As the weather gets warmer, there's nothing more fun than taking the party outdoors. Whether you're having a backyard bash or an intimate gathering on your condo balcony or rooftop, here are some tips for a simple, sophisticated summer 'do. Be deliciously different.Think outside the burger, and try something like marinated vegetable skewers or grilled pizza. If you plan to barbecue something that falls apart easily, like fish or veggies, use a grill rack. Put a sprig or two of fresh rosemary on the coals while you're grilling. Not only will the food taste great, but your party will smell wonderful. Serve a signature cocktail.Set up a margarita or mojito station. Set out rimmed glasses, slice some limes, then serve the drink in pitchers with lots of ice and let guests help themselves. B... 07/09/2008

Well July is here and that normally means a slowdown in activity in our market. Most people are surprised to hear that December and July are the two slowest months for number of units sold in the real estate market. That being said there are still homes selling, people just tend to have their minds on summer holidays and enjoying the short Edmonton summer. I've put together another graph showing our inventory versus sales.The sales data has been quite strong, we are pushing 2000 home sales each month for the last 3 months. Actually they have been extremely consistent, 1823 in April, 1821 in May and 1852 in June.Our inventory has finally started to crest, we actually dropped a little with the number of homes for sale on the market. At the end of May we were sitting at 11,006 homes for s... 07/09/2008

West Edmonton Mall used to have the largest everything. Although it has lost a lot of it's superlative status it does once again have a biggest - The largest Apple store in Canada.The opening saw 600 people lined up some as early as the day before.I can only assume Apple feels that Edmonton ranks along with Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal as crucial sales points due to it's growing population and strong economy. 07/06/2008

We've generally stayed away from Alberta Ave because the headaches of managing and tenanting the property far outweighed the low price tags. However, with an $8.5 million , 5 block-per-year revitalization in the works it's starting to look more and more attractive."Alberta Avenue, the 27-block stretch of 118th Avenue north of downtown, is getting a facelift. Crews are beginning work on "streetscaping" five blocks of the avenue, putting in new road surfaces, new and wider sidewalks, new trees and better lighting." Susan Ruttan, edmontonjournal.comDon R. Campbell often says to not be the first in the area to start the gentrification but come in the middle when the risk takers have done most of the work. I would say this is a good indication that properties in this previously forsaken (dru... 05/09/2008

Is the only answer. I saw that oil could go as high as $200 per barrel not just a bubble but the growing demand and tightening supplies might make that scary number a reality. Along with carpooling, using the transit system and well walking we could all try "hypermile - ing":"Fuel economy-maximizing behaviors describe techniques that drivers can use to optimize their automobile fuel economy. The energy in fuel consumed in driving is lost in many ways, including engine inefficiency, aerodynamic drag, rolling friction, potential energy required to climb hills, and kinetic energy lost to braking (absent regenerative braking). Driver behavior can influence all of these. The city mileage of conventional cars is much lower than highway mileage due to: 1) a high proportion of idling time, 2) o... 04/25/2008

MEXICO BUYING GUIDEThe U.S. State Department estimates that there are twice as many people buying a home in Mexico today than there were just a decade ago. Many are buying in new waterfront resorts targeted to Americans in popular destinations like Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Sonora and the Baja Peninsula. The appeal is more than just the thought of permanently toasty weather. The cost of living, from housing to health care, is significantly lower in Mexico than it is in the U.S. That makes the country especially attractive to retirees on fixed incomes, as well as to younger telecommuters and others with portable jobs fleeing high-cost U.S. cities. Increasingly available creature comforts like high-speed Internet access are making the country more attractive to Americans. In Baja, there's ... 04/07/2008

An Edmonton landlord struggles to keep the school near his complex open and is willing to pay to make that happen."Reg Appleyard, Meadowcroft Housing Society of Edmonton's executive director, told public school trustees that he will guarantee 110 students are enrolled in Woodcroft Elementary School by Sept. 15, and the society will pay nearly $5,000 for every student short of the goal, up to $98,224 or a shortfall of 19 kids." Photo courtesy of Edmonton Journal.Relying on 30 years of accumulated reserve funds, Reg sees this as the biggest crisis the complex has had to face, and is willing to pay to keep the school and his units tenanted."We bought this complex 30 years ago, and we've always set aside funds each year for crises or emergencies," he said. "We feel that this is probably the... 03/26/2008

