Edmonton Real Estate Investor: alberta advantage

Alberta Oil Sands Investment Real Estate News®
Glenn Simon Inc., Suite 1217, 5328 Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Tel 1-888-780-5940 Fax 1-888-276-4517
www.glennsimoninc.com email: info@glennsimoninc.com

September 16th., 2013
Volume 15, Issue 4

Dear Friends and Partners,

Sunday I woke up to the familiar sound of big, gusty, fall winds. It was refreshing. The funny thing was that the wind was warm, not cool like it usually is this season. Outside is warm and sunny, the temperature in the high 20's.

I look down the road and the grasses are all mown short and remain various shades of green; the vibrant dark green of a well fertilized early summer lawn to the lighter, softer colours of a suntanned late summer pitch. What I found interesting was that the leaves were changing beginning to crumple up and tumble down the street. Despite our summer weather, fall is almost here.

During this short season (here in Edmonton that is) we find it an excellent time to clean up and prep properties for the winter freeze and more importantly, the spring thaw. Cleaning gutters, adjusting downspouts, sealing and coating exterior/interior walls, repairing windows, roofs, chimneys and the like. You can find detailed lists of fall prep online.

Also with this time of year we contemplate the internal, mental prep needed to march into Q3. This is a great time to review your yearly goals, make sure you are on track to finish strong and adjust were needed.

= We’ll be closed between 9/16-10/8. Your newsletter will resume 10/15. Enjoy the autumn weather! =

South West Edmonton: 4-Unit Cashflow Property in Allendale

Turbo charge your portfolio. This side by side duplex with in-law suites is well located near UOA. Upgraded 2006 this property has front entrances for upper suites and back entrances to lower suites. Upper 2BD units have been upgraded as well as the two lower 2 BD suites with new laminate, kitchens and bathrooms. You'll find a double detached garage, adding extra income. Spacious upper units shine with original hardwood, new fixtures and paint. Excellent location near the UOA in the mature area of Allendale. A short walk to neighbourhood park, Whyte Ave, hospital and UOA. Fast access to bus routes and Whitemud Drive.

Comes complete with great tenants making this a totally turn-key property for you. Convenient south west west central area with easy access to transit and downtown. Inglewood is an established, sought after neighbourhood. Highly rentable; solid value and increasing rents. HUGE upside potential due to the great purchase price, strong economic fundamentals and the proximity of this property in relation to Edmonton's desirable growing core.

Purchase price: $625K
Total Investment: $145,305K
Your Estimated 5 Year Profit: $81,994.20K
Your pre-tax Total ROI: 56% or 11% per year

These 4 suites rent for top dollar and have everything arranged, including financing structure and incredible tenants. Your investment includes: impeccable tenant selection, financial analysis, professional inspection, insurance, financing set-up, legal fees, basic accounting, reserve fund, CMA, bi-annual statements, strategic market planning to ensure successful entry and exit, plus much more!
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Edmonton paycheques third largest in Canada

By Andrea Sands, Edmonton Journal, September 12th, 2013

EDMONTON - New statistics on Canada’s income levels and housing show Edmonton’s economy is one of the most successful and dynamic in the country, says the city’s chief economist.

That doesn’t mean, however, that some people aren’t left behind, John Rose said. A small number of Edmontonians earning extraordinarily high incomes can skew income numbers upward, “so I’m a little nervous about income-distribution issues,” he said. FOLLOW THIS ARTICLE

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'Dutch disease' Build Healtheir Economy, Economist says

By Laura Payton, CBC News, September 5th 2013

The concept behind "Dutch disease" — the idea that a resource boom is bad for the manufacturing sector — is entirely wrong, economist Stephen Gordon argues in a new report.
Federal politicians have argued over Dutch disease as part of the debate surrounding Canada's oilsands and whether development should be slowed.

