Calgary's real estate future: questions and answers

The Calgary real estate market is in flux.

There have been recent warnings of a market correction, and now word that building permits on single-family and two-family homes fell 37.1 per cent in 2015.

Even with the recent downturn, buying a detached house in Calgary is still expensive. The average price last month was $526,758, according to the Calgary Real Estate Board.

For most in the city, their home is their single biggest investment and the one which matters most.

But whether you own a home or are considering buying or selling a home, recent market fluctuations and trying to figure out what comes next can be confusing.

Don Campbell is the senior analyst with the Real Estate Investment Network, and author of many books on buy and selling…

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Selling your Home? 6 Improvements to Net You More Money!

Are you preparing your home for sale and wondering if you should make any changes?

There are ways in which you can force equity back into your home, and make it more appealing to buyers. Just be careful not to overdo it and improve your house outside of the neighborhood price range!

The tips we will discuss in the article are low cost ways to net your more money on the sale of your home. If you’re preparing your home for sale you’ll want to be sure to pay attention to the tips in this article that will help you maximize the return on your investment!

Don't forget to call me at (250).319.5896 to discuss your home selling needs

Without further ado, here are…

Home Improvements to Increase Value

Cleaning your Home Before Listing it for Sale

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Realtor vs. Discount Brokerage vs. FSBO

Selling your home is a big deal. Thinking of selling on your own?

Do you hire a Realtor, a discount brokerage, or do it yourself to receive top dollars? Before we continue, let’s get one thing straight, in any profession there is a dividing line between a true professional and the average Joe, and real estate is no exception. With the understanding that I’m speaking of the former, here are my thoughts.

Hiring a discount brokerage or doing it yourself is almost one in the same thing in my mind. For $500-$1000 you can have your listing posted on MLS through a discount brokerage and then you’re left to sea, just like doing it yourself minus the whole MLS thing. Here’s some food for thought:

Additional Legal Fees

You pay more than normal to your…

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Is Your Realtor Trying To "UpSell" You?

High end restaurants train their staff to "up-sell" diners.

 It starts with the designer water.  The server may continue to suggest the higher priced appetizers, entree and wines.  The restaurant and the server make more money if you run up a big tab.  Some top restaurants hold training classes to teach the staff how to recommend the more expensive items.  They seldom recommend the less expensive item if you ask for an opinion.

Car dealers and department stores are also good at upselling consumers.  Buyers worry that Realtors will work the same.  This is one reason buyers are cautious about letting a Realtor know they're looking to buy.  Here are some tips to help you establish and stay with a reasonable budget when buying your home.

Setting…

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Spring Home Buying Tips

Spring can be the busiest season for buying and selling homes.

The rising temperatures and Spring flowers make it a pleasant time for house hunting.  It's good timing for families who want to move at the end of the school year.  There are good articles about "Selling" your home in the Spring.  Here are some tips for home buying in the Spring Real Estate market.

1 - No Surprise here - Hire a Good Realtor.  I know.  Everyone is tired of blogs that talk about how you need to hire a Realtor.  How they'll hold your hand through the process and they'll save you money.  No need to repeat all of that. Fact is, you can search homes for sale online. Some of the ones you see may still be available.  Some sites will let you see homes after they went into…

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Does our listing have to match all those neutral open houses?

Selling your home in Kamloops?

You have heard all about staging your home and getting it ready for sale but does your home have to fit a ideal look?

A sellers question. "We've been to a few open houses (doing research as we prep to sell our space) and we've noticed that everyone seems to have the same style of interior decoration. It's all white, minimalist with some rural flair (antlers over a fireplace, for example). Our house doesn't look like that. Is this something that people are looking for? Do we need to redecorate our place to optimize a sale?"

"When you're getting your home ready to sell, it's a great strategy to tour open houses and see what's appealing to the marketplace," says Andre Alves, a real estate agent in Toronto with Re/Max.…

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Foreign buyers crushing Vancouver home dreams as governments do little

The Canadian and British Columbia governments are complicit in fuelling Vancouver's housing crisis as foreign Chinese buyers continue to shut local residents out of the market, a new study says.

Josh Gordon, the study's author and assistant professor in the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University, said people's dreams of owning a home are being crushed because they can't compete with foreign investors and no longer accept "distraction" excuses such as low interest rates for the state of the super-heated market.

"People recognize what's going on, and they're willing to call a spade a spade," he said, stressing that such views are based on reality, not racism.

His report compiles a number of other studies, including data on home-buying…

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Metro Vancouver ‘millionaire’ homeowners selling out and buying in rural areas

Millionaire homeowners cashing out of Metro Vancouver’s red-hot real estate market are seeking greener pastures elsewhere in B.C.

Real-estate experts say they’re seeing more city slickers selling off their urban homes and heading north or east to buy hobby farms and acreages, where they can live off the land with cash to spare.

And in regions where property prices haven’t yet been affected by the Vancouver market, some realtors say it’s only a matter of time. Landcor Data Corporation tallied 3,226 sales of single-family detached properties of more than two acres in 2015, up from 2,988 in 2014. The real estate data and analysis firm also counted 1,139 units of residential, vacant land larger than two acres sold in 2015, up from 803 in 2014.

Ian…

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5 Questions to Ask Your Electrician Before He Starts!

No matter how good you are at DIY, some jobs simply require a highly trained professional.

Electricians are there for your safety and convenience, but before you invite anyone into your home to carry out difficult and often dangerous work, always ask the following five questions.

1. Are you qualified?

This might sound like a very simply question to ask someone equipped with a toolbox and a jumpsuit but it’s a valid and useful one. Anyone working with live electricity should have the relevant qualifications, so whether they’ve had electrical training with Option Skills or have an electrician degree or certification they should be willing to share their background and experience.

2. Are you a member of a licensed approved body?

Each year…

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Avoid Mistakes When Selecting A Realtor

Common Mistakes In Choosing A Real Estate Agent

You have come to that time in your life when you will be packing your bags and looking for your next housing gig. Part of this process will be picking a great Real Estate agent to work with. Unfortunately choosing the right Realtor is an area where many home sellers can make a mistake that leads to disappointment.

Your Realtor is the most important part of your team when it comes to selling or buying your home. He or she will be the link between your home and the housing market, particularly buyers and their agents. Because your Realtor can mean the difference between a quick and lucrative sale and a sale that is anything but, you should be exercising extreme discretion in your choice or Realtor. Like…

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