This is taken from Star Publications of Malaysia. "WITH crude oil hitting a record price of US$108 per barrel recently, the search for oil and gas has been more intense than ever due to its high profit margin. In recent years, investing in the extraction of oil from sand or oil sands is gaining popularity because of the strong demand and high prices of oil. It was reported by Time Magazine in a recent article that second only to the Saudi Arabia reserves, Alberta's oil sands deposits were described as “Canada's greatest buried energy treasure,” which could satisfy the world's demand for petroleum for the next century."So that brings the countries investing in Alberta to France, China, Norway, the Middle East, America, Japan and now Malaysia. They see something that is a sure bet with th... 03/24/2008

Recently a lot of people are asking what exactly is a joint venture investment and "What DO you guys do?"To put it simply:We leverage our time, knowledge, expertise, contacts and education for investment capital and we own the asset/property we buy 50/50. OUR ROLE1. Choosing quality revenue properties using a proven real estate system - this often means searching through 100's of properties in select areas. It takes time to find a good property in an appreciating area that is a deal. Most people look at a maximum of 10 properties we look at 100s.2. Purchased undervalue and/or with a decreased down payment - Close to 90% of the deals we do are less than 25% down deals heck they are often less than 20% down. Second mortgages, assumable mortgages and agreements of sale are a few savvy stra... 03/19/2008

The city had a budget surplus of $34.4 Million in 2007. Some of the excess funds are planned to go to infrastructure, a new sports complex and other projects."I know it's frustrating and I don't blame the public. I don't necessarily disagree with their position either, but sometimes it's hard to guess 365 days in advance what's going to happen." Mayor Stephen MandelMaybe we can get a rebate? 03/06/2008

Over the last ten years Edmonton has seen and incredible 203% increase in housing prices."Never before have we seen such a continuous run-up in Canadian real estate. Clearly, strength in all markets has been directly linked to solid growth in local, provincial and national economies. Low interest rates, job security, and consumer confidence have all served to further bolster home-buying activity across the nation," Michael Polzler, executive vice-president of RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic CanadaIt goes to show that real estate is a long term play, short term thinking and lack of focus can only be detrimental to investors. If you pick a market with strong economic fundamentals then buying property is sure to give you good returns over the long term. The hardest part is maintaining your focus o... 02/22/2008

My statement from Mackenzie Financial Corporation came today no big shocks or surprises this time but I did get a little pleasure from a link on the Mackenzie site. Burn Rate shows how Canadians are burning through their hard earned post-tax dollars.  The Denialers "a family of four that spends like fourteen" who are "experts at convincing themselves that their financial affairs are in fantastic shape"  are indicative of how many families sometimes have everything - except a financial plan. It's a good link to spend to someone who may need need a little nudge to think about their finances. Don't miss the Burn Rater Spending Test that will tell you how much of an over spender you are. 02/17/2008

Due to high demand, limited supply and increasing rents Edmonton office space is in hot demand.Prices by the square foot have increased 76% since the beginning of last year. "Overall, office vacancy has reached historical lows, with unprecedented rental rates being achieved in both the downtown core and suburban office markets," says Canadian real estate services company DTZ Barnicke. READ MORE 02/15/2008

  Bestselling author of Real Estate Investing in Canada: Creating Wealth with the ACRE System, 97 Tips for Canadian Real Estate Investors and 51 Success Stories from Canadian Real Estate Investors  spoke with The Edmonton Journal to warn investors of falling for hype, thinking short-term and not looking "Behind the curtain" when investing in real estate.He explained what we can look forward to in the Albertan market,"Edmonton's housing prices, which fell 11.7 per cent during the last half of 2007, will dip again this spring, then rebound during the second half and be up 11 per cent on average during 2008. Calgary prices will be up 12 per cent, Red Deer 10 per cent and Grande Prairie 11 or 12 per cent."why you should only line up for U2 concerts not properties,"When you line up around a... 02/15/2008

