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If you’re thinking of buying or selling property, the Calgary real estate market has been on the rise for most of 2012. While home sales in the rest of Canada have been trending downwards because of new mortgage rules, Calgary’s has been expanding. In fact, the trend for most of 2012 is one of growth, both in volume and values this year. 

Reading the Signs of Growth

One of the best places to check for the strength of a market is from Multiple Listing Service (MLS) sales. MLS sales are a good gauge of how active the housing market is. In the case of Calgary’s Real Estate Market, transactions have risen to 2,054 –up 14.8% from September 2011. Last month’s benchmark prices, the typical sale price for a home, look good too:

• single-family homes are up 8.2% to $432,900
• condo apartments increased by 3.83% to $249,300 and
• condo townhouses grew by 2.2% to $277,700, up

Such data are pointing to the idea that the real estate market of Calgary is getting healthier and has no signs of decline. Coupled with the latest October real estate figures, an even rosier picture can be painted regarding the Calgary real estate market:

• new listings decreased to 5.57 % (or 1,831)—which could mean more people are holding on to their homes, new constructions are keeping apace, or both
• more people are buying homes, with a home staying on the market cut to 45 days
• vendors are gaining the upper hand, with average sale price rising to $433,932 (4.86 % increase) and MLS sales up 21.92% (1,235) from the same period a year ago

The Economy: Driving Calgary’s Real Estate Market Growth

The better-than-normal real estate market can be seen to be linked to a booming economy fuelled by Calgary’s robust oil sands sector. Interestingly, respected economists Craig Alexander and Mario Lefebvre predicted that Calgary’s economy is set to lead Canada for the next three years. Very heartening news indeed!

Another key factor to the growth in Calgary’s real estate market is the decreasing unemployment rate. Compared to the national average which has seen an improvement of one percent, Calgary’s situation has improved by 3.5%. This is very encouraging news as this means more people are finding better work within the city which could only translate to higher household incomes. An attractive employment environment also means more incoming migration from people looking for better job prospects. A growing population in turn will eventually lead to increased demand for housing.  Better still, this increasing demand for housing is projected to grow steadily for the next five years. In fact, the BMO Housing Confidence Report says that people are more likely to purchase a home in Calgary with figures estimated at 62% which is much higher than the national average of 46%, the Greater Toronto Area (57%), and that of Vancouver (53%).  This means that: (1) consumer confidence in the Calgary real estate market is firming up; (2) housing demand will grow over the next year, and (3) a vendor’s market is gaining traction.

Taking stock of all the data, 2012 has been a great year for Calgary and 2013 is looking to continue that trend.

Know someone who is looking to make a decision in real estate? If you know any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate within the next six months, would you forward this email to them or reply with their contact information? I’ll send them important information about the Calgary, AB surrounding area real estate market and politely ask for their business. I greatly appreciate your valued referrals; it’s the only way I build my business. (Free Market Report on value of your home: www.CalgaryMarketSnapShot.com)

Author Bio:

Bryon Howard is a top-producing real estate agent with Re-Max House of Real Estate in Calgary, Alberta. He is in love with his high school sweetheart, is an enthusiastic Dad & crazy about endurance sports. To learn more about Bryon and his real estate tips, head on over to his website.

Common wisdom holds that the holiday season is the worst time to market property as it is the year’s busiest. This notion, however, is a misconception and the holidays can be an opportune time for listing your Calgary home. Here’s why:

1. Potential buyers are likely to be emotional and will appreciate the care and attention placed in decorating a home. Remember, the holidays are a time for family and buyers will likely envision themselves and their own families in a beautifully created environment.
2.  A home is at its best during the holiday season. A warm and inviting atmosphere, coupled with festive décor, and food that is sumptuously prepared will see a house’s appeal rise astronomically with buyers. Take advantage of the holiday season and appeal to the senses. Sometimes, that bowl of freshly baked cookies or that grand Christmas tree can be more decisive in making a sale than you think.
3. There is always someone out in the market looking for a home during the holiday season and that someone is usually a serious buyer. By keeping your Calgary home listed during the holidays, you will likely catch the attention of such a buyer. Better still, since the prevalent thinking is that the holidays are not a favorable time to place property on the market, you will have less competition to contend with.
4.  Many businesses relocate their employees at the beginning of the year and this creates a sense of urgency for those transferees to find a home during the holiday season. Moreover, most companies cannot wait for spring and the wise will be on the market to capture holiday business.
5. It goes without saying that you will command a better price and make a quicker sale simply because there is less competition.

