record to check. I went through the City's permit records for Calgary's established southwest communities back to 2020. Applications for new rowhouse and townhouse projects did triple under blanket rezoning, from 95 to 280. They had also tripled in the two years before it, building permits for new single-detached houses barely moved, and the repeal does not cancel the projects that qualified for an exemption.

Sep 14, 2026

Selling · 10 min read

Selling a House in Calgary This Fall: What Last Year's Listings Actually Did

Everyone has an opinion about listing in the fall. I went and looked at what happened to the 13,963 Calgary homes that listed between August and December last year, month by month. The fall itself barely moved the odds. The year did, the relists did, and December did. Here is the honest read, plus the four things about a Calgary fall listing that actually run on the calendar.

Sep 7, 2026

Buying · 10 min read

Rent vs Buy in Calgary: It's the Condo Fee That Decides It

Renting a two-bedroom Calgary apartment costs $1,997 a month. Owning the median one costs about $2,196. That gap of roughly $200 is the smallest it has been in years, because rents fell and condo prices fell harder. But move only the condo fee from the low quarter of the market to the high quarter, holding the purchase price identical, and the monthly cost swings $236. The fee is bigger than the decision.

Aug 31, 2026

Selling · 10 min read

Does a Legal Secondary Suite Actually Add Value in Calgary?

Every page that answers this question is written by someone with a stake in the answer, and the number they quote is $50,000 to $100,000. Calgary MLS sales for the year to August 24, 2026 say something else. Homes with a legal suite did sell for about 30 per cent more, but they were also a third larger and eighteen years newer. Compare like with like and the difference is real but wildly inconsistent, anywhere from 1.5 to 15.7 per cent.

Aug 24, 2026

Buying · 9 min read

New Build vs Resale in Calgary: The Question the Sales Centre Cannot Answer

Detached homes built between 2016 and 2022 took 36 days to sell in Calgary communities where the builder is still delivering new product, against 21 days in communities that have finished building. Same age of home, same kind of suburb, 15 extra days. Here is what that means if you are standing in a show home deciding between new and resale.

Aug 17, 2026

Selling · 10 min read

Your Calgary Home Didn't Sell. Here's What the Numbers Actually Say.

Calgary apartment listings expired 33.9 per cent of the time this past year, against 18.3 per cent for detached homes. That is roughly a 16 percentage point spread between the top and the bottom of the property-type breakdown, a gap that a single citywide number cannot show. If your listing came off the market without selling, here is what the data honestly says, by property type, and what to do next.

Aug 11, 2026

Market · 10 min read

Your Calgary Mortgage Renewal Is Not a Reason to Sell (Usually)

The renewal math going around Calgary runs on 5.5%. Real five-year fixed offers in Alberta are more than a full point below that, and on a typical 2021 Calgary mortgage the difference is roughly $230 a month. Here is the honest version, and the short list of cases where a renewal genuinely is a reason to move.

Aug 3, 2026

Selling · 10 min read

Downsizing in SW Calgary: Four Different Moves, Four Different Markets

Most downsizing advice treats it as one decision. It is really four, and the 2026 Calgary market treats each of them completely differently. Here is what the sold data says each move actually frees up, and why the one most people want is the one where you have the least leverage.

Jul 29, 2026

Buying · 11 min read

How much does it cost to buy a home in Calgary? (Down payment, closing costs, and cash to close)

The down payment is only part of the number. Here is every dollar a Calgary buyer actually needs, worked through on a real $425,000 row home example to one cash-to-close figure: just under $25,900.

Jul 20, 2026

Buying · 22 min read

Should You Buy a Calgary Condo Right Now?

Calgary's apartment benchmark is down 8.2% year over year and buyers finally have leverage. But the discount is not the same thing as a bottom, and the supply wave that caused it has not finished landing. Here is the honest read: who should buy, who should not, and why the building matters more than the unit.

Jul 13, 2026

Buying · 10 min read

Buying a Family Home in SW Calgary Before the School Year Starts

Calgary kids go back to class on August 31 this year, earlier than most families expect. If you want to be settled in your new SW home and school catchment by then, here is the timing math, how catchments actually work, and which SW communities fit which family and budget.