The argument says that a resource boom — like the one seen in the oilsands — drives up the value of the currency, making exports more expensive for customers outside of Canada and costing manufacturers some of their business. GRAB THIS STORY

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Laphier: No need to listen to Neil Young's take on the Oilsands

By Gary Lamphier, Edmonton Journal, September 11th, 2013

EDMONTON - "As a serious-minded newspaper columnist, I woke up Wednesday with one pressing question on my mind: What does Neil Young think?
I was desperate to hear his views on just about anything - twerking, Miley Cyrus's new video, the situation in Syria, Stephen Harper's hair, Anthony Weiner's sexting habits, the Eskimos' struggling offensive line, you name it.
I need to know, because clearly, what the 67-year-old rocker and anti-oilsands activist thinks about the big issues of the day is of vital importance to the mainstream media.
Why, just yesterday the Toronto-born music icon and green crusader was prominently featured in most major newspapers (including this one) after comparing Fort McMurray toHiroshima, the Japanese city that was obliterated by a U.S. atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945.

At first I thought it was a ridiculous, wholly inappropriate analogy from a guy who knows little about the energy industry. Fort McMurray is like Hiroshima? Really? That seemed utterly absurd, not to mention an insult to the memories of the thousands who died that terrible day." READ MORE HERE

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= We’ll be closed between 9/16-10/8. Your newsletter will resume 10/15. Enjoy the autumn weather =

I appreciate all your calls and emails. I'm looking forward to helping you with your next step towards building real wealth.
Your success continues EVERYDAY, let me help you build for tomorrow.

"In order to succeed your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure." –Bill Cosby

Warm Regards,

Todd and Danielle Millar

===SPECIAL NOTICE: NO CASH, BUT GOOD CREDIT? CALL US TODAY TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN OWN INVESTMENT PROPERTY===P.S. Stay ahead by checking out Danielle's blog at Edmonton Real Estate Investor for all your cutting edge market news and information.

P.P.S. Don’t forget to visit our website and take advantage of the Resource Tools and product section including REIN's #1 real estate books and Quick Start homestudy sets at a discount. Get your copy of the Canadian Success Stories book and the 2010-2014 Top Ten Investment Towns of Alberta and Ontario.

Alberta Oil Sands Investment Real Estate News®
Glenn Simon Inc., Suite 1217, 5328 Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Tel 1-888-780-5940 Fax 1-888-276-4517
www.glennsimoninc.com email: info@glennsimoninc.com

April 15th., 2013
Volume 14, Issue 5

Dear Friends and Partners,

A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long? The crow answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit, and ate it.

Management Lesson:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

I was reminded of this parable while watching my two sons play; I watch my older son do things that immediately are copied by the 17 month old with completely different and often disastrous results. Such is life.

It reminds me to keep me that what others are doing isn't necessarily good for me. I have to weigh every choice that comes my way and determine it's future effect on my portfolio/life/waistline.

If only that rabbit had weighed his options just a little longer...

South Central Edmonton: 4-Suite Cashflow Property in Bonnie Doon

Turbo charge your portfolio. Upgraded 1965 built 4 unit property with separate entrance to lower suites. Upper units have been renovated and using our PPI strategy the lower units are upgraded at purchase, and costs wrapped into mortgage. You'll find 2 X spacious 2 bd units upstairs and 2 X bright 1 bd units downstairs. There is common laundry for the lower units and upper suites have en-suite laundry. Each unit has its own exterior storage locker as well. There is also a double detached garage adding cashflow. Excellent location directly across from Bonnie Doon mall on a small side road, 1 block north of Whyte Avenue. 5 minutes to Rowland Drive and ravine, with routes to the Yellowhead and Whitemud minutes away, 10 minutes to downtown and UOA. Fast access to Wayne Gretzky Drive and on all bus routes.

Comes complete with great tenants making this a totally turn-key property for you. Convenient south central area of Bonnie Doon with easy access to transit and downtown. Bonnie Doon is a mature, sought after area near the university and Whyte ave. Highly rentable; solid value and increasing rents. HUGE upside potential due to the great purchase price, strong economic fundamentals and the proximity of this property in relation to Edmonton's desirable south side.

