Banff AB Homes for Sale

Real Estate in Banff

Known for the National Park, Banff Alberta offers beautiful lakes, majestic mountains, and endless outdoor adventures. But, it's not just for visiting; there are plenty of folks that live in the Banff Alberta area. If you'd like to know more about living in Banff, read on below the listings or browse all active homes for sale in Banff below.

Included below are homes for sale and real estate in Banff, AB.

If you would like more information on any of these Banff real estate listings, just click on a property to access the full details. From there, you can request more information or schedule a tour. And we'd be happy to provide you with disclosures, past sales history, dates and prices of properties which have recently sold nearby, and more, so just let us know how we can help!

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Relocate to Banff Alberta

Banff is known for the National Park but it's also home to about 8000 residents. This beautiful town located within the National Park is nestled along Alberta's Rockies with the trans-Canada Highway just 126 km west of Calgary and 58 km east of Lake Louise. It's about 1500 m above sea level and offers the second highest elevation in Alberta after Lake Louise. It was one of the first municipalities to incorporate within the Canadian National Park.

The resort town of Banff is one of Canada's most popular tourist destinations. Beautiful mountainous surroundings, hot Springs, and endless outdoor sports draw in thousands of residents and visitors year-round. It features extensive hiking, biking, and skiing destinations within the area including the Lake Louise Ski Resort, Sunshine Village, and Ski Norquay.

Banff History

Banff was first settled in the 1880s after the transcontinental railway was built through Bow Valley. Three Canadian Pacific Railway workers stumbled upon a series of natural hot springs within the Banff Mountain area and in 1885, Canada established a federal reserve of 26 km² around Cave and Basin Hot Springs. The government promoted the area as an international resort and spa supporting the new railway. The reserve was increased to over 673 km² in 1887 and aptly named the Rocky Mountain Park. This was the beginning of Canada's National Park System.

Banff was named in 1884 by George Stephen, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The railway built a series of grand hotels along the rail line and advertise the Banff Springs Hotel as an international tourist destination. The town of Banff was developed near the railway station is a service center for tourists visiting the park. In 1985, nearly 100 years later, the United Nations declared Banff National Park is one of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site and it remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

Things to do in Banff

Obviously, the tourists, for the skiing and outdoor amenities. There are a number of mountains located surrounding the townsite including Mount Rundle, Cascade Mountain, and Mount Norquay just to name a few. All feature fantastic skiing, mountain biking trails, and the Banff Gondola ascending Sulfur Mountain where guests are greeted with a boardwalk beginning from the upper terminal connecting to Swanson Peak. Lake Minnewanka is located 6 miles from Banff featuring more mountain biking, hiking, and fishing. Tunnel Mountain is located within Banff and has a summit that can be scaled in less than half an hour.

Banff is home to the Banff World Television Festival, an international media event held in the Canadian Rockies dedicated to world television and digital content. The Banff Mountain Film Festival is held every year since 1976 presenting films and documentaries about mountain culture and events. The Rocky Mountain Music Festival is also held in Banff as is Bike Fest as the starting point of the 4417 km Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, which ends at Antelope Wells New Mexico.

Living in Banff

Because Banff is a national Park the townsite has fixed boundaries and a finite amount of land on which to build so there are restrictions for those that live in the town. For those that rent, few landlords allow pets and most likely, rentals will be sharing accommodations with others. Most residents don't need a car as everything is within walking distance but Banff does have a few condominiums and rental apartments and homes as well as properties to buy. The Banff Housing Corporation is a nonprofit organization of the town of Banff helping the town maintain a healthy and balanced community with price restricted and equity sharing homeownership. In order to buy a home, you must first be on the registered resale list. The list awards points to potential buyers and those with the most points are contacted first when a property becomes available.

To buy a house in Banff, you have to be an eligible resident. These requirements include an individual whose primary employment is in the National Park, those that operate a business in the National Park, retired individuals who reside in the National Park and who, for five consecutive years immediately prior to retirement were employed in the National Park or operated the business; or an individual who is a student in full-time attendance at an educational institution located within the National Park. Those who are a lessee of public lands in the National Park and descendants may also buy a home but there are certain restrictions. You can see it's not quite as easy as buying elsewhere. Vacation properties are typically not allowed as rentals and renting may not meet the eligibility requirements. Typically, those looking to buy in Banff will find nearby Canmore more accessible.

For more information on living in Banff Alberta and all Banff Real Estate, contact my office below. We can work out the details and find out if living in Banff is right for you.

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