Real Estate Blog - March, 2017

The Little Free Pantry

The Little Free Pantry idea began in the United States. Someone saw a need in their community to help provide the poor and marginalized the necessities of life. They wanted something that those in need could go to for free and without obligation; as if they could go into someone’s pantry and take what they need. Thus, the Little Free Pantry was born.

The concept is this: build a small outdoor pantry and fill it with things those in need may be able to use, such as non-perishable food, bus tickets, toothbrushes, deoderant and on-the-go snacks. The pantry is placed on the edge of your private property, available to those who need it. Note that you cannot build a Little Free Pantry on city property or someone else’s private property. Doing so is illegal…

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The Great Thaw

Spring is officially here, and judging by weather forecasts, it may be around to stay. This means that Calgary is entering into a phase known as ‘The Great Thaw.’ The Great Thaw is that time of year when month-old piles of frozen snow begin to melt, when foundations begin to settle back in and when the trees start to stretch their limbs. Calgary is getting ready to say goodbye to another long winter and to welcome a fresh spring.

The Great Thaw is a beautiful, exciting time of year. Calgary’s colour palette turns back from grey to green. Outdoor sporting events, BBQ’s, evening walks and blooming flower beds are on the horizon. However, The Great Thaw also comes with its own unique set of challenges. At the foremost of these challenges is the effects it…

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone!

What a fun holiday that celebrates irish culture as well has kicking off a season of springtime here in YYC. Be prepared for green drinks, four-leaf clovers and (hopefully) a little bit if irish luck.

There is one strange tradition associated with St. Patrick’s Day that we have never understood. The tradition is this: on St. Patrick’s Day you are supposed to wear green, which makes sense since green is one of the colours of the irish flag and is most commonly associated with things such as four-leaf clovers and the beautiful landscape of Ireland. However, what we don’t understand is why, if you do not wear green on St. Patrick’s day, you get pinched!

Bustle has the answers:

“[Green] has been used as a way to…

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Ken's Market Update

Hello Everyone,

I am very happy to relay good news, the Calgary real estate market is in a transition towards an improved market!

All of us here at Team Ken Richter are extremely busy facilitating sales in every price range despite the recent frigid winter temperatures. We are experiencing numerous weekly sales and even multiple offer situations! We haven’t experienced a heated market like this for some time. I don’t expect prices to increase anytime soon, but I believe prices will stabilize considering the market activity already this year. The low inventory of housing all across the city and the fact that mortgage interest rates remain at an all-time low are contributing to the recent wave of activity. This is very positive as our market has…

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February 2017 Housing Statistics

The detached sector of housing is what really drove the market this year. CREB® reports, “February sales totaled 1,342 units, which is still 19 per cent below long-term averages, but an improvement over the past two years.” One really wonderful thing that happened is that the average time a property is on the market dropped to 2.4 months, which has helped ease downward pressure on pricing. This means sellers are selling their homes faster and for better prices. The benchmark price for a property was $501,900 in February.

CREB® president David P. Brown notes, “there seems to be a new sense of optimism these days. Some sellers are feeling upbeat about the changing landscape and the improved chances of selling their home. Other people are looking at the…

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