Purchase price: $625K Total Investment: $145,601K. Your Estimated 5 Year Profit $77,327K. Your pre-tax Total ROI is 53% or 11% per year + $400 Cash Flow

These 4 suites rent for top dollar and have everything arranged, including financing structure and incredible tenants. Your investment includes: impeccable tenant selection, financial analysis, professional inspection, insurance, financing set-up, legal fees, basic accounting, reserve fund, CMA, bi-annual statements, strategic market planning to ensure successful entry and exit, plus much more!

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Momentum Builds for Alberta Oil Pipeline to East Coast TransCanada asks producers to sign take-or-pay contracts

By Dan Healing, Calgary Herald, April 2nd 2013

CALGARY — A multibillion-dollar project to send Alberta oil to the East Coast won federal political support on Tuesday and will likely also be supported by producers, an analyst says.
Calgary-based TransCanada Corp. — the energy transporter trying to build the Keystone XL pipeline to Texas — announced it will hold a binding open season on its proposed Energy East Pipeline to gauge shipper support.

The project, estimated to cost between $5 billion and $6 billion, would involve converting part of its existing west-to-east natural gas Mainline to carry oil from Alberta to Quebec, with a new extension to the port city of Saint John, N.B., where it would be able to access export markets where oil currently fetches higher prices. GRAB THIS STORY

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The Oil Sands are an Amazing Story Canada's Not Telling

By Todd Babiak, Globe and Mail, March 1st 2013

How Green Was My Valley, the novel by Welsh writer Richard Llewellyn, is about a young man born into a village of black air, of strikes, of deadly explosions. At the end, you’re keen to accompany the hero, Huw Morgan, out of the coal mines.

More than 50 years earlier, Émile Zola had come to similar conclusions in Germinal.

The novelists and filmmakers who adapted these two works for cinema focused on people – particularly the miners. They were sad, happy, passionate, defeated, pure, compromised, creative, dull, intelligent, stupid.

That is, alive. FOLLOW THIS ARTICLE

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Alberta's Bold Plan to Cut Emissions Stuns Ottawa and Oil Industry

By Shawn McCarthy and Nathan Vanderklippe, Globe and Mail, April 4th 2013
The Alberta government has quietly presented a proposal to sharply increase levies on carbon production and force large oil-industry producers to slash greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 40 per cent on each barrel of production, a long-term plan that has surprised Ottawa and industry executives with its ambition.

Alberta Environment Minister Diana McQueen stunned a recent meeting in Calgary attended by senior oil executives and her federal counterpart, Peter Kent, with the proposal, which goes well beyond anything Ottawa or the companies contemplated, industry and government sources said Wednesday.

The three sides are engaged in intense negotiations, with the industry warning that regulations that are too onerous could undermine the competitiveness of the oil sands sector as it seeks international investment to drive production growth. READ MORE HERE

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I appreciate all your calls and emails. I'm looking forward to helping you with your next step towards building real wealth.
Your success continues EVERYDAY, let me help you build for tomorrow.

"Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner." -Les Brown

Warm Regards,

Todd and Danielle Millar

===SPECIAL NOTICE: NO CASH, BUT GOOD CREDIT? CALL US TODAY TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN OWN INVESTMENT PROPERTY===

P.S. Stay ahead by checking out Danielle's blog at Edmonton Real Estate Investor for all your cutting edge market news and information.

P.P.S. Don’t forget to visit our website and take advantage of the Resource Tools and product section including REIN's #1 real estate books and Quick Start homestudy sets at a discount. Get your copy of the Canadian Success Stories book and the 2010-2014 Top Ten Investment Towns of Alberta and Ontario.

Alberta Oil Sands Investment Real Estate News®
Glenn Simon Inc., Suite 1217, 5328 Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Tel 1-888-780-5940 Fax 1-888-276-4517
www.glennsimoninc.com email: info@glennsimoninc.com

January 15th., 2013
Volume 13, Issue 9

Dear Friends and Partners,

Nice to see you again! Hope the holidays were good and that Santa visited you and your loved ones over the break. But what about you; Have you stepped into your groove for this New Year or are things pretty much the same as the last one? I see a year full of opportunity despite the anxiety and uncertainty others would have you believe. There never is a 'safe time, a right time or even a 'perfect time' other than the ones we create or work towards changing. Maybe its time to set the tone...

