The Home Tribe Real Estate Blog

Author: Trevor Prentice

It was always our intention to be involved in our community in some way once our family settled down.  In fact, an active community was one of the things we were looking for when deciding where in the city to live.  The neighbourhood we have since moved to has an official community league that manages a community hall, ice rink, sports, runs events throughout the year, and a number of other projects.  This, and a recent conversation with a co-worker who lives in a newer neighbourhood in the city, has led me to wonder which neighbourhoods in the city have official community leagues, and how new leagues are created.

The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues website informed me that there are apparently 157 community leagues in Edmonton!  Given how many people are involved in keeping my league running relatively smoothly, it’s hard to imagine how many people are working (primarily as volunteers, in my understanding) all over the city to make our communities better places to live!

157 community leagues is pretty great, but the 2014 census showed 239 neighbourhoods in Edmonton with over 1000 people living in them.  Many people must live in areas without these great opportunities to get to know their neighbours, interface directly with city officials, and create and take advantage of extra facilities, at least in the capacity of a community league.

If you are in such a situation, where you live in a neighbourhood that has yet to establish an official community league, you may be interested to know that the city offers a $5000 Emerging Community League Grant to help get things started.  Additionally, on an annual basis, community leagues in Edmonton are eligible for an Operating Grant from the city, the amount of which is based partially on the size of the neighbourhood.

An even easier way to get started, to test the waters, and to generate some interest in a new community, is to plan and host a “block party”.  With the city’s permission, a street, park, or back alley can be closed off for you and your neighbours to have a BBQ or other event.  The City of Edmonton website has lots of information and advice on getting started.

So get involved and take some initiative; build or help grow a community, your neighbours may be cooler than you think!

Hello Edmonton Real Estate – What Is Going On? (A Recap From June)

• 1,785 properties were sold in the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (up 0.8% from May)
• 1,117 single family detached homes were sold in the Edmonton CMA (equal percentage from May)
• 465 condos and 173 duplex/rowhouses sold (up 11.5% and down 15% from May, respectively)
• $435,366 was the average all-residential price for June (down by over 1% from May)

“Although June’s residential unit sales are up slightly over May, we did not see the numbers set in June of 2015. Also notable is that the sustained lull in sales we have seen over the past two years has not been reflected in average price. Continued sales of higher priced properties in the region have helped keep average prices strong,” says REALTORS® Association of Edmonton Chair Steve Sedgwick.

What Is Happening In Your Area – Stats Wise?

We are excited to annouce that we are now launching monthly stats based on region. Central Edmonton Dwellers (Downtown & Oliver) – check out your stats below. Don’t live in the core? Contact us to get updated on what’s happening in your hood.

Earlier this month, the TruHome team was honoured to be included in discussing how entrepreneurship and job growth are paramount to the success of building up the Alberta economy. By the government funding organizations like TEC Edmonton, you will see greater mentorship and small business growth, which will in turn help propel our economy forward. 

As part of this celebration, our team was invited to speak about the work TEC Edmonton did with us and meet the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Deron Bilous. It was a crazy week, as not only were we participating in this, but I (Elisse) personally, just celebrated the birth of my son, Harrison, who got to partake in this journey at 5 days old.

Entreprenur and TEC client Elisse Moreno said her experience with the incubator backs up the encouraging statistics in the report. She’s the founder of TruHome (formerly HomeTribe), a technology-based startup that uses data and analytics to help match homebuyers with suitable properties.

“We worked with other consulting companies and we felt like we were sometimes a number,” she said. “Here, we came in the first day and met with almost everyone in TEC Edmonton and they listened to our story. … They’re on board, so you build confidence and you feel better about everything.”

But Moreno said startups in Alberta still face major hurdles. “It’s funding and mentorship that are the two things that we’re facing.”

• read more at The Edmonton Journal