A Little Extra for the Holidays 

Aside from the suggestions mentioned above, it also pays to consider a few other nuances. First, you won’t lose your sense of privacy and family time when your Calgary property is listed. Remember, you can still decide when to have your house open for viewing. Second, it pays to have your home on the market for the simple reason that the traditional notion of “buying and selling seasons” has been displaced by technology. The internet, smart phones, tablets, and computers are all avenues for potential buyers to scout for homes. Moreover, home hunting is very much instantaneous and not as hectic as it was even 5 years ago. A buyer can literally do a search from work, while eating lunch, or during the daily commute. Thus, it pays to list your Calgary home even if it is just to be on the radar of holiday buyers.      

There you have it, five reasons on why it is actually a sound idea to list your Calgary property during the holidays.

Know someone who is looking to make a decision in real estate? If you know any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate within the next six months, would you forward this email to them or reply with their contact information? I’ll send them important information about the Calgary, AB surrounding area real estate market and politely ask for their business. I greatly appreciate your valued referrals; it’s the only way I build my business.

Free Market Report on value of your home: www.CalgaryMarketSnapShot.com

Bryon Howard is a top producing real estate agent with Re-Max House of Real Estate in Calgary, Alberta. He is in love with his high school sweetheart, an enthusiastic Dad & is crazy about endurance sports. To learn more about Bryon and his real estate tips, head on over to his website

1. People who look for a home during the Holidays are more serious buyers!

2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the Holidays and less competition means more money for you!

3. Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in January, there will be less demand for your particular home! Less demand means less money for you!

4. Houses show better when decorated for the Holidays!

5. Buyers are more emotional during the Holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price!

6. Buyers have more time to look for a home during the Holidays than they do during a working week!

7. Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax reasons!

8. January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs. Since transferee’s cannot wait until Spring to buy, you must be on the market now to capture that market!

9. You can still be on the market, but you have the option to restrict showings during the six or seven days during the Holidays!

10. You can sell now for more money and we will provide for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year!

11. By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the Spring, when many more houses are on the market for less money!

By Bryon Howard

Image courtesy of jannoon028 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As a break from my usual blog posts, I thought I’d have a little fun and share with you a few tech tips for realtors that have worked for me.

Tech gadgets like smartphones, laptops, and tablets are fairly common nowadays, and I find these devices a big help in decluttering and organizing. Among the electronic solutions that I have at my fingertips, I consider Dropbox, Skitch, and Wunderlist the most indispensable.

1.    Dropbox – Get yourself a Dropbox account. That’s probably one of the best tech tips for realtors I can give you. Realtors are always sharing PDF files, photos, and videos of the properties they represent, so having a Dropbox account—where you can save your files online and access them from anywhere and any device—is a real convenience. Just download the Dropbox software to your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, and move your files there, and the program takes care of backing up your files online.  If your needs are simple, you can do with a 2-gigabyte Dropbox account, which is free, but you’ll have to pay a monthly fee for anything more than 100 gigabytes.

2.    Skitch – A recent discovery of mine is a screen capture app called Skitch. It’s one of my secret tech tips for realtors. Skitch lets you insert text and additional images to a picture. It usually comes in handy when I need to give map directions to a client or point out certain features of a property. With Skitch, I can insert arrows, encircle areas, and annotate on a photo. What’s more, it’s free and lets you sync to different devices.

3.    Wunderlist – While I still carry around a little notepad for my to-dos and reminders, I’ve found a good alternative for when I run out of paper: Wunderlist. Probably one of the best tech tips for realtors is to get the Wunderlist on their phones. This free app lets you jot down lists and set schedules and reminders, and the best part about it is, you can mark off the tasks you complete, the way you would on paper. I like how I can customize the app’s appearance and sync my tasks to other devices like a laptop or a tablet. This way, I’m always on top of everything that needs to be done.

The great thing about devices and tech in general is that it is a fun way to stay organized. I’m the sort, however, who enjoys fiddling with devices and apps so our mileage can differ. Still, it’s great to maximize and explore your devices and I tend to discover something useful that I can apply in real estate. In any case, I hope you enjoyed these tech tips for realtors, and I hope this little post encouraged you to take a second look at those apps and devices you have with you.

Know someone who is looking to make a decision in real estate? If you know any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate within the next six months, would you forward this email to them or reply with their contact information? I’ll send them important information about the Calgary, AB surrounding area real estate market and politely ask for their business. I greatly appreciate your valued referrals; it’s the only way I build my business.

Free Market Report on value of your home: www.CalgaryMarketSnapShot.com

Bryon Howard is a top producing real estate agent with Re-Max House of Real Estate in Calgary, Alberta. He is in love with his high school sweetheart, an enthusiastic Dad & is crazy about endurance sports. To learn more about Bryon and his real estate tips, head on over to his website

Listing your property and getting it sold are considerable personal milestones to undertake, so hiring a Calgary realtor who can help you negotiate such decisions is essential. Here are 7 tips to make the process as simple and efficient as possible:

1. Make hiring a Calgary realtor a business decision.

Selling your property is a major life event so do it right the first time. Hence, find someone who’ll look out for your interests. More importantly, take all the time you need to Google reputations and ask around.

