I was considering a Calgary property that I'd like to develop that came to me in an email just as I was looking at a north Scottsdale property in a scenic high desert Troon community.
Conpare and constrast the options;
Calgary lot - 50 ft, nice Killarney location. needs to be divided into two 1900 sw ft, 25 ft wide semi detached new houses. Land value 650, finished home value maybe 850 (otherwise builder is in trouble).
Troon lot - 2.5 acre high desert view lot surrounded by scenic desert landscape and detached (1.5 m plus) luxury mansions. Land value 500.
Calgary seems strangely out of touch with other parts of the world, including those with less erratic economies, a better currency and climate, and lower cost of goods and services of almost any category you could imagine. The explanation for much of this is attributed to government policy that keeps Calgary costs higher while also handicapping private sector solutions. Combine this with a tougher climate and costlier construction techniques and the end result is Calgarians pay too much for housing, need higher wages to survive, and thus a negative feedback loop permeates the entire economy.
Live near the base of this mountain trail in a southwest style bungalow for the price of a semi detached calgary property.