Buying | Page #4

Buying

Attending an open house can be an exciting experience, whether you're actively searching for a new home or simply curious about the local real estate market. However, it's important to remember that open houses are professional settings, and observing proper etiquette is essential. 

Here are three key etiquette tips for your next open house visit:

  1. Be Respectful of the Property: Remember that you are entering someone's home or potential future home. Remove your shoes or wear shoe covers if requested, as this helps maintain cleanliness and preserves the condition of the floors. Avoid touching personal belongings or opening closed doors unless explicitly permitted by the real estate professional. Take care not to damage furniture, walls, or any…

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Buying a home is a massive investment. No one understands this quite like Calgary, Alberta home buyers in the last three years, where benchmark prices are soaring and competition is tight! People are having to put more money on the line, which has major long term effects, in both positive and negative ways.

Buying a home is also a really complex process! Studies suggest that moving comes only second to divorce as one of the most stressful life events someone will go through. Even with an incredible real estate professional on your side, like Ken Richter, the process is quite involved and will take energy and focus to do well.

This is why you need to be thinking ahead. Buying for the interim can work if you’re looking for a more affordable entry…

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With homes becoming so expensive and more inaccessible for young people hoping to own property, many individuals are turning to their trusted love ones for help in the form of a mortgage loan co-signer. 

So, what is a co-signer? Fidelity Investments writes, "a co-signer is someone who can help a candidate qualify for a loan or mortgage when they aren't eligible on their own. Having a co-signer reduces the lender's risk as there is now more than one person responsible for ensuring repayment of the loan. With a co-signer, the loan has a backup, someone who will pay if the primary borrower doesn't. Lenders like co-signers and are more likely to lend with them. Parents may choose to act as co-signer for their children to help them qualify for a…

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Buying a property at the start of the year is such a great way to kick off the new year! You are setting yourself up for a new home base; the perfect launching point for all of the adventures to come. Here at Team Ken Richter, we are passionate about helping you find this launching pad. We are proud to have served all types of home buyers across the city for thirty plus years, and would love to partner with you in 2023 to make your dream home a reality!

Buying at the beginning of the year is not just advantageous as a desirable outcome, but it also comes with other benefits that those who wait will miss out on. Here are some reasons why buying a home early on is a solid strategic move:

1). Less Competition: Like many other industries, real…

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As a real estate group, we want you to sell or buy a home. After all, that is what we are here for! We are so proud to serve our valued clients, helping you make your big move. It is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make, so we want you to feel good about it every step of the way. We are here to help relieve stress and any fears of the unknown. When you partner with Team Ken Richter, you can be assured you'll be supported every step of the way. 

If some of your anxiety comes from being unsure of if you should stay put or make a move, take a deep breath. This is normal; this is a massive decision to make! We always recommend first meeting with Ken Richter to discuss what you're hoping for. With thirty-plus years of experience helping…

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The search for a new home can be exciting! You are starting a new chapter; and you want to do everything in your power to make sure it is a good one. This is why it's important to keep an eye out for red flags when conducting your home search. Your real estate professional will be able to help with this, but here are some general things to keep an eye on: 

A Lack of Photos: Listing photos are all about showing off a property. Some listings will have thirty plus photos. Others? Not so much... A lack of photos can sometimes mean there is a lack of a good home to show off. They may show the outside only, or just the kitchen. It could be those were the only photos available, but usually it means the rest of the property doesn't show as well. It's always…

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We’ve said it before, and we will say it again: right now Calgary is in the midst of an incredible hot real estate market. Houses are selling quickly, and there is not enough inventory to meet the intense demand of consumers. While we are already starting to see things cool off, experts are predicting the market will remain hot right through to the end of the summer before going back to a more normal conditions.

If you’re in the market to buy a house, this is a challenging time. We are in a Sellers Market, which means market conditions are favouring the seller over the buyer. This is the case because there are more buyers than sellers, resulting in limited inventory that is selling quickly and way over asking price. Does this mean you should put off…

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If you're like many Calgarians this spring, you may be in the market for a home!

First things first, make sure to contact us today at 403-630-6363 or email Ken@KenRichter.com. We would love to help you find your dream home. Let our experience be your advantage as you navigate this incredibly hot market. When it comes to finding a great home sweet home, we can help you filter through the listings and advise on if a home really is the dream it claims to be.

There are also things you should be looking for specifically. Here are some areas to watch for:

  1. The Neighbourhood: A great home in a bad neighbourhood does not exist. Why? Because the neighbourhood you live in is just as important as the house itself. We never recommend compromising on…

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Here are the highlights of the Calgary Real Estate Board's report, which you can read in full by clicking here:

  • "For the second month in a row, sales activity not only reached a monthly high but also hit new record highs for any given month. Gains occurred across every property type as they all hit new record highs."
  • "Inventories have remained relatively low, ensuring the market continues to favour the seller."
  • The "unadjusted benchmark price [was] $518,600 this month."
  • "Prices have risen by nearly $55,000 since December and currently sit nearly 18 per cent higher than last year’s levels."
  • "Price gains and rising lending rates are expected to weigh on demand in the second half of this year."

Each month the Calgary Real Estate…

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An Open House is the time for your home to shine. Help it shine by removing anything that may distract potential buyers from how beautiful your property is. Here are some items we recommend taking out of sight for the big day:

1). Clutter: We all have it, no matter how minimalistic our tastes are. Gather any extra clutter on countertops, bedside tables, shelves, etc. that does not serve a staging purpose and tuck it away. Whether you put it in bins beneath the stairs or stuffed into dresser drawers, make sure it is out of sight. Remember that Open House etiquette is that people will open doors, but not drawers.

2). Linens: Make sure that any towels, dishcloths, rags, etc. are put away. It does not matter if they are clean or not; throw them in…

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