Alberta's grandeur and beauty are obvious from the moment of arrival.
Rolling foothills, intimidating mountains and prehistoric hoodoos are a few of Alberta's more distinct natural landmarks. The majestic Rocky Mountains form an impressive spine down the western boundary of the province and are home to the world famous resort towns of Banff, Jasper, Canmore, Kananaskis, Lake Louise and Waterton.
Alberta's provincial parks and protected areas provide access to some of the most spectacular natural landscapes in North America; the world's only boreal forest songbird observatories; the largest collection of aboriginal rock art on the North American Plains; the Columbia ice fields. Dinosaur hunters flock to Drumheller, home of the acclaimed Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, where the desert topography yields countless fossils and prehistoric discoveries - including more dinosaur fossils than any other single spot on the planet. Alberta's rural heritage is evidenced by the vast farmlands of Alberta's Heartland, Southern Alberta and Northern Alberta.
Today Alberta offers a young, skilled and productive workforce, a strong commitment to innovation and knowledge-based progress, a highly entrepreneurial and competitive business community, and a business-friendly province committed to responsible regulation.
Edmonton, the provincial capital, is often synonymous with its largest attraction—West Edmonton Mall. North America's largest shopping and entertainment complex offers over 800 stores and services and over 110 dining establishments, the epitome of one-stop shopping.
Calgary, home of the globally recognized Calgary Stampede, - the largest outdoor show on earth – is the largest city in the province and still retains much of its traditional culture of hotel saloons, western bars, night clubs, football and hockey. It is a safe, clean and vibrant city offering the best of all worlds: a cosmopolitan city of over 1 million people and breathtaking outdoor adventure in pristine wilderness. Calgary is well-known for its warm hospitality, and as a destination for winter sports and ecotourism with a number of major mountain resorts near the city and metropolitan area. Economic activity in Calgary is mostly centered on the petroleum industry; however, agriculture, tourism, and high-tech industries also contribute to the city's strong economic growth, a growth that is responsible for the city’s appeal to young professionals and entrepreneurs and their appetite for beautiful and luxurious properties. While the city’s inner core – Mount Royal, Elbow Park, Rideau, Roxboro and Bel-Aire- has been the traditional location of the city’s most luxurious properties, many outlying areas – areas such as Bearspaw, Aspen, Discovery Valley, Elbow Valley and the Springbank area, to name a few - are seeing the construction of huge luxury homes and estates.
Regarding spring sales, “A rise in demand along with fewer listings has helped bring supply in balance with demand,” says Bonnie Wegerich, President of the Calgary Real Estate Board. “It is not the buyer’s market we saw in January of this year. As our inventory trends lower, choice and selection will decrease. Nonetheless, there are still great opportunities out there for buyers,” says Wegerich. “The good news is pricing remains relatively affordable. We are not liable to see significant price gains in 2009, but more likely a gradual and steady improvement in home values. We are encouraged by this upward trend in sales but there are still some economic fundamentals needed before we will see a full recovery in the housing market,” added Wegerich. “A rebound in employment and oil prices will have a significant impact on the housing market in Calgary—we expect this won’t fully take effect until the beginning of 2010.”
Alberta - Canada - Luxury Homes - Information provided by courtesy of Heather Waddell, Realtor® - Royal LePage Foothills