It looks as though the months of double digit decreases in real estate sales are over. The most recent sales numbers, released by CREA, indicate a measured but significant positive outlook for the Calgary real estate market. Sales of single family homes rose 19 percent month-over-month, while sales of condos rose 30 percent month-over-month. While year-over-year sales remain depressed, the decrease is much less than in the previous months. Experts continue to predict that a bottom for the Calgary real estate market is near and if the evidence on the ground is any indicator, I am inclined to agree with the prognosticators. To read more about the recovery of Calgary's real estate market, click here.As always, visit my Calgary Real Estate website for further information regarding the Calga... 05/17/2009

With an eye to the future, the City of Calgary is developing a plan to have more Calgarians living in mixed and mulit-unit dwellings. Calgary's current development strategy is no longer viable with increasing traffic congestion and energy and utility delivery costs. Currently, Calgary's population density (1436/km2) is one of the lowest in Canada and North America and is ranked lower than Las Vegas (1604/km2) for population density, a city that is often cited as an example of unsustainable development. To bring Calgary more in line with other Canadian cities such as Toronto (3,972/km2) and Vancouver (5,335/km2) "Plan It Calgary" has been developed as a strategy for growth, for the next 60 years. The plan emphasises increasing population density in current Calgary communities and areas a... 05/17/2009

According to a recently published forecast by (CREA) Canadian Real Estate Association, Alberta is forecasted to fall by 8.8% and another 1.1% in 2010. The association said the average price in Alberta will dip to $321,900 from the recorded $352,857 in 2008. How accurate are they ? good question..... predicting the future right now is like predicting the end of the world... Im not sure i believe what they say according to the word on the street and what is actually happening. Calgary currently is leveling off and has a median price of $ 383,000 and avg sale price of $ 431,962. Im sorry but you cannot clump the whole province into one study , Edmonton is much different than Calgary. Calgary has always followed its own path and rebound the first despite what toronto says ! Its about time f... 05/14/2009

Just got word from the homeowner the home I posted pictures on yesterday SOLD!!! It had been for sale for 6 months and just SOLD in 5 days after being staged!!! I love to see the awesome results. Needless to say we have another loyal customer!!! It's very gratifying to see the results - hard work paying off.   05/08/2009

We just finished staging this property. I have to say I was pretty happy with the end result. Feedback is always appreciated. I love the diversity of the houses we get to do - It's fantastic to be able to move beyond the tradional and go more modern. It also helps that this house is amazing on it's own. Hope you enjoy looking at the photo's. 05/07/2009

Price Reduced $20,000 to be best-priced bungalow/ 2 car attached garage and developed basement. We have done the search and for a single family detached you won't beat this price! This home is a fresh and inviting bungalow on quiet cul-de-sac with totally finished walkout basement. Spa-inspired bathrooms with in-floor heat and beautiful tile, and new fixtures, jetted tub. Private low maintenance yard with covered balcony of the kitchen and master, and lower deck off of walkout. This is a great starter home which would be easy to share. Double attached garage with additional parking stall in front. Close to shopping, schools and transportation. This is a home you can just move into and enjoy, with modern colours, newer floor-coverings and vaulted ceilings. View this home today! Click on ... 05/03/2009

This Saturday there will be free baloon rides for any one that makes a $5.00 donation to the Chestermere food bank.  The rides will be tethered and will go up 80 feet so you can get an idea of what a real hot air balloon ride would be like.  This will be if the weather cooperates and we have a calm day.  If it is too windy they cannot go up.  The Lion's Club Food Bank in Chestermere is getting low on supplies and could use your contribution.  If you can help donations of non-perishable food items can be made at Safeway, the community centre or the library.      04/27/2009

Whether you've finally decided to build that deck or pave that driveway, there is some information you need to know about building permits for the Calgary municipal area. Of course, all new buildings need a building permit, issued by the City of Calgary but for those who are adding additions or making improvements to existing properties, the rules get a little more convoluted. For instance, most people will not need a building permit when building a fence, so long as the fence does not exceed 1.2m above grade, at any point extending out and away from any buildings. Here is a breakdown of some of the rules regarding permits in Calgary, AB: The following items are exempt if they meet certain conditions: Fences - As long as the fence does not exceed 1.2m above grade, extending out from any... 04/25/2009

