Real Estate Blog - Ken Richter

May 2022 Calgary Events To Do

Happy May, Calgary! Here are some of the fun events happening around our city this month:

May 6-7 Calgary International BeerFest: "The Calgary International Beerfest brings the beer world together at Canada’s largest beer festival. Rated as one of the best beer festivals in the world, with 700+ beers from 200+ breweries, and so many innovative destinations within the festival, your biggest challenge will be deciding where to start."

May 15 Bowness Spring Clean Up: "The Bowness Spring Clean Up is a partnership between the Bowness Community Association, the City of Calgary, and other local organizations and businesses to provide free disposal services to our community. Residents can drop off their unwanted items to various recycling vendors and/or…

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Preparing Your Home for Spring Sale

Spring is slowly arriving, pushing through any fresh snow that dares to fall. Blossoms are appearing through the lingering frost and pavement is emerging under ice. Spring seems to happen slowly in Calgary, and then all at once. 

The start of a new season always ushers in a boost in the real estate market as people make not only seasonal, but physical transitions. Spring is no exception. In fact, it is one of the most popular times for both buyers and sellers to enter the market. Sellers finish their spring cleaning and put out 'for sale' signs, which prompts buyers to begin seriously searching for a new property, which prompts more 'for sale' signs. It is cyclical, and can be a competitive time in the market, but a lucrative one. 

If you're…

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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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Spring Cleaning Recycling

This weekend is Easter Long Weekend!

We hope you use the extra day this weekend to spend time doing something you love with the people you love. One popular activity during the may long weekend is to do some spring cleaning. This may not be something you love, but it is important to keep your home in tip-top condition!

We have written many articles in the past about spring cleaning, so we are confident that by now you are well-versed in it. However, one aspect of spring cleaning that often gets overlooked or is handled without care is the waste side of it. Once you have your pile of throw away (you remember the three piles to make while spring cleaning: keep, donate, throw away), it can be tempting to throw it all in the landfill and be done…

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March 2022 Calgary Real Estate Statistics

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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April 2022 Calgary Events Things To Do

Can you hear the birds chirping? The green grass growing? The sun getting a little bit warmer? That's right Calgary, it is officially springtime. Here are some of the fun events happening around the city for you to check out this gorgeous April:

April 3 Beginning of Ramadan
April 10 Palm Sunday
April 10 Introduction to Alberta Letterpress : Have you ever been curious about how old printing letterpresses work? Learn how to make your own beautiful prints the old fashioned way at this workshop!
April 10 Calgary Jazz Orchestra Ukrainian Relief Fundraiser : It's been over a month since Russia invaded Ukraine. Proceeds from this concert will go right to relief efforts in support of Ukraine's fight to save their country.
April 12 Celtic Illusion : What do you…

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Renovations You Can Do Even When It's Chilly Outside

It's still a little chilly outside, which means that most of us would rather be curled up inside with a warm drink instead of out in the cold. While temperatures are expected to rise soon, you can never be too weary when it comes to weather in Calgary, Alberta. Our friendly groundhog Phil may have promised winter was at it's end, but that does not mean our toes will be thawing anytime soon. For now, we're going to keep our sweaters on.

During cold winters a fun pastime is scrolling through Pinterest, dreaming of all the fun projects you can do once it is warm enough outside. This is especially true when it comes to home renovations, which most people tend to complete during the summer months before a big freeze. After all, most home renovations…

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Selling This Spring

Many people choose to list their home in the springtime. The reasons to are plenty: the warmer weather makes it easier for prospective buyers to visit, curb appeal significantly improves when the dirty snow has melted away, and more people have flexibility in time off from work and school to prepare for an eventual move. Springtime is always the busiest season of the Calgary real estate market, and this year won't be an exception! 

Are you ready to make your move? Here are some tips on getting ready to sell your home this spring:

1. Get on top of your spring cleaning! Listing your home for sale is the perfect opportunity to really deep clean your home. Move everything out of the way get in all the nooks and cranies. Cleaning well is an art form.…

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Things To Tuck Away For The Big Day

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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March 2022 Calgary Events Things To Do

Check out these great events happening in March!

• March 1-19 Shipp's Creek at Jubilations Dinner Theatre : If you love the popular Canadian TV show Schitt's Creek, you'll love this hilariously satirical take on it.
• March 1-31 Live Music at The Commonwealth : Live music is back! Head to the Commonwealth to check out some amazing local artists.
• March 1-31 Calgary Philharmonic Showcase : The Calgary Philharmonic is where our best musicians showcase their talents. Sit back and enjoy the music.
• March 4-13 The Winter Paralympics : Team Canada's paralympic team is poised to bring home medals with a top-notch team! Support our athletes!
• March 8-April 3 Steel Magnolias At Arts Commons : This show has become widely renowed and is sure to make…

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