These are recent virtual tours of Real Estate listings in Calgary. They show how both modern and historical properties can benefit from a 360 degree virtual tour by Inner Circle Imaging. Join the growing number of agents using virtual tours to set themselves apart. Allowing potential clients the chance to experience a  virtual open house of any property, from anywhere, at any time!  Visit out Website to view our services, searchable listing database, and virtual tour package pricing!           All Inner Circle Imaging Virtual Tours are full 360 degree environments                                                                                                                                                          View Details Type: Town house for Sale Bedrooms: 3 Year Built : 2008 Squa... 03/22/2009

Recent developments in the Canadian real estate market have conspired to benefit first-time home buyers or buyers wishing to re-enter the market. Renters who have stable jobs but have previously been priced out of the real estate market are now able to find houses and condos which they can now afford, due to drops in average home and condo prices. Further, interest rates are at rock bottom levels, with interest rates as low as 4% on 4 and 5 year terms. And the high inventory of houses and condos ensures that there is a home out there to suit everyone. The government is also jumping into the market and supporting first-time home ownership with a home buyer's tax credit. For 2009 the maximum credit that can be claimed is $750 (For more information visit the HBTC website). Really, there ha... 03/15/2009

Rigth now is the best time to look at refinancing your home.  Rates are very low right now (Best so far is 3.9% for a 2 year fixed.  If your mortgae was done in the last two years your rates will have been higher than they are know.  even for a straight switch it would be great because your mortgage payments would be lower than they are.  If you need to consolidate some of your debt (or all of your debt) into your mortgage you may be looking at a just slightly higher payment depending on your ammortization period. It could very exciting for those we are a little in debt but have equity in thier homes.  Your mortgage payment may be higher but the credi card payments and or car payments would be gone.  Term Our Discounted Posted Bank Rate Adjustable 0.80 below prime Prime 2.5% 1 Year 3.25... 03/10/2009

As per figures released by Calgary Real Estate Board, sales of single family homes in Calgary increased by 50% in February, 2009 compared to January, 2009 ( 825 in the month of February from 550 in January). The number of condominium sales for the month of February 2009 increased by more than 50% from January 2009 ( 343 in Feb 2009 vs. 225 in January 2009). The average price of a single family home in February 2009 increased by 0.6% from January 2009. There are too many buyers who are waiting for prices to bottom out before they buy. The only thing they have to consider is whether there will be enough houses for them to make their selection.   03/10/2009

With lower construction costs and plummeting retail prices, this may be the best time in recent memory to renovate that aged furnace or replace those cracked or inefficient windows. To help you further with your renovations, several levels of government rebates and incentives for replacing things like windows, doors and furnaces. For instance, the federal government currently offers a $500 rebate when an eligible home is retrofitted with a high-efficiency furnace, with an efficiency rating of 92% or greater. Other eligible retrofits include basement and attic insulation, windows, air conditioning units among others. To become eligible for this program, a home owner needs to contact a government approved energy advisor and organize to have an energy audit done on their residence. The ene... 03/09/2009

In an 8-to-7 split, Calgary city council voted down a motion to implement a real estate transfer fee. 8-to-7! Last I checked, Canada is in a recession and the Calgary real estate market balanced precariously on the proverbial knife edge. Calgary should be encouraging investment, growth and development and an 8-to-7 vote is not a vote of confidence for investors and homeowners. And in an effort to further assuage Calgarian’s fears, the council vowed to revisit the issue at some later date, likely fall 2009. Simply put, a transfer levy (fee or tax) would unnecessarily punish people having to relocate due to job loss or foreclosure. And, the transfer fee could only be detrimental to a struggling real estate market. In its proposed form, the fee would have consisted of a 1% surcharge on any... 03/01/2009

On Feb 24, in the Calgary Herald there was an article on potential river crossings at 50 Ave SW over the Elbow River and Edworthy/Shaganappi over the Bow River.  The URL is:  http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/Calgary+plans+bridges+cars/1319474/story.html. The suggested river crossings are part of the City of Calgary’s new municipal plan combining land use and transportation planning, called Plan it Calgary.  Three scenarios have been considered with regard to the future growth of the City: Compact Scenario:  The City grows within current boundaries including recently annexed lands through densification within current City boundaries. Hybrid Scenario:  The City expands outside current boundaries but a reduced rate of growth than previously experienced through densification within and o... 02/25/2009