It's the end of April, and once again, there's snow on the ground in Calgary, which although everyone moans about it, it is entirely... entirely usual. Each year, as soon as the tulips have dared to stretch their way out of their garden beds, they can expect a fresh blanket of snow to cover them right back up. This is my favorite time of year in Deer Ridge. We've lived here for just over 10 years now. One of the things I look forward to in the spring, is walking along the ridge the community is named for... And yes, there are actually Deer on the Ridge from time to time. Coyotes, magpies and hares as well. I've walked along this ridge almost every day since our Bernese Mountain Dog, Rowan became part of our family. As a puppy, he'd prance along the off-leash area with his fat little tum... 04/25/2009

Due to the current economic climate, in Canada, there are an increasing amount of foreclosures and bankruptcies. However, for the home seller there may be another option besides foreclosure if the seller has or is about to default on their mortgage. A short sale occurs when the selling price is less than the amount owing on the property. This situation can occur if there are encumbrances that cannot be covered by the proceeds of the property or if there are other debts which when combined with the mortgage, exceed the sale price of the home. It is important to remember that a short sale can only occur with the cooperation of creditors. Creditors have to be willing to pursue a short sale instead of pursuing foreclosure. As such, if a seller is expected to default on their mortgage it is ... 04/22/2009

If you're a home buyer in Calgary, Alberta, the days of waiting for a price reduction on that home you've had your eye on are coming to an end.  In fact, they may even be gone.  Our mind set for the past 6 months has been that houses aren't selling, and prices keep dropping.  Not so.  In the past 2 weeks, I've seen more pending listings than I have all year. Each time I take a buyer out to see a home, more often than not, when I go to book the list of homes my buyers are planning to see, the response we get is, "Sorry That House is SOLD."  Not great news for my buyers at the time, but certainly a welcome trend in the Calgary Real Estate Market.  The home buyers that are reaping the most benefits, are first-timers and those who are looking to move up.  Low interest rates and motivated se... 04/19/2009

I recently sold a property to a very nice elderly lady. I strictly represented the buyer and another agent and brokerage represented the property of an estate sale. When we originally viewed the vacant property is was in okay condition. You could tell that the floors had been washed and the fridge clean, etc... On the day of possession we did our walk-through and it was obvious that the property had not been touched since we were last through. The listing agent had not even returned to the property to get his lockbox which was still on the entrance way door. Anyways, we did our walk-through and all was satisfactory. Later that evening, I received a call from my client saying that the cats had got in behind that washer/dryer and now they were filthy. She was upset that the previous selle... 04/14/2009

Previously, I wrote a post (entitled Save Money Now) about the ways a person can save money if they are interested in upgrading or retrofitting a home with energy efficient materials and/or appliances. With a combination of federal government rebates and federal renovation tax credits, a person can save substantial money on the renovations of their existing property. Well, the news for Alberta residents just got better. The Alberta Provincial Government just announced a 36 million dollar investment in an energy rebate program. The program is similar to the federal ecoEnergy program, which aims to increase the efficiency of Canadian homes and reduce green house gas production. The Alberta program will be administered by Climate Change Central, an Alberta based non-profit organization. Co... 04/10/2009

Virtual Tours are here to stay!  As most of us know the current potential buyer is increasingly turning to the Internet to weed through the numerous Real Estate listings and get a preview of a property. Traditionally these previews have been information driven; consisting of a handful of pictures and a short paragraph descirbing the whole house (along with other pertinent data). With Virtual Tour technology, today's Real Estate agent can give potential clients a full preview of the property before they come to discuss the listing and have a personal showing. This immersed environment allows a qualified buyer to imagine the feelings and detail each listing has to offer. We recently completed a virtual tour for a Calgary Real Estate developer that utilizes an interactive floor plan. We ha... 04/06/2009

