Buying

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

If HGTV is any indication, people love the idea of renovating a home. Shows like Fixer Upper and Property Brothers are wildly popular, audiences tuning in every week to see neglected homes turn into dream homes. There's something about an underdog that people love to root for--homes included. 

These shows are inspiring. They make fixing up a home seem easy! You drive past an old house and say, "some exposed brick would do that property wonders," or, "it's got great bones - imagine what a fresh coat of paint could do!" Don't let the edited smiles of Chip and Joanna Gaines fool you; renovating a home is hard work. It can be incredibly rewarding and profitable, but you should know these things before making an offer on that shack down the street:

1).

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

Every person is different; and so are their homes.

With many different types of homes to choose from, you have every opportunity to find your perfect match. Homeownership.ca lists the different kinds of homes available to buyers with helpful definitions that clarify exactly what makes each unique. Read these definitions below, and follow the links to some current listings we have that match each home type:

Condominiums: "While condominiums are generally found in apartment buildings, other types of properties, for example, townhouses, may also have a condo ownership model. You own the unit, or 'condo', but you do not own the land it is built on or any common space outside your unit. You are charged monthly 'condo fees' to maintain indoor and

Congratulations on your new home! The closing negotiations are finished, the keys are yours, the boxes are unpacked, and your name is now proudly displayed on the mailbox. Buying a home is a major milestone in a person's life, we are so happy for you. You have worked hard to get to this moment, so make sure you celebrate. If you worked with us, thank you for being one of our valued clients! We look forward to a long-lasting professional relationship with you.

As you get more settled on your new turf, you are going to start feeling one of two ways. First, you may understand, potentially for the first time ever, the age-old adage of 'home sweet home.' You will be able to breathe easy knowing this is where you have landed, looking forward to many,

One of the biggest expenses any homeowner has to deal with for an extended period of time is paying off a mortgage. In fact, it's typically one of the longest payments on any one thing that a person will make in their lifetime. 

A mortgage is money that you, a creditor, must repay a debtor within a certain amount of time. Most homeowners take out a mortgage in order to purchase a home, since most people cannot buy a home outright. This mortgage will have interest rates added to it, which are often the most difficult part to pay off as they continue to grow and grow. A mortgage is a very daunting thing for homeowners to have looming over them, but luckily it is not always fixed.

Have you ever heard of refinancing? When interest rates are low,

As we have said time and time again, one of the best parts of being a Calgary resident is the sense of community that is available to every single individual. Calgary consists of a collection of communities that are inclusive and actively seeking to make every Calgarians experience in this amazing city the best it can possiblely be. After all, it’s not only the property that makes a home: it is the community.

Here at Team Ken Richter we have the pleasure of working with communities all over the city. However, we have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work most closely with the communities of Montgomery and Bowness. Both are rich with history. This history is filled with one overarching theme that the first ever residents and present

Foreclosure. 

This daunting word haunts our television screens as we watch fictional, and sometimes real, people face losing everything. All of the love and care they put into making their house a home was for naught; now the bank owns it and they have to be gone by Monday. We feel sick hearing that word because everyone knows that foreclosure is not something you ever want to experience. So, what is it and how can you avoid it?

Foreclosure is when a homeowner loses ownership of their property to the bank. It's not that the bank ever owned the home, but when you can't pay back the bank, they take your assets. Typically foreclosure happens because homeowners have failed to pay monies owed on debts, particularly a mortgage. As you can see from the

Finding a new home can be difficult and emotional experience.  After all, this is a major life decision. This why it is so important that you partner with a licensed, experienced real estate agent like Ken Richter. Ken has been working in this industry for over 30 years and understands everything that needs to go into making this major decision. He will always be looking out for your best interests and will make sure you are informed and protected throughout the entire process. Call him today at 403.630.6363 to discuss your real estate needs!

After walking through different properties, doing research on the areas and starting to imagine what all your furniture would look like different homes, making a final decision can be hard. When you're torn

Owning a home is no small feat. Why? Because they are a major financial investment. One of the main things to understand about owning a property is that you will likely start paying a mortgage.

So, what is a mortgage? A mortgage is the money you pay a creditor over time in exchange for them lending you all of that money upfront to pay for your property of choice. Essentially, it is a loan you take out to finance the purchase of a property. Depending on your unique situation, the creditor (typically a bank) will determine how much money they are comfortable lending you based on things like your job, credit score, assets, etc.. Finding out how much money the bank is willing to give you usually directly determines how much money you can spend on a