There are a lot of free tools for converting Word to PDF Files. But most of the conversion softwares for converting PDF to Word limit the size of file. For example, some of the programs allow you to convert a few pages only. This means that if you have a file which contains 50 pages, the software might convert only first 5 pages only. I recently came across the following website which offers a free PDF to Word Conversion and the good news is that it does not limit the size of the file. So try it out for converting your PDF files to Word to edit and then change them back to PDF if you wish so. www.free-pdf-to-word.com Enjoy it! 02/25/2009

In fairness to most Realtors and in the interest of balanced opinion, I wanted to show some of the standouts who appear to have an appreciation for good listing photography. With a wide-angle lens, good lighting and some basic understanding of framing and optimal angles, any Realtor should be able to show their listing off, in its best light. While searching MLS listings for client, I recently came across these nice shots:    As always, visit my Calgary Real Estate website for further information regarding the Calgary Real Estate market. 02/21/2009

Im not sure if you were able to read the Calgary sun on Friday February 20th , but there were 2 great stories about Calgary housing market. The Housing market report released by ( CMHC .. Canada Mortgage and housing Corporation) The federal agency predicts that next year , the energy-rich province will lead the nation as home build bounces from a 3 year slump. Forecast for the year 2010 ( 14.6 % in Alberta and 1.9% nation wide) NO OTHER PROVINCE IS PREDICTED TO POST DOUBLE DIGIT... The main reason behind the CMHC's optimism for Alberta is that within one year, the impact of cash injection into the ailing economies of Canada and the U.S will be felt in the housing sector.. Mortgage rates are very low and pricing is perfect for the buyers. I guess the proof is in the numbers and the curre... 02/21/2009

You can now get a credit on your home renovations thanks to the Home Renovation Tax Credit proposed in the Harper Government's Economic Action Plan. The Home Renovation Tax Credit will provide a one time, temporary 15% income tax credit on eligible home renovation expenditures for work performed, or goods acquired between January 27, 2009 and February 1, 2010.  The credit may be claimed on eligible expenditures exceeding $1,000 but no more than $10,000. Properties eligible for the credit include houses, cottages and condominium units that are owned for personal use. (i.e., not rental properties) The Home Renovation Tax Credit will be family-based (i.e., one credit per family). The 15-per-cent credit may be claimed on the portion of eligible expenditures exceeding $1,000, but not more th... 02/19/2009

Are you one of the many home sellers trying to sell your house? Did you choose the Realtor who quoted the highest price for your house? This is the most  common mistake made by many sellers. The Listing Realtor lists your house for the highest price and tells you that someone out there will pay this price. Did you ever stop to think that this is a buyers' market? Even if it was a balanced market, most of the buyers work with Professional Realtors, who act as their advisors. Why will a Buyer's agent make his client put an offer on a house which is way too over priced? Anyway, you end up reducing the price of your house eventualy. But the window of opportunity has already closed as most of the serious buyers who looked at your house end up buying someone ellse's house. The only option you... 02/18/2009

Managing our day timer is bcoming as big a task as managing our time is. I am sure all of us use some sort of calendar. Sometime back I tried Google's free online calendar and realized that this is probably one of the best online appointmnet management tool. The best part of the calendar is that you can allow others to schedule and change your calendar. So you may allow your assistant to schedule your work appointments and your wife to schedule your personal/ family appointments. ( Well some of us might not like the idea of your wife looking at your calendar to find what you have on your calendar). It sure will help avoid a lot of overlapping appointments. You are able to import data from Outlook Calendar and the best part is that you can sync the calendar with your iPhone or Blackberry... 02/18/2009