Dr. Demartini has put together 'The 8 Steps To The Life You've Always Wanted'. You can go to Dr. Demartini's page here and read more of his insights too. BTW - He'll be in Toronto and Calgary this March/April.

The 8 Steps To The Life You've Always Wanted

1. Every day sit for a moment in silent meditation and concentrate on exactly what you would love to create in your life. Imagine every detail you can and then even more. Imagine your life exactly the way you would love it to be. Let your imagination be real enough to have it come true, yet ideal enough to inspire and stretch you.

2. Write as many details as you can imagine down and begin a dream or goal plan. Writing these down helps make dreams come true. Remember the details.

3. Every day take at least one if not three or even seven action steps to make this goal come true. What you move toward move towards you.

4. Keep records of every synchronous and goal aligning event that occurs, they surround your life. Write all the events that come true each day that demonstrates that you are moving in the direction of your goals.

5. Keep refining your goals, so as to become clearer and clearer each day on your outcomes.

6. As they begin to become real be sure to add new ones all revolving around your chief aim or purpose in life.

7. Be thankful for every supportive and challenging event that helps provide you feedback and fulfillment.

8. Remember the art of creation is set goals aligned to your values* then hold the image through time - the only way to hold the image through time is to keep it in motion and the only way to keep it in motion is to focus on the ever finer details.
Read, Reflect and Do - make everyday count!

North Central Edmonton: 6-Suite Cashflow Property in Kilarney

Turbo charge your portfolio. Upgraded 1969 built 1 and a half story 6 unit property with separate entrance to lower suites. Most units upper units have been renovated. You'll find spacious 3 X 2bd upstairs and bright 3 X 1bd units downstairs. Renovations at time of purchase include new roof, 2 HWT and furnaces. The 3 lower units are each 700 sqft 1 bedroom suites. Features down include some new tiles and flooring. There is common laundry down. The yard is large and partially fenced. Additional upgrades after purchase will include new windows and exterior/upper suite modernization. 5 minutes to Yellowhead, 15 to Fort Saskatchewan, 10 minutes to downtown and NAIT. Fast access to the Wayne Gretzky Drive and on bus routes.

Comes complete with great tenants making this a totally turn-key property for you. Convenient North central area with easy access to transit and downtown. Kilarney is a mature and desirable family neighbourhood that will benefit from the downtown airport ripple effect. Highly rentable area; solid value and stable rents. HUGE upside potential due to the great purchase price, strong economic fundamentals and the proximity of this home in relation to Edmonton's improving North East.

Produces $415.11 positive cash flow per month using an investor's mortgage plan - taking advantage of current low rates.

Purchase price: $595K Total Investment: $138,918K. Your Estimated 5 Year Profit $75,410.23K. Your pre-tax Total ROI is 54% or 11% per year

These 6 suites rent for top dollar and have everything arranged, including financing structure and incredible tenants. Your investment includes: impeccable tenant selection, financial analysis, professional inspection, insurance, financing set-up, legal fees, basic accounting, reserve fund, CMA, bi-annual statements, strategic market planning to ensure successful entry and exit, plus much more!

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Lamphier: Alberta Leads The Pack in 2013 Forecasts

By Gary Lamphier, Edmonton Journal, January 2nd 2013

EDMONTON - Headaches? Sure. Alberta’s energy-fuelled economy has plenty of them.
Take your pick: From hefty oil price discounts to pipeline bottlenecks and growing labour shortages, there’s a lot to worry about.

The global threats to growth are even more troubling, including Europe’s stubborn debt crisis and the political jockeying in Washington, D.C., over the fiscal cliff and federal debt ceiling.

