The Home Tribe Real Estate Blog

Edmonton has a reputation for its low population density and large sprawl. Although it’s great to have space in our beautiful city, it may come at the cost of trying to provide services to outlying communities. We wrote about urban sprawl before, with great discussion from the Edmonton community about the pros and cons.

Last year, the city of Edmonton reported it would cost $1.4-billion to support Edmonton’s last three growth areas. It’s worth the time to check out Mayor Don Iveson’s take on urban sprawl here.  With this in mind, the city has been encouraging different options including infill development and the implementation of garage suites to try and boost the number of people living near Edmonton’s core. So we thought it would be interesting to look at the latest release from Statistics Canada’s dwelling census data.

Officially, the cities of Edmonton and Toronto occupy about the same land area, but Toronto has three times the population! The good news is that the land area that the City of Edmonton occupies has remained relatively unchanged since 2001. The population density has also increased by 15 per cent since 2011. That means for every square kilometre, there are about 175 more residents.

However, the question is how much of this is due to higher density housing, versus just new development in previously undeveloped areas of the city? The census only reports on the total land size of the city, not on how much of that land is undeveloped versus developed.

We decided to dig deeper and compare the change in the type of housing occupied by Edmontonians. Overall, there seems to be a marked increase in people living in medium-density housing. The growth since 2011 in single detached houses was slightly lower than the total growth of number of properties in Edmonton. On the other hand, growth in attached dwellings was higher, at 14 per cent. The largest growth was with semi-detached houses at 39 per cent.

It will be interesting to see if this increase in medium-density housing will be enough for Edmonton in the future, or if we will need to move towards more high-density housing like apartment buildings. Will Edmonton residents be willing to give up their space to keep the city sprawl down? Or will we even have a choice as the city reaches its outer size limits?

At TruHome, we are committed to keeping up with and analyzing the most current data to help you better understand projected growth and housing trends in the City of Edmonton. 

Take your inner artist for a walk on the wild side with ArtTourYEG, a cool initiative that lets users explore Edmonton’s vibrant art scene via Google Maps. The online tours are easy to use and are divided up into three separate experiences, all located within some great central neighbourhoods: Jasper Ave, The Quarters, and City Hall to Louise McKinney Riverfront Park.

Simply click on the icons on the interactive map, follow the directions on foot or using public transit, and learn more about the works of public art by reading the detailed descriptions provided on the online maps. According to the the website, users are invited to:

“Uncover the stories behind our love of quirky steel sculptures, tributes to over-the-top personalities, and sculpture we almost threw away.”

Explore Edmonton from the lens of Indigenous pre-settlement landscape to our modern day cityscape. From cubism to neon signs and art inspired by Picasso, this is a fun and unconventional way to view Edmonton’s controversial art found in the heart of the city.

Innovative art tours and urban exploration – two more reasons why Edmonton is the place to call your Truhome.

Visit the TruHome today this Saturday from 1-4pm at our gorgeous half duplex located in Blackburn Ravine. Listed at $329,900, this half duplex condo offers significant value. Walk in and enjoy the open concept kitchen featuring maple hardwood floors and cabinets. The home has 3 bedrooms up and a fully finished basement complete with a 3-piece bathroom, living room and guest bedroom.

Say hello and be sure to Enter to WIN one of our fantastic giveaways.

Search All Blackburne Listings For Sale

Come home to this outstanding half duplex condo located in Blackburne Pointe. Space exceeds expectations, making it perfect for those who love to entertain, yet still provides a warm, cozy feeling.  Upon entrance, you are greeted with expansive vaulted ceilings that lead towards the open concept kitchen with pantry, oak cabinets and flooring throughout the main level.  The upstairs features 3 bedrooms, including a master bedroom with a walk-in closet and three-piece bath.  The fully finished basement has been professionally designed to the same quality as the upstairs including a living room, bathroom and guest bedroom. Located in the lovely community of Blackburne you will also enjoy a great array of nearby amenities. This community is known for its outstanding natural beauty. There are several expansive public parks in the area that are very popular with outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers and children. Recreational activities in the community of Blackburne include walking and biking along the pathways, while there are also playing fields for those who want to play sports. The residential side streets wind the neighbourhood, making it a quiet place to live.

This beautiful home won’t last long, contact your TruHome team today!

There are various benefits to choosing the neighbourhood of Parkdale as your home when it comes to this 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo.  This 942 sqft. unit has been nicely painted with high quality laminate wood flooring and the main bathroom features a stand-up shower and a soaker bath. It’s located a short distance north of the downtown core and located just to the south of the neighbourhood is Commonwealth Stadium (perfect for Edmonton Eskimo fans AND all within walking distance !).Only minutes away you can benefit from the close proximity to Save on Foods, McDonalds, Subway, schools, and many other businesses and services.  Explore the community of Parkdale and see other listings here!

If you’ve been waiting for an exceptional value in Parkwood, here it is!  Talk to the TruHome Team today!

Callingwood Condo Priced to Sell at: $199, 900

There are various benefits to choosing the neighbourhood of Callingwood as your home when it comes to this 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo. Freshly painted and boasting over 998 sq ft, this condo in Mainstreet West is located close to major routes including the Whitemud freeway and the Anthony Henday. Explore the neighbourhood with your family at the ever popular weekly farmers market that has been operating for over 32 years. Only a few minutes away you can benefit from the close proximity to grocery stores, schools, daycares and many other businesses and services.  Explore the community of Callingwood and listings here.

If you’ve been waiting for an exceptional value in Callingwood, here it is! Talk to the TruHome Team today!

What Is Happening In Your Area – Stats Wise?

Interested to understand what has happened in the Edmonton Real Estate market last month? Check out our most recent stats pertaining to the communities of Oliver and Downtown. Don’t live in the core? Contact us to get updated on what’s happening in your hood.

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