Isn't this exiting what is happening here in Canada with the new budget.  The Conservatives (the reigning party here) have passed the buget and in that budget is the one thing that may get my business moving.  I'm talking about the rebate for renovations.  It a 15% rebate with a maximum of $1350.00.  The idea, I believe, is to infuse money into our ecomony but only if we use it.  This is very exciting as most people who have owned thier homes for a while have some equity in them.  Right now doesn't seem to be a great time to sell but it does seem to be a great time to renovate the house you already own.  There also seems to be a lift in the housing market here in Calgary where places are selling and people are looking into purchasing the homes that are on the market.  I am in the mortga... 02/16/2009

MARCH 9 TO 14 - Plan It Calgary March Open House Series Plan it Calgary will be hosting five open houses in March to provide the public an opportunity to learn more about the Draft Municipal Development Plan and Calgary Transportation Plan.  Please make sure your community association sends representatives to the open houses and is paying attention to this important city-wide plan in March. Consultation closes in mid-April and the plan will go to Calgary Planning Commission and Council later in the spring. Central South March 9, 2009 Carriage House Inn 9030 Macleod Trail SE 4:00 - 8:00 pm, with presentations at 4:30 and 7:00 North West March 10, 2009 Best Western - Village Park Inn 1804 Crowchild Trail NW 4:00 - 8:00 pm, with presentations at 4:30 and 7:00 South East March 11, 2009 Glen... 02/15/2009

  Peanuts Soccer is back!!   Peanuts Soccer Registration will open to SCCA members in late March.  Notification of time and location will be sent out via e-mail to all current SCCA members in early March.   Don't miss out on this fabulous soccer program for 3-5 year olds.  Sign up for your SCCA membership today by visiting our website at www.southcalgarycommunity.ca  To check the status of your membership account, e-mail our Membership Director at membership@southcalgarycommunity.ca   02/15/2009

Are you looking for ways to increase appreciation for community character, tell the unique story of a heritage place or foster neighbourhood pride.   The next installment of the popular Community Heritage Roundtable is on February 19 2009.    Professionals from Interpretation Canada will be talking about how you can effectively tell the story of your community through tours and other kinds of interpretive programs. This workshop will introduce you to the world of heritage interpretation, offering practical tips and techniques for connecting people to your place. It will inspire, challenge and engage you with plenty of ideas and materials to take back to your group.     Always a great opportunity to network with fellow heritage and community advocates!   Location is the Haysboro Communit... 02/15/2009

The Canadian Real Estate Association has come out with its housing forcast for 2009 and 2010. In Alberta, CREA is predicting a decrease of 8.9% in 2009 and a much more modest decrease of 1.1% in 2010. So, it appears that the worst of the market decreases are yet to come but relief is on the horizon, as Canadian and world economies are predicted to start growing again in 2010 and beyond. For more information about CREA predictions for Alberta and other provinces, go to the MSN.ca article "Where are home prices headed".As always, visit my Calgary Real Estate website for further information regarding the Calgary Real Estate market. 02/12/2009

The beginning of the process is the mortgage application.  Make sure that everything is filled out and signed.  Please include everything that you own out right, any investments no matter how small, even a car if you still have a car loan for.  These are assets and are important to show because all of your debts are counted against this.  Make sure you are truthful in this application even if you think it might not be good.  It's better the devil you know than the one you don't, that one easily can bite you in the rear.  With this information I will do a calculation to see What you can pre qualify for just based on the income.  I won't go into the Calculations with you know but it's Principle, interest, Taxes and heating over Your gross income, this will give you the gross debt service.... 02/11/2009

Hi all   I thought I would try this Blog again as I think it might be interesting what everyone thinks.    I have been reading several different Canadian Economists discuss what is going to happen in the next year.  Last year some said that by the beginning of 2009 our interest rates might be at 7%.  As they are at an all time low, I might be losing some faith in our wonderfully educated Money Profilers.  So this year I have decided to make my own projections based on what I have seen in the past.  Be aware that I am not, or do not profess to be a expert.  I am just putting some educated guesses and I would like to hear others educated guesses and then we can check them out later in the year.   I educated guess is the the next meeting in March for the Bank of Canada will not show any ch... 02/08/2009