Real Estate Blog - Ken Richter

July 2015 Statistics

The summer is typically a popular time for those hoping to buy and/or sell a property. With school in hiatus for the summer, backyards emerging from their snowy slumber, and vacation days stored up, many people take advantage of the time and begin their real estate journey. This is the summer trend.

If there was one word to describe the real estate market this July, it would be “consistent.” Nothing out of the norm happened. It stayed consistent with typical summer trends. While this may seem dull, it is a sigh of relief for Calgarians who have still been nervous about the market after the oil crash back at the start of the year.

Sales activity for the month of July was consistent of the 10 year average. The declines we previously saw in…

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Vacation Properties

If there is one thing Calgarians love, it is a beautiful vacation home somewhere warm to visit on chilly winter days and as a summer getaway. Not only are vacation homes a great refuge to escape the busy city life, but they are also a fantastic investment. While real estate is one of the most popular places people invest their money, it can also be a risky investment if it is not done properly. So, today we are going to be going over how to find a great vacation property that doubles as a great investment.

Popular places for owning vacation homes are Palm Springs CA, Arizona, and Radium B.C. You definitely aren’t limited to only searching for homes here, but they do have some bonuses: the plethora of other vacation homes there mean that it is a…

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June 2015 Statistics

It has been a long time coming, but we can finally say with certainty that the Calgary Real Estate market has finally stabilized and is back to where it once was. For some, this is incredibly surprising considering the fact that the overall economic market of Calgary nearly plummeted back in January when the oil sector crashed. For the optimists, this in an unsurprising result of a city who has fought through way too many things to be thrown off track for long. Welcome back, Calgary. We missed you.

While transaction levels this June were 5% below the average, this is completely consistent with trends we’ve seen over the past 10 years.

“We’ve seen less concern from consumers lately. Consumers who were waiting for wide-spread price declines have been…

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Summer Vacation Locations

Calgary has so much to offer for travellers and locals wanting mini day-trip adventures. Containing many historic sites and a rich arts culture, YYC is a fantastic place to visit if you’re looking for fun things to do with the family. However, Calgary isn’t the only place in this area that has a lot to offer. Here are some places nearby that are great for family vacations:

1). Bearberry: This gorgeous piece of land located just west of Sundre is filled with beautiful hiking trails, a river, local wildlife, and a beautiful campground and cabin area. Open at all times of the year, Bearberry is the perfect city getaway for those who want to embrace their inner Waldo Emerson and spend some time away from it all with the family.

2). Waterton Lakes…

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Backyard Renovations

After a little bit of a rainy last week, the sunshine is breaking through here in YYC. The conditions are becoming absolutely excellent to begin your backyard project. There are a number of reasons backyard renovations are a sound investment for homeowners:

1). Renovations add aesthetic value to the property. Whether you personally care about this or not, future buyers will definitely care.

2). Renovations are part of being a good steward of your property. Little renovations here and there will keep your property up to date and in good condition.

3). Renovations add an incredible amount of value to your property. A simple fresh coat of paint goes a long, long way. Do not underestimate this investment opportunity!

We understand how daunting…

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How To Find An Open House

June has a long history of being a popular month for buying and selling here in Calgary. With the nice weather, vacation time, and influx of new families before the new school year starts, June is the perfect month to be active in the world of real estate. Whether you are buying or selling, now is the time to enter the market.

If you are planning to buy a home, June is a great month to start going to as many open houses as possible. Not only will this give you a good idea of what is out on the market, but it will also help you to get a feel for benchmark prices. Plus, open houses can be really fun if you go into them with a positive attitude.

There are a number of ways to find open houses to visit.

Open Houses are a lot like garage sales:…

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May 2015 Statistics

Spring is all about fresh beginnings, and that is what is happening in the Calgary real estate market: Calgary is finally recovering from the hit it took back in January when prices in oil fell. Against all odds, Calgary is coming back out on top.

While doomsday forecasters predicted an economic crisis to rival that of America’s crash, the Calgary Real Estate board held onto hope. That hope is starting to pay off. It has taken some time for the real estate market to stablilize after January’s economic hit frightened citizens away from being active in the market, but as the economy gets its footing once more, so has the housing market.

CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie reports, “For the third month in the row, new listings have eased compared to…

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The Perfect Patio

Imagine it is summertime. It’s not hard to, right? The birds are chirping, the sun is out, and Calgary is finally seeing the end of cold, snowy days. Imagine a cold drink in your hand, a bowl of fruit and good book at your side, and those shorts you’ve had buried under jackets and scarves all winter long. You can smell ribs on the barbecue, and George Strait is playing on the radio. Where are you? Outside on the patio! You don’t have a functioning patio? Well, here’s how you can make one.

Step One: Measure the area you want to cover and buy enough supplies to cover the space. We recommend using pegs to map it out beforehand so you get a good idea of how much space it will take up.

Step Two: Your patio should be elevated off the ground, or else the…

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Property Investments and Vacation Homes

When people think of recreational properties, they often think of a small house in Palm Springs or Arizona that they can retreat to during the cold winter months. This is absolutely true: many people who can afford the cost and upkeep of a second property somewhere outside of their primary area of living choose to invest.

Recreational properties are great for personal use, but they can also make extremely sound investments. Many people pursue real estate as a way to make money, whether its their primary job or not, and investment properties are one of the ways they do this. An investment property is not so different from a recreational property. In fact, the only difference is the mindset: a recreational property is for personal enjoyment, and an…

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Mother's Day: Gift of Love

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. It is a day to celebrate all the Mothers that were, all the Mothers that are, and all the Mothers-to-be. Moms have done so much good for the world, especially for their loved ones. A Mother is a beautiful role that should never be taken for granted, and that is why we look forward to celebrating it every year.

Celebrating Mother’s day is very important, but sometimes it can be tricky to come up with ideas of how to show your Mother she is loved. None of us will ever be able to truly, fully show the Mothers in our lives how much they are appreciated and loved, but we have some ideas to help.

As many know, there are five different love languages: acts of service, gifts, words of affirmation, quality time, and…

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