But despite the likelihood of more stormy seas ahead, most economists believe Alberta’s ship will continue to sail at a rapid clip in 2013, leading the nation in economic growth this year and beyond. GRAB THIS STORY

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Edmonton Housing Market Strong: Realtors

By Ryan Tumilty, Metro Edmonton, January 9th 2013

Edmonton’s realtors see a bright future for the city’s housing market this year with strong and steady growth in Edmonton.
The Realtor’s Association of Edmonton made the announcement Wednesday saying they believe the market will grow by three percent, while housing prices will climb two per cent and condominium prices one per cent.

“We think this year very much mirrors the past couple of years with sustained growth, nothing outrageous, just very balanced,” said Darrel Cook, president of the association at the groups annual housing forecast seminar.

John Rose, the city’s chief economist, shared the rosy outlook, but warned there were some challenges ahead.

One of the areas Rose highlighted was the shortage of labour, which he cautioned could make it difficult for some business. FOLLOW THIS ARTICLE

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Canada's Pipeline Hits Slippery Patch
Opposition from environmental groups threatens plans to expand to new oil markets in Asia

By Paul Vieria, The Wall Street Journal, January 9th 2013

OTTAWA—Canadian Prime Minister Stephan Harper's government promised to push new oil pipelines to the Pacific—a gateway to thirsty Asian markets—after Washington early last year rejected a pipeline expansion to boost Canadian exports to the U.S.

But the pillar of that plan—a 730-mile line called the Northern Gateway that would carry crude from landlocked Alberta to the Pacific port of Kitimat—is mired in political and public opposition, focused in the province of British Columbia. That is threatening Mr. Harper's efforts to open new markets for Canada's crude. British Columbia has historically been a hotbed of the environmental movement in Canada. READ MORE HERE

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I appreciate all your calls and emails. I'm looking forward to helping you with your next step towards building real wealth.
Your success continues EVERYDAY, let me help you build for tomorrow.

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours, and let each new year find you a better man. " -Benjamin Franklin

Warm Regards,

Todd and Danielle Millar

===SPECIAL NOTICE: NO CASH, BUT GOOD CREDIT? CALL US TODAY TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN OWN INVESTMENT PROPERTY===
P.S. Stay ahead by checking out Danielle's daily blog at Edmonton Real Estate Investor for all your cutting edge market news and information.

P.P.S. Don’t forget to visit our website and take advantage of the Resource Tools and product section including REIN's #1 real estate books and Quick Start homestudy sets at a discount. Get your copy of the Canadian Success Stories book and the 2010-2014 Top Ten Investment Towns of Alberta and Ontario.

From the Alberta, Canada Website:

"From the beginning, the story of Alberta has been tied to the remarkable wealth of the land offered by diverse landscapes, fertile soils, rich forests, and more recently, oil and energy resources. Albertans continue to bring to this land their dreams and aspirations, realizing opportunities, responding to challenges in a spirit of entrepreneurship and industry, their hard work rewarded by beautiful, healthy Alberta that is the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

Today, investors and entrepreneurs from around the world are drawn to Alberta - its energy, optimism and success.

The people of Alberta enjoy a very high quality of life, including the lowest overall taxes in Canada. Albertans have the highest disposable incomes in Canada, the lowest unemployment rate, and a big, beautiful backyard to enjoy all year long. That’s why so many people think Alberta is an ideal place to live, work , and do business."

There is a presentation up from August 2012 the great thing is these presentations don't take a degree in Economics to understand. That is why they are so informative for the layperson to get a feel of what is happening in our province.

Get your PDF here

Alberta Industry cut 6.5M tonnes of Carbon emissions in 2010 -Do you remember a decade or longer ago when we captured almost zero green houses gas? There is so much more environmental control and cleanup being done now, it is a complete industry of its own. Does that mean that we shouldn’t expect green house gases to increase during growth periods? No. Does that mean that we shouldn’t continue to increase environmental stewardship and create newer and better ways to reduce gasses and improve the environment? No. We need to acknowledge the victories and continue the improvements; it might not be as fast as the snap of your fingers, but we are on the right path.

Edmonton house prices steady in March - Still a flat, but optimistic market; you can still ‘get a deal’ if you find a motivated seller. Folks with homes that don’t show well will get passed over or need to sell for lower as the competition for nice, clean homes is strong.