2. Tap into network referrals.

The best realtors can be found through one of their satisfied clients. Talk to them about their experiences in hiring a Calgary realtor, how they chose one, their subsequent dealings, and if they will use the same realtor again.

3. Interview several realtors before choosing.

When hiring a Calgary realtor, meet with several and ask about their memberships in MLS and realtor associations, number of homes sold, and how they’ll represent you. Acquiring such details will give you perspective on how a particular realtor thinks and works so you can see how you will fit together.

4. When hiring a Calgary realtor, beware of those who give the highest selling price.

Realtors work on commission so they would want more listings under their belt. Some will say anything to get you to sign with them. If you receive an estimate that sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Such a situation is colloquially known by insiders as “buying your listing”—the price is very attractive but it is also the quickest road to getting your listing frozen in the market. Likewise, beware of those who will say all the right things. They may change their tune once you sign with them.

5. Hire a creative, tech-savvy realtor.

Home buyers these days turn to the Internet first to search for property. It is quick, available 24/7, and done in the comforts of home. Hiring a Calgary realtor who lists your property on his website, participates in online real estate forums, and markets on social media is probably the best thing you can do. They will place your property where your buyers can find you.

6. Choose an experienced and full time realtor.

A moonlighting realtor can be licensed for years, but your property might be the first they will be selling. Hiring a Calgary realtor who’s experienced and works full time is a guarantee to getting your money’s worth. They know the market thoroughly, have the savvy to negotiate the best deals for you, and knows where and how to market your listing—unlike moonlighters who will probably squeeze in your open house between carpools and dinner. Your listing needs attention to get it sold promptly and is something that moonlighters might not have.

7. Be careful of highly successful realtors.

If you end up hiring a Calgary realtor with a busy practice, you might get passed on to assistants after signing. If so, clarify who handles what, who responds to communications, markets your house, and assists in open houses.  You will have to find these details out for yourself to get the service you have paid for.

Those are just a few basic, but important details to remember when considering a Calgary realtor. Good luck!

Do you know someone who is looking to make a decision in real estate? If you know any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate within the next six months, would you forward this email to them or reply with their contact information? I’ll send them important information about the real estate market in Calgary, AB and its surrounding areas and politely ask for their business. I greatly appreciate your valued referrals—it’s the only way I build my business. (Free Market Report on the value of your home: www.CalgaryMarketSnapShot.com)

Author Bio:

Bryon Howard is a top-producing real estate agent with Re-Max House of Real Estate in Calgary, Alberta. He is in love with his high school sweetheart, is an enthusiastic Dad & crazy about endurance sports. To learn more about Bryon and his real estate tips, head on over to his website.

Altadore is one of the most sought after communities in Calgary and there’s no surprise there. Altadore is home to sprawling parks such as Sandy Beach and River Park. It is also home to 125 independently-owned stores that provide shopping options for both residents and visitors alike. Altadore is also in close proximity to amenities such as schools and restaurants and, for the culture lovers within us all, Altadore plays host to events such as Marda Gras and Marda Loop Justice Film Festival.

A Little Heads-up for You

For the stat trackers and home hunters, Altadore has a number of facts and figures that will surely interest you.

–  Currently, Altadore has 47 Single family homes for sale

–  In the past 30 days, there have been 20 new listings and 19 sold homes

–  Currently, our highest priced property for sale is $2,295,000 and our lowest is $368,000. The median listed price is $994,000

–  In the same 30 day period, our highest sale price is $1,699,500 and the lowest was pegged at $554,800 with an average of 58 days on market.

–  Of the 47 Active listings in Altadore, 30 of them were built in the last 2 years with a median sale price of $1,065,000.

Finding Altadore fun and interesting? Perhaps it’s time to consider having a closer look at one of Calgary’s best neighborhoods.

Know someone who is looking to make a decision in real estate? If you know any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate within the next six months, would you forward this email to them or reply with their contact information? I’ll send them important information about the Calgary, AB surrounding area real estate market and politely ask for their business. I greatly appreciate your valued referrals; it’s the only way I build my business.

Free Market Report on value of your home: www.CalgaryMarketSnapShot.com

Bryon Howard is a top producing real estate agent with Re-Max House of Real Estate in Calgary, Alberta. He is in love with his high school sweetheart, an enthusiastic Dad & is crazy about endurance sports. To learn more about Bryon and his real estate tips, head on over to his website