muffback

Hi

i have lived in North Vancouver for four years. The property prices in Vancouver and Lower Mainland are just ludicrous. I currently rent a two bedroom townhouse, but I am going to need to move within next 6 months. Was looking at renting a 3 bedroom place. For anything half decent in tricities or north shore looking at maybe $2,400 upwards. Bottom line is I am getting tired of this situation- not willing to mortgage myself to the max and don't really want to live in rented accommodation for ever. Beginning to think I have missed the boat in Vancouver and need to move elsewhere. I am an IT professional /contractor so kind of need to be within striking distance of a city (don't need to be in office every day). Anyway I would be obliged if you could maybe provide some responses to my questions.

1. Does anyone live in Cochrane, Alberta. Can you please provide thoughts. Is it a nice town to live? Good schools? Community feel? Easily commutable to Calgary? Weather? I kind of like the idea of living between the city and the mountains. Housing looks affordable there? (Well compared to Vancouver. Anywhere is affordable).

2. How is the Alberta job market? In particular the IT sector? I guess the question is to persons residing in Calgary area. Would recommend moving to Alberta in current times (oil slump) or not?

3. Is there any other areas in the Calgary or surrounding area that you would suggest moving to? That be good for a family.

4. Being from the UK 6 months of winter is a bit daunting? How do you find you cope with that? We enjoy skiing and outdoors.

Thanks for your time.

scilly

Haven't you been reading/listening to the media?


Alberta's economy is on the down, people are moving to other provinces in droves ................. if the economy is so far down, I would seriously wonder if the IT sector is somehow different and trending upwards???

muffback

Yes, I do watch the news and I am conversant in the current situation in Alberta.

I was simply trying to get a perspective from Albertans on how bad it really is in Alberta today on 'the ground'. Not from someone in BC, who reads the news.

I have lived through recessions in the UK. I have always been able to get a job. Often it is easier for contractors to pick up jobs in this environment as companies don't want to employ permanent staff.

Piff Poff

It's as bad as it says in the news.

scrubbedexpat091

Isn't Alberta leading the pack in unemployment now? I recall seeing some unemployment figures that had even Atlantic Canada doing better....

viajero

If you have the financial flexibility to handle the risk of the economy remaining slow for longer, I would say now is the time to "buy the dip" on Calgary, to use a stock-trading term. Get in there while properties are selling at deep discount (or lock in a monthly rent at vastly lower rates from a couple years ago, if you go that route), settle in, and wait for the turnaround. Despite what people say, it will come. Supply cuts should continue to boost energy prices over the next year or so although it will likely be volatile.

Calgary's weather is so variable that the "6 month winter" thing doesn't hold. You can get 20C temps in January or snow in May. The one constant is the sun - whether hot or cold, Calgary is sunny on most days.

Stinkypup

Yes, but he needs a job which despite admirable confidence may be harder than he thinks.

ann m

I live in Cochrane and we really like it. Property prices are reasonable from $180k up to $2 million plus, and anything in between! Nice 3-4 bed house probably comes in around $450k to $650k. Easy commute to NW, NE and central areas but I wouldn't want to work too far south. No direct transport into Calgary but you can drive to the C train about 20 mins away.

The town sits in such a pretty location with great mountain views, river paths, etc, and is about 50 mins to nearest skiing at Kananaskis, or about 1hr 10 mins to Sunshine near Banff. The mountains really are so close. I can't get bored of looking at them.

I can't shout out about schools right now as we've had such a tough time with our kids and high school. Elementary and middle school were ok. There are several new schools opening for 2016 and 2017. My teenage kids think the town is too small, too country, too redneck, too many STD's (!), too boring. Not things that I see. Perhaps the same for teenagers everywhere. They dance - a lot, and have had access to lots of sports and activities. It's a town full of families. It's clean, it's safe, not much happens, the biggest political story is the fast growth of the town and the roads can't keep up. We have our own urgent care unit, plenty of GP's taking on patients, and a lot of new stores, a decent cinema. You have almost everything you need locally but only 25 mins from a decent hospital, 30-40 mins from theatres and 40 mins to the airport.

Would I recommend it? Yes, absolutely. Can't help you with a job tho. Come and visit. Calgary is having a tough time of things, but 8% unemployment still means 92% employment 😉

viajero

Calgary may be in a slowdown but it's hardly skid row.

And I did say that it would be ideal to have the financial flexibility to be able to endure a longer than expected recession (and difficulty finding ideal employment).

For those with such flexibility, I think this is a great time to buy into Calgary if one was already thinking of making a move there.

Stinkypup

Great post Ann, excellent that you were around and responded so fully


I didn't say I didn't agree with you, there is always a great time to buy if the market is at a low point... If OP gets a job then he is laughing. It is the big word IF!

Ann gave a great description which should help him nicely. Are you yourself using local experience ?- you haven't actually indicated where you are in Canada unless I missed it.

Yorkiechef

I went to look at a property that is less than two years old in Aspen (Calgary). It was a foreclosure as they say here (repossession), when bought $1m, now for sale at $700k. If it was a bargain, then why is it still on the market after a month or more?

Okay the kitchen and bathroom units have been ripped out and sold by the owners, but it is a very nice house but such a big drop. Property prices reflect the panic starting to set in here, people over extended themselves and without jobs (a reported 60000 were lost in the last 12 months in Calgary) banks are knocking at the door, perhaps kicking them in would be more appropriate, but the economic downturn is visible. Toys are being sold, i have even had some hostility as to why I can here from some, done in a passive aggressive way, "do you not think we have people with your skills here" was one phrase, are you coming to work in the oil industry was another, when their OH had been laid off.....unless oil prices change direction, there will be more pain.

Be careful where you choose to live and the type of work you are after, only saying.....

muffback

Thanks to everyone for your feedback. It is really useful to hear your opinions. I am currently reviewing my options. At present I find it difficult to see a long term future in Vancouver due to the insane costs associated with living here. Our son is not at school yet so I have some flexibility at the moment.

Shakyuk

On a recent trip to check out Calgary and the surrounding area me and my girlfriend visited Cochrane with a view of a place to settle and start a family (if we decided Canada suited us).

I can't comment on many things about Cochrane but I will say we found it to be a beautiful town, the location is really nice, the centre is clean and the people very friendly. It had a slower and country style feel to it. The only thing that concerned me was the amount of development in the area. It looks like there are many current and planned developments which may upset that feel long term.

It was our favourite place of all we visited.

We also visited Red Deer and found that had a really nice feel to it too. However the distance from the mountains and skiing was a negative for us.

haggis88

I tried for the best part of 2 years to get a new job in/around Calgary in the Engineering sector (I was employed but the job wasn't suiting me) and didn't even get so much as a 'Dear John' back...

Gave up and moved back to Scotland

Piff Poff

Much the same could be said about Red Deer, Cochrane was on the list of yes to move too all those years ago. Your comment about unemployment rates made me look Red Deers' up - we are at 10% I will say the same about schools too. I think Cochrane would have suited us better in the long term purly from a proximity to a bigger city and too those lovely mountains, I'll miss the mountains when we eventually go.