Harper says Western Canada can breathe easier with majority - B-R-E-A-T-H-E

You know I feel like I've written this blog before like here and here and here.

There are so many similarities between now and when we started investing in 2002. The soft real estate market prices, the low interest rates, the Alberta economy being praised as a star and the in-migration of workers to jobs in Alberta.

"With Canada's lowest corporate and personal income taxes, most flexible labour market, smallest government and relatively low level of red tape, Alberta continues to offer an investment climate that is the most attractive nationwide," Charles Lammam, senior policy analyst with the Fraser Institute. Read more

I've noticed a lot of people coming from B.C, Ontario and the States - I get their calls all the time looking for rentals. 2011 really is going to be a turnaround year.

Todd and I applied to be Alberta Brand Ambassadors and were accepted! We're really excited because,hey, we've already been selling Alberta for 8 years to 5 countries.

Here is the passion behind the brand:
"Alberta has a great story to tell and we are going to tell it.

Now, more than ever, this is the time to promote Alberta. It is vital to ensure that our province remains competitive in the global market, and continues to be a place of opportunity, prosperity and pride for all Albertans.

The new Alberta brand is a brand for the place - our province. It captures the spirit of our people as well as the potential that exists throughout Alberta.

The perception of Alberta that the new brand helps to create at home and abroad will have a profound impact on the success of the province. It will affect Alberta's access to world markets, sway investment decisions and influence our ability to attract tourists and immigrants."

What vision! I'm proud to be Canadian, an Albertan (vicariously) and to be part of this.

The Alberta website is an incredible source of information regarding everything from the province's economic forecast to investing to relocating there. For investors it provides an excellent resource for decision making.

Recent updates:
Alberta Weekly Economic Review - Some points include Alberta's inflation remains low, steady manufacturing growth, a slight decline in sales figures and Alberta leads in population growth

January 2010 Weekly Economic Review -"See monthly and quarterly indicators on the performance of the Alberta economy, and comparisons to other provinces, including":

agriculture
bankruptcies and incorporations
domestic trade
energy
exports
housing
international travel
labour force
manufacturing

$2 billion investment in Alberta oilsands - A Chinese energy giant is making a nearly $2-billion investment in the Canadian oilsands. Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. says PetroChina is buying a 60 per cent working interest in its Mackay River and Dover oilsands projects in northeastern Alberta.

Although Canada's economy is tied to the U.S our oilsands are bringing interest from around the world. It is a valuable safe source of oil.

New online service makes home buying smarter, swifter for Canadians - Zoocasa.com -- a recently launched online site promises to make searching for a new home an exhilarating and productive experience for Canadians. Zoocasa offers a wealth of "neighbourhood information" for its more than 100,000 home listings.

Sounds interesting!

Location Selected For Alberta Nuclear Plant - According to a report by the CanWest News Service, Energy Alberta Corp. has said that it has formally requested permission from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to construct a pair of twin-unit Candu reactors about 500 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

"Building a nuclear power facility is a long and rigorous process. This is the beginning of a public and regulatory process that will include environmental, health and safety assessments," said Wayne Henuset, Energy Alberta's president and co-chairman, who termed the application a "historic moment" for the province's nuclear power industry.

Hopefully this will help reduce our greenhouse emmissons.

The emerging energy superpower - Canada's oil and gas industry is surviving the economic downturn. The boom times may be over, but stories of a bust are wide of the mark

AS A MEMBER of the G8, Canada is an anomaly: it is the only member of the rich nations' club that depends on a resource-based export industry to support its economy. Oil and gas are both central to this and Canada's energy sector increasingly influences the way it deals with the world. Prime minister Stephen Harper calls his country an "energy superpower". Notwithstanding the temporary slowdown in the US economy, Americans increasingly depend on imports of Canadian energy to support their lifestyle.