A flurry of recent articles about the Calgary real estate market have touted the increase in MLS sales and average home/condo prices. While year-over-year numbers remain down, there are reasons for optimism as first-time home buyers are recognizing the benefits of buying in this market and improving the housing market with there investment. The average house price in Calgary has risen roughly 1% over February, in March, gaining back some of the roughly 10% decrease in average home prices over the past year. Optimism is also spreading in the US residential market and Calgary commercial market. Recently, developers of the Bow Tower were able to secure financing from 6 of Canada's banks, indicating a loosening of lending practises. And, US home starts were up, indicating the start of a hou... 04/04/2009

With all of the incentives to renovate right now (government tax credit, low building costs, competition between contractors) you may be wondering what the 'best bang for your buck' is. Of course, if there is a project that you have in mind that will benefit you and your family and raise the comfort level of your home, then that should be where you start renovating. But, if you are unsure about where to start and you are looking to add value to your home then this article is for you. Every year, the Appraisal Institute of Canada publishes a review of the return-on-investment of various types of home renovations. For instance, in 2008, if you were to add a pool to your property, in Canada, then you would expect to see a return of 0-25%. Not really that good when you consider that a pool ... 03/30/2009

Below are the mortgage rates for today.    Lynn Meldrum , Mortgage Professional   Verico Canada First Mortgage Phone 1-403-554-9142 Fax  1-866-53-4235 Email  lynn@canadafirstmortgage.com                           Term Our Discounted Posted Bank Rate Adjustable Prime plus 0.80% Prime Plus 2 1 Year 3.25% 5.50% 2 Years 3.80% 5.75% 3 Years 3.85% 5.75% 4 Years 4.10% 5.69% 5 Years 3.89% 5.79% 7 Years 5.15% 7.00% 10 Years 5.25% 7.35%   rates as of March 25, 2009     Rates can change w/o notice   Here's a joke I recieved I thought it was funny   IKEA HAS ANNOUNCED IT'S INTENTION  TO TAKE OVER GMC, AND TO SELL CARS.WE ARE IN DEEP SHIT.......................    Have a great day and watch out!!!!!   03/25/2009

Well with the changes that the Canadian Government made to how we lend money there have been some changes.  Most obviously is mortgages for self employed and small business owners.  At one point we could state the inome of the client, the lendr would require a business license but nothing with income amounts on it.  Because as we know business owners and the self employed write off as much as possible so as not to pay a ton in taxes at tax time.  This however is changing with some of the lenders and instead of a stated income they are looking for more of a verified income with some leaway.  They are asking for NOAs and T! generals.  I think the self employed and business owners will be having a difficult time again getting mortgages and this is a shame, especially when their credit bure... 03/23/2009

In this time of tight consumer and business credit it is as important as ever for buyers to get pre-qualified with a competent mortgage broker before starting a home search. Whether you are a first-time home buyer or you have bought or sold many properties, you will need to be pre-qualified. There are many reasons to get pre-qualified but the main reasons are as follows: 1. To Determine If You Can Own A Home - People with little credit, bad credit or no credit will have difficulty trying to find a lender that will finance a mortgage. For buyers, it’s better to know right up front, what your credit rating is so that you can determine the steps you need to take to improve your credit, if need be. Buyers need to know that some mortgage brokers do not pull credit ratings for a pre-qualific... 03/23/2009

Blaine and Sandra Cameron have three children between 11 years and 4 years and have moved from six different rental properties in the past eleven years. Blaine opened a new business in summer 2008 and Sandra’s work has been sporadic as she has spent much time at home with her children.  Eight months ago, they began investigating Rent to Own Housing.  Their credit was poor; they could afford $2100 per month, and had saved a down payment of $3,000. They are currently enjoying their rent to own home in Taradale, NE, Calgary.  Essentially, renting to own is as easy as it sounds. You, the renter, enter into an agreement with the seller to rent their home for a certain amount of time (3 years is a common length), and at the end of the agreed upon term, you will purchase the house. How is this... 03/22/2009