Real Estate Blog - Homes for Sale

Why 'We Buy Homes' Systems Don't Work

We know you have seen the ads. Billboards proclaim 'WE WILL BUY YOUR HOME!' or 'Home Not Selling? Let us Buy!' These renegade real estate companies promise that if your home does not sell within a set number of days, they will buy it from you. It sounds like a good deal, but it really does not benefit you unless it is absolutely essential you be rid of your property right away. Here is why:

Typically the contracts for these deals state that the company will list your home for an agreed upon price for an agreed upon time. If your home does not sell within that amount of time, they will buy it from you for a different price. As previously mentioned, if it is crucial that you sell your home in the next sixty days these types of deals can be a last…

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Improving Your Credit Score

When preparing to buy a home, most people can not make the purchase outright in cash. It is totally normally and acceptable to use a mortgage. As you go through the process of getting pre-approved for a mortgage so that you know what your home budget is, the bank is going to do something very important: a credit check. If you're thinking about buying a home but know your credit score won't be good enough, here are some ways you can improve it:

• Monitor your monthly payments closely! Make sure you are always paying your bills on time, that you are meeting your minimum payments and that you don't skip paying a bill even if it's in dispute. There are helpful apps out there, such as Mint, that can help you keep track of payment deadlines, goals,…

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Mortgage 101

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…

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Home Resolutions

In the New Year many people make personal resolutions, such as losing weight, advancing in their career, paying off debt, etc. Kicking off the new year with specific goals in mind will help you stay focused. There is nothing quite like the start of a new year, in this case 2020, to inspire you to be the best you. 

Read about The Most Popular New Year's Resolutions. 

While many of us make personal and professional resolutions, another area of your life to set some goals for is your home! Here are some suggestions:

• Renovate: Make this the year you finally renovate that room you have been wanting to forever, or to finish a renovation you began but abandoned. You don't have to complete it in one day; you can do it in phases. Looking for advice…

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The Different Types of Homes

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…

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August 2019 Statistics

The forecast is in! The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB®) reports, “increased sales and easing new listings reduced housing inventories in August. Sales were primarily driven by homes priced below $500,000.” The sale of homes priced under $500,000 kept the market from suffering, even though higher price range homes didn’t experience as much activity.

CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie reports on the economy, “employment numbers have been improving, but mostly in industries that are traditionally lower paid. This is contributing to the shift that we are seeing in the housing market, with growth being limited to product priced below $500,000.” The jobs available are not ones that afford people the luxury of buying a home, but typically once these…

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How Ken Can Get Your Home Sold

Team Ken Richter is here to get your home sold! 

We know that this recent Calgary real estate market has been challenging. Homes have been sitting on the market for longer than usual, leaving sellers frustrated as buyers continue to withhold offers and inventory levels remain high. While these are not ideal conditions to step into as a seller, you can still come out on top by doing two things:

First, stay informed! Each month we summarize the Calgary Real Estate Board's latest statistics report. You can find those summaries here and visit CREB yourself here.

Second, partner with us and experience the Team Ken Richter Advantage. When you are one of Ken's valued clients, you get to experience the power of an incredible professional real estate…

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Your Open House Game Plan

Open Houses are constantly happening all over the city. There are so many ways you can find an open house to visit: you can ask your realtor to take you to them, check local ads and roadside signs for house showings, follow word of mouth recommendations, google it, etc. An Open House is a great opportunity to see what is on the market, whether you are thinking of buying or selling. Plus, it can be fun to peak inside other people's homes. 

When you go to an Open House, you need to come up with a clear game plan. Start by answering this simple question:

What do I hope to get out of this?

If you want to simply explore various properties for fun, that is completely fine! Make sure that when you do this you are considerate of the people who are…

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Tax Benefits of Owning A Home

Owning a home in Alberta, Canada comes with many benefits; especially during Tax season.

Buying a home in Calgary, Alberta is a dream for many people. While getting to explore new types of homes and neighbourhoods as a renter is fun, actually owning a property enables you to do so much more that it's worth being more stationary. For example, you can paint however you like and put nails in the walls. You can renovate the space to meet your needs and even rent out some of it yourself. You can proudly call yourself a homeowner, and come tax season, you can claim a number of benefits and deductions.

First, for you first time home buyers, you can claim a tax credit of up to $5000.00 for the purchase of a qualifying home during the tax year. So long as…

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April 2019 Real Estate Statistics

It's that time of the year again... the Calgary Real Estate Board has released their latest market statistics summary. This one goes over everything that happened in the Calgary real estate market during this last month of March. Did St. Patrick's day bring the Calgary real estate market some good ol' Irish Luck? Read on to find out.

If this is your first time reading these stats, here is what you need to know: ever since the last oil crash that hit Alberta's economy hard, the Calgary real estate market has been struggling to recover. As people lost their jobs, couldn't find jobs, were forced to go further in debt and drained their savings, owning a home became a distant memory or a dream, but not a reality.

This had a severe impact on the…

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