And, like much of the rest of the world, Canada depends on the US: its consumers almost monopolise Canadian energy exports and the political decisions made in Washington – like whether to adopt a cap-and-trade system to fight carbon emissions – will shape the Canadian energy industry and politics

"We are proud to be pioneers in bringing the benefits of clean, safe, reliable nuclear power to Alberta."

Canada is the economic leader in the G8 and Alberta is the leader in Canada, where else in the world should you put your investment money?

Alberta economy predicted to grow 3.3 per cent next year — "Alberta’s struggling economy will recover next year and grow 3.3 per cent, the Conference Board of Canada predicted Thursday.

Gross domestic product will contract 2.7 per cent in 2009 after a 0.2 per cent decline in 2008, the board said in its summer provincial outlook.

“Higher energy prices and lower construction costs should spur oil and gas activity, which will support a rebound in the domestic economy,” the report said.

Scotiabank also predicted that rebounding oil prices and falling inflationary pressures will bring a return to growth for Alberta in 2010, with GDP rising 2.8 per cent after a predicted 2.3 per cent contraction in the economy this year. The bank said the Canadian economy’s output will shrink 2.2 per cent in 2009 and grow 2.5 per cent in 2010."

By next year Alberta will be leading the nation out of the recession.

Highway Improvements to Create Jobs in Alberta - "Stimulating our economy and keeping people working during these tough economic times is a top priority for our Government," said Minister Merrifield. "The strong relationship between our two governments enables us to work together to help Alberta communities remain competitive and prosperous, while contributing to the long-term economic growth of our country."

"Our Government is fulfilling the commitments we made in Canada's Economic Action Plan," said Minister Ambrose. "By investing in roads and highways, we will help give our economy the boost it needs, while also creating opportunities to keep Albertans working throughout these difficult times."

Another reason why Alberta is the place to invest for the long term. Systematic building of infrastructure to prepare for the next upswing of the economy.

End is at hand for downturn: Expert- Hype over the economic meltdown has inspired unnecessary panic, as recessions are part of the ebb and flow of a healthy economy, chamber president Martin Salloum said, adding that speculation among members indicates the downturn will reach cessation within 18 months.

“Edmonton’s economy is diverse enough to weather the storm,” he told Metro, adding that proof of the Alberta advantage is omnipresent.

The biggest misconception, Salloum said, is that oil is Edmonton’s economic lifeblood.

“We’re not just a one-trick pony,” he said. “We’re much more diverse than people think.”

Alberta was the first province to experience the economic down-turn and is showing signs of being the first to come out of it. The economy is strong and diverse enough all we have to do is wait for demand to increase and Edmonton will go off.

Home sales reverse course - The number of resale homes sold through MLS in May rose 18.7 per cent over the same month last year, said the Realtors Association of Edmonton on Tuesday.

It's the second straight month of year-over-year increases in Edmonton-region home sales. April's residential sales were up 1.1 per cent over the previous month.

It follows six consecutive months --from October to March--when sales were down between three and 40.5 per cent from the year before.

Association president Charlie Ponde said the two-month turnaround, along with monthly sales increases since January, show the market is recovering, although some of the increase may be seasonal. "Now it has shown that it looks like a trend,"Ponde said.

Down-turn or not people still need a place to live and there are still a lot of jobs to be filled in Edmonton; new employees need a place to live - rent or buy.

Alberta cities score high on economy - Cowtown is Wowtown but Edmonton isn't far behind, says a report released yesterday that gave Calgary a top-of-the-class grade on a global scorecard for overall economic prosperity.

Calgary was the lone metropolis in a survey of international commerce heavyweights to earn an A grade in the Calgary Economic Development-commissioned Conference Board of Canada report.

Edmonton was third. Dallas was sandwiched at second between Alberta's two major centres in the 23-city ranking.

Such results aren't surprising for Calgary, which accounts for 5% of national gross domestic product, despite a local economy cooled by the recession, said Cowtown Mayor Dave Bronconnier.
Edmonton has the same potential as Calgary but with lower house prices and higher affordability. We know where Calgary is economically with Edmonton following you are going to get great returns on housing investments. Buying now with the incredible rates and soft prices is like being at the sale of the decade.

