LUXURY RISING

Calgary's luxury home sales rising
Mario Toneguzzi, Canwest News Service ·
Saturday, Jun. 26, 2010

CALGARY -- A unique home in Springbank, Alta., is for sale for the first time, as sales of luxury homes boom in the Calgary area.

The nearly 5,000-square-foot luxury home, designed and owned by architect Marian Liptak, is listed for $2,668,880 and being sold through realtor Robbie O'Leary of MaxWell Westview Realty.

"It's only a few minutes from town but this is a peaceful, Zen environment -- very private," Ms. O'Leary said of the home, located in the foothills about 15 kilometres west of Calgary.

The energy-efficient, ecofriendly home includes five bedrooms, 4½ baths, a gym, a winemaking room, a huge entertaining atrium, a large rear patio with six-person hot tub, a home office with a separate entrance, a three-car garage, an elevator, in-floor heating, steel tile roof, lots of natural light and high ceilings.

The listing highlights an appetite these days in the Calgary market for luxury homes.

According to the Calgary Real Estate Board, sales of million-dollar-plus properties have jumped more than 56% year-to-date until the end of May, compared with the same period a year ago.

In the first five months of this year, 149 single-family homes in Calgary metro sold for more than $1-million, compared with 94 in 2009. In the towns surrounding Calgary, the real estate board reports 17 luxury home sales so far this year, while a year ago there were 11. And in the country residential market, which includes acreages, million-dollar-plus sales have jumped from 39 last year to 75 so far this year, according to the local real estate board.

The only luxury sector to see a decline in sales is condominiums in Calgary metro, with only three sales so far this year over $1-million until the end of May, compared with 12 sales in 2009.

Photo By: bogowonto2010