Jul 6, 2026

Selling · 9 min read

When Is the Best Time to Sell a House in Calgary?

Everyone tells you to wait for spring. The truth is messier. In Calgary's 2026 market, the calendar is the smallest lever you control, and the seasonal premium is real but easily wiped out by mispricing or by waiting for a perfect month that never quite comes. Here is when Calgary actually sells, what changed this year, and how to beat the season whatever month you list in.

Jun 29, 2026

Selling · 10 min read

Which Calgary Renovations Actually Pay Off Before You Sell

Before you list, the question is not which renovation pays for itself, because almost none of them fully do. It is where to spend so your home shows well and gives buyers nothing to mark you down on. Here is what actually pays back in Calgary, what to leave alone, and the one mistake that costs sellers the most.

Jun 22, 2026

Selling · 9 min read

Your 2026 Calgary Property Tax Bill Jumped: What Your Assessment Actually Means

The 2026 tax bills landed in May and a lot of Calgarians opened them to a number bigger than they expected. Here is what your assessment actually measures, why your bill rose more than the City's tax increase, and why the assessed value is not what your home is worth.

Jun 15, 2026

Market · 9 min read

Calgary's Two-Speed Market: Why Detached Is Holding While Condos Soften in 2026

Ask whether it is a good time to buy or sell in Calgary right now and the honest answer is: which market are you in? Detached homes are still balanced and holding value, while condos have shifted firmly to the buyer. Here is what the May 2026 numbers actually mean for your move.

Jun 8, 2026

Buying · 11 min read

Don't Get Burned: A Calgary Buyer's Guide to Reading Condo Documents

The condo unit can be perfect and the building can still cost you. The real story lives in the documents: the reserve fund study, the estoppel certificate, the minutes. Here is what I read first, what the red flags look like, and what changed under Alberta's new condo law in 2026.

Jun 1, 2026

Selling · 10 min read

How much does it cost to sell a home in Calgary? (And what you'll actually net)

The cheque at closing is meaningfully smaller than your sale price. Here is every cost a Calgary seller pays in 2026, commission, GST, mortgage payout, legal, RPR, prep, property tax adjustment, worked through on a real $750K SW Calgary example.

May 25, 2026

Selling · 9 min read

Calgary property assessment vs market value: why the numbers don't match

Your City of Calgary assessment was built to calculate your property tax, not to tell you what a buyer will pay. Here are the gaps the assessment cannot see, with real numbers from recent Calgary sales.

May 18, 2026

Buying · 12 min read

Moving to Calgary from Toronto: An Honest Guide for Families

Trading a Toronto condo for a Calgary detached makes the math work, but the lifestyle, schools, weather, and logistics are where most families get tripped up. Here is the honest version, from a Calgary realtor who has helped a lot of families make this move.

May 11, 2026

Selling · 12 min read

Real Property Reports in Alberta: A Complete Guide for Buyers and Sellers

An RPR is the document most likely to surprise you at offer time in Alberta. Here is what it actually shows, what compliance means, when title insurance can stand in, and the red flags both buyers and sellers should know.

May 5, 2026

Selling · 8 min read

Why your Calgary home valuation tools all give different numbers

Your City of Calgary assessment, your HonestDoor estimate, and your HouseSigma number probably do not agree. Here is what each one is actually measuring, where they go wrong, and what your home is really worth.

Apr 28, 2026

Buying · 7 min read

Moving to Calgary? Which Quadrant Is Right for Your Family

Calgary's four quadrants each have a distinct personality, price range, and lifestyle profile. Here's how to figure out which one actually fits your family before you start browsing listings.

Apr 22, 2026

Buying · 8 min read

Southwest Calgary Neighbourhoods: Finding Your Family's Fit

The SW has more range than most buyers realise. From inner-city walkable communities to sprawling western suburbs, here's how to navigate it from someone who lives and works here.

Apr 22, 2026

Selling · 6 min read

Should you sell before you buy, or buy before you sell?

The honest answer for Calgary move-up families: both paths carry real risk, and the right one depends on your finances and your neighbourhood.

Apr 18, 2026