Local bankers see thaw in economy Alberta the place to be to 'ride out' recession - "I'd rather be here in Alberta than anywhere else in the world right now to ride out this recession," said Garth Warner, chief executive of Servus Credit Union

Alberta's jobless rate highest since 2002 - "Alberta gained 5,700 jobs in April but its unemployment rate still inched up to six per cent, according to figures released Friday by Statistics Canada. It’s the highest provincial rate since 2002.

The increase in unemployment from 5.8 per cent in March despite job growth was attributed to the labour force growing by 9,400 people."

He said much of Alberta's problem is that its residents see the bad news and cut back on spending.

"The key message is that we are in a great place, the economy is strong and the banking industry in Alberta is supporting the economy here."

Canada Real Estate Forecast - "The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) recently released its predictions for 2009-2010, and it expects Multiple Listing Service (MLS) sales to decline in 2009 before rebounding in 2010."

Green economy could create thousands of new jobs in Alberta: report - "We're starting to realize that in the long run, a healthy environment is essential for a healthy economy and that the economy can be put to work to improve the health of the environment."

A move toward creating more environmentally sustainable energy sources could provide jobs for electricians, computer and electrical engineers, iron and steel workers, welders, construction workers and sheet metal workers, the report says."

Other countries around the world are in serious economic turmoil but Canada is blessed to have the most stable economy. Among Canada's provinces Alberta is the most balanced with the healthiest economy and growing infrastructure to support population/investment growth.

You may read the the oil sands are bust and all the projects have stopped but this is not accurate. There are still over $170 billion projects underway only $90 billion have been delayed. Don't kid yourself, the need for oil is increasing while the production of oil is decreasing. Until the world finds a way to make a solar car (or any product) without using any fossil fuels, that need will become more and more prevalent.

"When I look down the road, it’s going to be grimmer than I thought it would be for the next year, year-and-a-half. This is going to be an intense downturn," "there’s no better jurisdiction to be located in than Alberta," "At the end of the day, so many fundamentals are positive in the case of Alberta, the best strategy is to treat this as short-term." Michael Percy, dean of business at University of Alberta.

The Alberta economy will be back on track leading the nation as oil prices improve and companies start pumping money back into the oil sands.

Employers not appealing to Gen X and Yers - "The labour market in Edmonton and Alberta is tight as I've ever seen it in 10 years in this industry, and if you can't attract this next generation of upcoming leaders, the Gen X and Gen Y, then you as an organization are going to have significant challenges moving forward." Mike Corbett, vice-president, Edmonton, at David Aplin Recruiting.

Poll results buoy Alberta minister - "Fifty-seven per cent of respondents in The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey said there are more benefits than drawbacks to the oil sands, while 35 per cent reported the reverse.

A majority of those surveyed in every province except Quebec supported the benefits, with Alberta leading at 70 per cent.
"This data tells us a lot of Canadians do see there is benefit to the oil sands that goes beyond Alberta," Jeff Walker, senior vice-president with Harris-Decima, said yesterday.

Energy boost welcomed - Mel Knight announced yesterday that the government will offer a maximum 5% royalty rate for new oil and gas wells that begin production between April 1, 2009, and March 31 next year.

The province will also offer a drilling royalty credit of $200 per metre drilled for new conventional oil and gas wells, on a sliding scale based on their production levels from 2008.

Albertan consumers still confident - "If you look at Alberta relative to itself from a year ago, then we're probably seeing some of the largest slowdowns in Canada," said ATB Financial economist Dan Sumner. "But if you look at Alberta now compared to everyone else right now, we're still doing OK. Retail sales per capita are still by far the highest in Canada."

I felt worried about our personal losses in the stock market until I read this.

"Falling stock prices have sliced roughly $1 billion from the value of Alberta's rainy-day savings account, the Heritage Savings Trust Fund.

Finance Minister Iris Evans told the legislature Tuesday that the value of the Heritage Fund has been reduced to $16 billion since June, a drop of roughly six per cent. But she's downplaying the loss."