December is a special time for many of our clients. For some, this month is significant for cultural or religious reasons. For others, it's meaningful because of time spent with family and friends. For most, it is also a time of planning and looking ahead to the new year.

Whatever this month means to you, we wish you the best.

On a personal note, we just wanted to thank all our past customers for their loyalty and support this year. We hope to be of service to those past and future customers for many years to come.

Have a wonderful new year!

 Calgary Herald April 15, 2011 7:33 AM  It is strange that consumers will take out extended coverage on an iPod, but might not bother to check if the biggest purchase they will ever make, a new house, is covered by a warranty.The Alberta branch of the Canadian Home Builders' Association wants to make new home warranties mandatory.

The Alberta government wisely appears headed in that direction. It is also considering toughening its building codes.In a province that has difficulty attracting experienced tradespeople during building booms, mandatory warranties and stricter building codes are necessary to protect consumers. Although a builder will pass on the cost of a new home warranty to the consumer, it is a small price to pay, given the potential consequences.

Last month, 300 residents of a seven-year-old condo complex in Fort McMurray -constructed during the height of the oil boom -were permanently evacuated because of concerns the structure could collapse.Voluntary warranties also give an unfair price advantage to builders who do not offer such protection. New home warranties protect deposits, completion, quality of the workmanship and materials and a home's structural integrity. Temporary living expenses are often included if consumers are forced to move during repairs.

Alberta builders were the first in the country to offer new home warranties. Ontario and B.C. have overtaken Alberta on the legislative front, with third-party warranties mandatory in those provinces.To protect Alberta consumers, it is time for this province to come on board.© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

 

The internet can be a wonderful tool to help find a new home, or it can be a frustrating time-waster. It all depends on how you use it.
Let’s first take a look at the upside of using theWeb when home shopping. A good REALTOR® can point you to websites and specific web
pages where you can:

• See pictures of homes available, including in some cases individual rooms and other property features. 

• Get property details, such as lot size, number of bedrooms, square footage, and other features.

• Find information on the neighborhood and surrounding area, such as the location of schools, parks and public transit.

• Take a “virtual tour” (when available), which allows you to view a home on your computer almost as if you were walking through it in real life.

Previewing specific homes online can save you a lot of time. You can quickly get a sense for whether or not a property meets your basic criteria before traveling to see it in person.
But there is a downside to relying too much on the internet to preview homes.

Pictures and descriptions on the internet don’t always tell the whole story. It’s entirely possible for a home to look unappealing to you on a website, yet turn out to be the perfect
home when you actually go to see it. (Imagine not seeing it and missing out on that potential dream home.)
In addition, even these days, some homes are listed and sold so fast that they never make it to the internet. So if you rely too much on websites to find homes, you might miss out on
opportunities.

The solution?Work with a REALTOR® who knows how to find homes on the market that are a good match for you, and knows how to make the entire home buying process go quickly and
smoothly.

Need help finding a new home? Call today!

CALGARY’S HOUSING MARKET RECOVERY CONTINUES AT A GRADUAL PACE

                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Calgary single family home sales increase over the previous month and year-over-year Calgary, March 1, 2011 –According to figures released today by CREB® (Calgary Real Estate Board), for the second month in a row, single family home sales in the city of Calgary increased over previous month figures and levels recorded in February 2010. The rise in sales continues to point to a gradual recovery in Calgary’s housing market.

The number of single family home sales in the month of February 2011 were 1,169, compared with January 2011, when sales were 791 — an increase of about 48 per cent. The number of condominium sales for the month of February 2011 was 468. This was up from the 302 condominium transactions recorded in January 2011.

Year-over-year, the number of single family homes sold in February 2011 in the city of Calgary increased by 13 per cent. In February 2010, single family home sales totaled 1,035. Condominium sales saw a decrease of 13 per cent from the same time a year ago. In February 2010, condominium sales were 536.

“The convergence of affordability, low interest rates, a good selection of inventory and improved confidence in the Alberta’s energy sector is building the foundation for a sustainable housing recovery,” says Sano Stante, president of CREB®. “Sales of single family homes priced below $400,000 are driving the gradual recovery, with the expectation that as the year progresses we should see the sales shift to homes priced in the mid range of the market.”

The average price of a single family home in the city of Calgary in February 2011 was $461,786, showing a 2 per cent increase from January 2011, when the average price was $454,163, and a 1 per cent increase from February 2010, when the average price was $458,254. The average price of a condominium in the city of Calgary in February 2011 was $290,145, showing a 1 per cent increase from January 2011, when the average price was $288,291 and a 3 per cent increase over last year, when the average price was $282,880.

The median price of a single family home in the city of Calgary for February 2011 was $400,000, showing a slight increase from January 2011 when the median price was $390,000. This was a 3 per cent decrease from February 2010, when the median price was $411,000. The median price of a condominium in February 2011 was $267,000, showing a 5 per cent increase from January 2011, when the median price was $255,000, and remained virtually unchanged from February 2010, when it was $265,900.

“The Bank of Canada announced today that interest rates will remain unchanged until summer to encourage continued economic growth in Canada. Steady interest rates combined with stable housing prices indicate current affordability levels in Calgary will persist throughout the first half of 2011,” says Sante.

Single family listings in the city of Calgary added for the month of February 2011 totaled 2,268, an increase of 15 per cent from January 2011 when 1,965 new listings were added, and showing an increase of 5 per cent from February 2010, when 2,154 new listings came to the market.

Condominium new listings in the city of Calgary added for February 2011 were 971, an increase of 12 per cent from January 2011, when 870 condo listings were added to the market. This is a decrease of 12 per cent from February 2010, when new condominium listings added were 1,109.

“Improvements in the energy sector will translate into growth in employment and net-migration in Alberta and Calgary. This will boost consumer confidence and ultimately improve housing demand.” says Stante.

NOTICE

From 9:00 pm Tuesday February 8 and into 11:00 am Wednesday February 9, 2011 there may be some internet provider perodioc interuptions. These interuptions are to up grade the service. We appoligise for any inconvience this may cause.