5 Tips For Knowing When To Buy A Home in Calgary

For many buyers, finding a new home in Calgary today can feel like chasing a moving target – high demand, tight inventory, and shifting prices are rewriting the rules when it comes to buying a home. Despite these challenges, Calgary is still an incredibly desirable location to call home. With its close proximity to the mountains, international airport, driving distance to the border, and a high amount of tech jobs in demand, this is a great place to call home. Incredibly investment friendly, today’s buyer can still find their dream home with smart strategy, patience, and some expert advice. We connected with Trico Homes’ Director Sales, Carmen De Luca, to chat about some common questions buyers might have about the right time to buy in Calgary.

Starting as a Sales Associate and spending over a decade in the field in numerous roles, Carmen’s experience and expertise has equipped her with an in-depth understanding of the sales process. When the stakes are high, getting expert advice isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.

1. 2025 is a Great Time to Buy a New Home

The reality of buying a home comes down to this – the best time to purchase a home is when it’s the best time to buy for you. You should consider several factors that will help inform this decision, including when you’ll be able to make the move, the model that is going to fit your needs best, and the community that is going to provide you the best lifestyle. Understanding your buying power will be crucial in knowing when the best time to buy is.

Another key factor in the buying process to consider is the status of interest rates. Interest rates in Canda have stabilized, and economists have predicted that we may see further cuts as we continue into 2025. If you’ve considered the factors above and had the opportunity to assess your buying power, now is a great time to consider breaking into the market to lock in a lower interest rate.

Even with the best preparation and sales team, it will take a time to price out your new home and account for any options and upgrades you may need. By choosing to buy now, you give yourself the time to create your dream home.

2. Consider Buying Power: What Can I Afford?

A big obstacle, especially for many first-time home buyers, is having a good understanding of what they can afford. Even before you explore a showhome, I recommend meeting with a mortgage specialist who has the expertise required to secure the best mortgage options available. They can advise you on loan types, interest rates and fees, and terms. If you’re not sure where to start, Trico Homes has many preferred lenders who can help guide you in the right direction.

If you’re still sitting on the fence after assessing your buying power, I would encourage you to explore programs or incentives a new home builder offers to help homebuyers attain a new home. At Trico Homes, we offer the Trico Flexdown Payment Plan that allows buyers to pay their deposit over the duration of their build to make it a bit easier to enter the market.  We also offer a fixed price contract, locking in the sales price so as the market fluctuates, you have the peace of mind that we will honor the investment you’re making with us to build your dream home.

3. New Build vs. Resale – Which Has Better Value?

When purchasing a new home, it’s very common to look at the re-sale market and builders. While Carmen thinks it’s important to explore both options, there is no comparison in her mind – with a brand-new build, you are getting so much additional support and value. Trico Homes is a production builder, meaning we specialize in having expertly designed floorplans with numerous available options ready and available for you that can be upgraded or scaled back depending on your needs. Our area sales teams are involved every step of the way, from build to personalization. After you’ve got the keys to your new home, Trico continues to support you through the Alberta New Home Warranty Program, ensuring you have the peace of mind you need to enjoy your new home. One of the most exciting parts of the process for buyers building with Trico Homes in newer communities is watching value being added to the home before you even take possession as the community becomes more established. We have several new communities that will provide this incredible opportunity, including Heartwood, Harmony, Huxley, Bridgeport, and Wentworth Landing. On the flip side, being a prominent builder in our more well-established communities like Legacy, Wolf Willow, and Seton means that we know and understand the communities very well and can ensure they are the right fit for prospective buyers.

4. Buying Trends to Keep in Mind in 2025

As of late, we’re seeing buyers want multigenerational homes that will accommodate their extended family, and we’ve dominated this market with some incredible floorplans, like our 3500 sq.ft model, The Springfield. We’re also seeing buyers looking for investment opportunities, and we have legal secondary suite options with separate entrances in all of our homes for this purpose. The rent from this secondary suite can actually go towards mortgage approval, which is an exciting opportunity for buyers.

5. Are There Buying Considerations You Feel Get Overlooked During The Search?

While promotions and incentives are a great bonus that can really help with affordability, there are lots of different promotions in the market that can make you feel overwhelmed and oversaturated, and ultimately, sometimes deter you from finding long-term value. Make sure, bottom line, you find a builder that aligns with your values. Compare apples to apples and find the best value that is going to benefit you long term. Building a brand-new home can feel a little bit like a rollercoaster ride with lots of ups and downs. Finding a builder that’s going to take care of you through the entire home buying journey, and not just at one stage of the build, is essential.

Why Choose Trico Homes?

There are many reasons to choose Trico Homes, but at the end of the day, it really comes down to the team. We have 45 sales members teams throughout our 29 communities in Calgary and surrounding area that will do everything they can to understand your needs and find out what’s important to you – in a home, in a community, in a builder – and then we are going to assist you through the whole build. The Trico relationship doesn’t stop there – we provide you with new home warranty, to ensure you’re your new house feels like a home for years to come.

Doing well by doing good is our purpose statement and something I can proudly say we do every day in the communities we build in. We approach every build with the values that spell out our name – trust, respect, integrity, community and opportunity.

To find out about all our great communities and models, visit tricohomes.com.