RBC's latest provincial forecasts: "Alberta leads all provinces with above-average economic growth, followed by Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. On the opposite end of the scale, and showing a complete turnabout with its mega-projects now in maturation, Newfoundland and Labrador is posting the slowest economic growth rate of 0.5 per cent, and on its heels is P.E.I., as well as Quebec and Ontario with its manufacturing woes. However, a more bullish outlook is in store by the end of this decade for Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and, in particular, Saskatchewan, where there is a possibility for a triple play of diamond mining, rich uranium deposits and a massive oil strike in the southeastern part of the province." Get Your Copy Of Report Here If you still think Albert... 01/18/2008

 Ask any Realtor and they'll tell you that winter is a time to prepare for the next year. Plant the seeds on the sales they plan to make in the spring because real estate comes to a near grinding halt over the winter months. But not this year. Royal Lepage Real Estate Services reports that the last quarter of 2007 saw the Canadian market slowing down only a little rather than the full on braking that has come to be expected in last quarter. Edmonton can expect a moderation and balancing of prices and that is ok by me because I'm looking to significantly increase our investment portfolio and overpriced homes need not apply. "In Alberta, where Edmonton’s prices were rising at a 50 per cent annualized clip early in 2007, the breakneck rise in recent years "has moderated demand," the Royal ... 01/18/2008

As an Real Estate Investor I find it interesting how many Realtors, many who have an idea of what I am looking for, bring me an MLS listing and say check this out.Is the vender willing to carry a 2nd?  Didn't askDid you ask any questions?  Wanted to see if you were interested first.I'm interested if...the vendor is willing to carry a 2nd mortgage and help me buy the property they want to sell, if they do that I'm into negotiating and exploring the possibilities .  I only have so much time during the day and need Realtors who do more for me than I could for myself on the deal. An analogy might be trying to fire a musket in rapid succession.  You are much more successful if one person is loading and another is firing.  If someone hands me a musket and says all you got to do is aim and fir... 12/04/2007

The history of of Real Estate is an interesting thing to me.  I don't know if anyone knows the information I'm seeking but I'm just curious on a few things.  Is there a book?When did the Mls system start up?  It is an amazing system and what did realtors do without it?When was the first key box used or when was it invested? Stroke of genius.  How much of a realtors time was saved?  Did they past those savings onto the consumer?   Real Estate has gone international for even the first time investor.  Pitches on property in Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico...people working in Korea or Japan investing in Canada.  Your first recreation property could be anything but that little lake cabin 100km away. If any of you out there have some fun facts about the evolution of Realtors, Real Estate, or anyth... 12/04/2007

Some of Edmonton's most prestigious office space has increased in value close to 43% over the last year and are projected to shoot up another 8 to 10% next year. Bringing this city's global rank 93 places at $46 per square foot. Even with the incredible jump we are still on the discount side though.Calgary tops Canada's offices with total occupancy costs of $64 per foot. Toronto comes in at $63.35 and $49.98 in Vancouver. The world's most expensive office space is West End London at $326.67 Cdn, trailed by Bombay's $188.22, London City at $179.57, Moscow at $179.55 and Central Tokyo at $177.40.The office space in Edmonton will be getting tighter as more companies expand their bases in Canada. 11/22/2007

"Cheng and Wong admitted to the panel that they raised approximately $3.5 million from roughly 150 Alberta investors, as part of the development of three real estate projects to be undertaken by Carling Development Inc. and Carling Development (BC) Ltd. None of the projects has been completed." CNW Group"At the height of the gold rush, a gang of con men operated in Skagway under the leadership of Soapy Smith. One of Soapy's best cons involved his "telegraph office." Recent arrivals were greeted by men who offered to send telegrams to their families for only $5. Most people did not look behind the "telegraph office" to notice that the wires ended a few yards out." Postal Museum Just like the Gold Rush in the late 1890`s Alberta's oil boom is bring con - men out of the woodwork. If you ar... 11/22/2007