Calgary communities
Buying in The Established North
Thorncliffe, Huntington Hills, Beddington and Country Hills — solid older housing, close in, quietly good value.
Mostly 1960s–1980s bungalows and split-levels on large lots, with 1990s development further north.
- Value buyers
- Renovators
- Suite potential
- Families
Thorncliffe, Highwood, Huntington Hills, Beddington, Sandstone, Harvest Hills and Country Hills form north-central Calgary. It is unglamorous and consistently underrated: large lots, mature trees, well-built older homes, and a location that is genuinely close to downtown and the airport.
The bungalows here — big lots, separate entrances, decent ceiling heights — are among the better secondary-suite candidates in the city, which is a large part of the appeal for buyers doing the arithmetic.
Financing a home in The Established North
Suite legality is again the deciding factor: a permitted, registered suite lets a lender use the rental income, an unpermitted one usually does not, and the difference can be tens of thousands of dollars in purchasing power. On the building side, homes of this age are prime poly-B and aluminum-wiring territory, both of which can affect insurance availability and therefore funding. A purchase-plus-improvements mortgage is often the right structure here if the house needs work.
Ask me about The Established NorthQuestions about The Established North
What kind of homes are in The Established North?
Mostly 1960s–1980s bungalows and split-levels on large lots, with 1990s development further north.
Who does The Established North suit?
The Established North tends to suit value buyers, renovators, suite potential, families. Thorncliffe, Huntington Hills, Beddington and Country Hills — solid older housing, close in, quietly good value.
Is there anything unusual about getting a mortgage in The Established North?
Suite legality is again the deciding factor: a permitted, registered suite lets a lender use the rental income, an unpermitted one usually does not, and the difference can be tens of thousands of dollars in purchasing power. On the building side, homes of this age are prime poly-B and aluminum-wiring territory, both of which can affect insurance availability and therefore funding. A purchase-plus-improvements mortgage is often the right structure here if the house needs work.