Coronavirus has completed changed the way our lives look. Words we used to only hear in disaster movies--ones such as herd immunity, social distancing, pandemic, isolation, etc.--have become a regular addition to our vernacular. Suddenly simple things like going to the grocery store or planning for school in the fall takes extra steps to thoughtfully plan through. COVID-19 has touched every aspect of our lives, including real estate.

When the world seemed to shut down back in March, real estate in Calgary, Alberta took a major hit. It was as if everyone held their collective breath, stopped in their tracks. Homes weren't selling and buyer's weren't buying. Plans to enter the real estate sector as a buyer, seller or investor were stopped short with

The Calgary real estate market was hit hard when coronavirus shut down the world. Despite this, forecasts show that this summer we're going to see a market pick up. Not only are people back to work and restrictions on daily life lifting, but summer is always an incredibly busy season in real estate. If you're considering making a move, contact Ken Richter today at 403-630-6363! He can help you strategize how best to enter the market based on your varying needs. 

One of the biggest aspects to purchasing a home is figuring out 1). How much home you need and 2). How much home you can afford. Figuring out how much home you need is usually the easy part. You need to consider how many people will be living in the space now and in the future. You need to

In the summertime everything comes to life. The trees start growing their leaves, the flowers start blooming, animals come out of hibernation and people start turning off Netflix and heading outside. With the sun out longer and holiday time banked, the summer becomes the perfect time to tackle that big project, have cold drinks on the patio, spend time with the family and, for many people, move.

That's right, while the springtime is when many homes get listed for sale in Calgary, Alberta, possession often happens during the summertime. This is because with such nice weather and more holidays, it is easier for people to move out of their old homes and into their new homes. If you are one of these people, we have 3 tips to help the process go

If you are currently in the market for your first home, you probably have lots of questions. This is a major investment of both your money and time, so you're likely feeling the weight of this as you begin your search. Ken Richter has a wealth of experience in helping first time home buyers, and he is here to help you make the most out of this moment!

Here are some tips that will make your home buying process successful: 

Tip #1: Do Your Homework: The perfect home won’t find you by itself. A key step in buying a home is doing the proper research. Educate yourself on local schools, neighborhoods, and the kinds of homes available. By reading available materials and talking with experts, you can start to put together what the perfect home looks

In this day and age people have access to information that makes it easier for them to act as their own realtor. However, here are the top 3 reasons why having a realtor is so useful:

1). Experience: Here at Team Ken Richter we like to make sure our clients know that our experience is their advantage. With over 30 years of experience, we have truly seen it all. We have weathered many different market conditions, helped all different types of buyers and sellers and have watched the City of Calgary grow and change. We apply our years of experience to every aspect of our business. When you partner with Team Ken Richter, our experience will help guide you in ways that no google search can. 

2). Knowledge: The knowledge we have gained from working in

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines downsizing as "undergoing a reduction in size." Downsizing is sometimes used as a negative--a company may let go employees when forced to downsize due to a bad bottom line--but sometimes used as a positive--like when we clear out the clutter in our life. There are also positives and negatives when it comes to downsizing our home.

Buying a smaller home can be as liberating as it is hard work. However, if it is what is best for you and your family, it is worth it. If you are contemplating downsizing to a smaller home, make sure you think through the following carefully.

Positives to Downsizing:

• Home maintenance ease (both indoors and outdoors).
• Fewer Home Expenses
• Investment Diversification &

Congratulations! You have made the best decision you will make in this lifetime: deciding to move to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We may be a little biased as lifelong residents, but data is not biased, and data consistently ranks Calgary as one of the most livable cities in the World. In 2019 it was awarded the 5th most livable city in the world! We are so proud of our home-sweet-home. 

Calgary has so much to offer that we could never fit it all into one list--but we tried. You can view it here. Here is a short summary:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada is perfectly nestled into the foothills, with prairies to the east and the Rocky Mountains to the west... Calgary is made up of 15 municipalities and has a metro population of 1.2 million people... Filled

The Tiny House movement has swept across Canada with more and more people, of all ages, turning to tiny living as a more affordable, sustainable housing option. There are many pros and cons to owning a tiny home, so Apartment Therapy spoke with a number of experts on the functionality, longevity and psychology behind them. Here are some of the highlights from their research:

• "Tiny houses represent affordable luxury. One of today’s status symbols is the ability to have something special and unique, and not cookie-cutter like everyone else. Tiny houses fit snugly into this trend. They have a wow factor that even a McMansion can’t provide.” - Daniel Levine, Director of the Avant-Guide Institute and trends expert.
• "The idea of living with only

Tis the season for... buying a new home?

Here is a hot insiders tip about the real estate market: buying a home right before the end of the year has major benefits. Here are three:

1). Tax Savings: Realtor.com puts it this way, “if you close by December 31, you can deduct mortgage interest, property taxes, points on your loan and interest costs. These deductions are significant, especially in the early years of your loan when you’re paying off a lot of interest.” What’s not to love?

2). Motivated Builders & Sellers: Sellers and builders will want to close a deal before the end of the end of the year. For sellers, this is so that they too can take advantage of tax breaks on their home. For builders, they will want to close on as many

The end of the year is quickly approaching with December just around the corner. While the real estate market is most active during the summer, now is the time you should really be buying.

There are a lot of advantages to purchasing a home before the new year, specifically if that home is new. Whether it is a new home in a developing community or an infill home, closing the deal by December 31st is a great way to leverage your home buying experience to work in your favour.

Buying a new home is a very attractive option for many individuals. There are so many bonuses to buying new, such as the following:

• When you buy brand new you are able to work with the property’s building designer to pick wall colours, specific design ideas and all other