General Real Estate 
There are currently 36 blog entries related to this category.
Important Changes for Buyers in Calgary
When an offer gets accepted by a seller, usually the buyer still need to get their financing approved and complete a home inspection. Until most recently, the sellers used to take their homes off the market, and change its status to “Pending” or conditionally sold.
As per the new rule change made by CREB, now a seller can instruct their Realtor not to remove the property from the market and keep its status as an “Active” listing. Seems to be fair to the sellers as they are not losing any marketing time incase the buyer fails to firm up the deal. But what about the rest of the buyers who are very committed to finding a new home?
Edmontonians have already adopted this system many years ago, and apparently it’s working great for them.
What do you think? Do…
2012 - Calgary Real Estate Board Market Prediction
CREB releases their market prediction in every January. If you are in the market to buy or sell your property in 2012, this report just may be the most important research document for you to base your decision on.
2011 had certainly showed some improvements to the market by single-family home sales increasing 9.06 per cent. However, if compared to the ten year average, it is still lagging about 17 per cent from where our transaction volumes should be at.
There is definitely more optimism on the streets of Calgary, especially when oil is over $100 a barrel and many oil companies are once again finding it a challenge to fill professional positions to keep up with demand.
Housing prices have been very stable in Calgary for the past several years and we are…
Merry Christmas!
From my family to yours we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! May the timeless message of Christmas fill your heart and home with joy today and throughout the coming year!
Federal Election and Calgary Real Estate
There’s nothing better than a good federal debate. Well actually, that’s not true. Having a government be able to do its job without being having to be sidetracked by numerous costly elections, well that surpasses the greatness of watching prime-minister-wannabes duke it out on live TV. As I was watching the debates last night---wondering what must have happened to Mr. Ignatieff in his childhood that turned him into such an angry individual---I considered what we have lost by being forced into this 300 million dollar-election. Of course the first such thing that came to mind was the grinding halt which befell Realtors’ federal lobbying efforts, among many other things. But you’re not here to read about the other things, you’re here to read about real…
How to Become a Real Estate Millionaire in Calgary...
So, you’ve got a twenty percent down payment burning a hole in your pocket, and you’re looking for a place to spend it. Your friend, Mike, tells you to get a single family house in Bridlewood, but your other pal, Steve, says you should invest in condos in Evergreen. Your dad swears that houses in the Calgary Beltline are the newest up-and-comers. So who do you believe? You’ve got a pocket full of cash, and head full of dreams about investing in Calgary Real Estate and finally achieving total financial freedom. But is it possible? Yes, it absolutely is!
One of my past real estate coaches, Don R. Campbell, (author of books such as Real Estate Investment in Canada) encourages people to do their homework. When you a buy a home in Calgary for the sole purpose of…
Love it or List it
So, you have pasta noodles falling off your pantry shelves. Your kids’ clothes are pouring out of their closets, and you’ve got more shelving on your walls than pictures. It’s time to move. Or is it?
One when question I’m asked all the time is whether people think it’s best to renovate their home into something that suits them, or go and look for a totally different home that better suits their needs. Basically, whether they want to love it, or list it. There are so many different elements involved in making a choice like that, and before you jump in with both feet, there are a few real estate facts that you should know before you sign on with a contractor or a Calgary Real Estate Agent.
To me the choice between loving it or listing it can sometimes be a…
Revenue Canada Gives Back!
Yes, you read that right! Revenue Canada is giving back. Well, Okay, they are giving back in the only way they know how: by giving tax credits. I’m sure they think that still counts as “giving.”
At any rate, anytime Revenue Canada is giving, you should be making it your number one priority to be taking, because if the tables were turned…well I won’t finish that sentence, but I think you get the picture. Now get a pen and write this down:
“If I go out and buy my first house (because I’m mature and responsible like that) I will get money back from Uncle Sam Canuck.”
How much money will you get back from our frosty tax-collecting friend, Uncle Canuck? Well, it could be as much as $750.00!
I would like to do a quick review of what you can get with $750.00
1) A…
Not again… Real Estate Prices are Falling!
“Real Estate prices are dropping through the ground! We’re in the red,” proclaims the radio announcer on your drive into work:
“Take your spouse and child, buy extra water and food, and hideout in your basement until the meltdown passes,” he warns.
So you arrive at work and wring your hands over and over. You look at your computer and your clock, and you plan your trip to Costco to buy water and food so that you can survive the horrible Real Estate meltdown. “Is my little house in Bridlewood really worth next to nothing?” you think, as you imagine yourself and your family eating macaroni and cheese day-after-day in the kitchen of your lovely three-bedroom home in Bridlewood.
You finish work quickly and begin your drive home, ready to tell your wife that…
Should I Rent or Buy a House? …That is the question!
I think the answer is simpler than it appears. If you are renting, then your landlord is keeping everything that you are giving him. In the example where your mortgage payment is $1,100 per month, approximately $800 goes towards interest, and the other $300 is the principal that goes towards your equity.
As I was saying before, when you are paying your own mortgage, $300/mo. is actually going towards your own principal, and in 25-30 years you will more likely own the property outright.
Of course there are some risks involved with owning real estate: maintenance, and possible depreciation. But if you look at real estate values over the last 20 years, I think that on average it has increased in value by about 6% per year.
Now here is the hidden secret of…
Calgary’s Real Estate Market Delivers Shocking Discovery
At first I couldn’t believe my own eyes when I saw the results of the latest real estate research that I have just completed. What I will share with you here will really shock you and it will definitely make you wonder why nobody else is telling you this.
Okay, here is what I had stumbled upon. The whole global economy has been going though recession for the last few years, and Calgary received its share for sure of loosing jobs, decreasing real estate prices, etc…
In 2010 and recently I have been in conversation with many homeowners who happened to buy a property on the peak of our most recent real estate boom in Calgary. The challenge they are facing now is that they would like to sell their property. Because house prices have declined since, they can’t…
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Last updated on: 2012-02-10 00:18:44
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- Joe, Thank you for your assistance in helping us sell our home on time. You provided us with exceptional customer service and your analysis of the market was insightful as well as accurate. We will recommend you to others and call upon you again when needed. Thanks again.
- Mike & Laura Holemar
