Real Estate Blog - Ken Richter

Day 2: History of Advent Calendars

Advent is latin for 'coming.' Celebrated since the forth century, Advent was originally a time when "converts to Christianity [would] prepare for baptism... Now [it is] more commonly associated with the anticipation of the anniversary of Christ’s birth on December 25" (Mental Floss).

While some people celebrate advent for religious reasons, many use it as a way to count down to the Christmas holidays. This Christmas tradition "dates to the mid-19th century, when German Protestants made chalk marks on doors or lit candles to count the days leading up to Christmas" (Mental Floss). Today, people use calendars that reveal chocolate, gifts or pictures on each day leading up to Christmas. 

Gerhard Lang is credited for creating the first commercial advent…

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Day 3: Places to Volunteer in YYC this Christmas

An essential part of the holidays is giving; not necessarily money, but your time and your heart. Calgarians are known for their selflessness and community spirit. Make someone's holidays a little brighter by volunteering with any one of these charitable organizations this Christmas. Here are the links to their volunteer pages and a description of what you would be helping with:

• The Calgary Food Bank: Holiday Fundraising
• Operation Christmas Child: Shoebox Packing
• Closer to Home: Christmas Elf
• Calgary Women's Centre: Toy Pick-Up
• Drop-In Centre: Cooking & Serving
• Snow Angels: Snow Removal

Looking for more opportunities? Here is a full list of all of the charitable organizations in Calgary. We encourage you to email them and find…

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Day 4: Extreme Gingerbread Houses

Gingerbread Houses: a simple little four walled house with candy in a package from the grocery store, right? Wrong!

The art of gingerbread house making is real. It is why the Food Network features shows like the All-Star Gingerbread Build every Christmas season. We have to admit, there is something really magical about Christmas baking. However, our baking certainly cannot compete with some of the life-sized works of art professional gingerbread artists create (and yes, that is a thing). 

For those of you with Christmas Gingerbread house dreams, check out these great gallery's with stunning Gingerbread creations:

• 50+ Cutest Gingerbread Houses To Make Over The Holidays by Good Housekeeping
• 10 Unique and Awesome Gingerbread Creations by…

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Fa La La La La.... It's Christmas!

While some people have had their homes decorated and Christmas sweaters on since November, for most people December 1st officially marks the start of Christmas. In light of this very special day, we are excited to introduce to you our Christmas Advent Blogging Series! Check in with us every day this Christmas season for fun, exciting content and maybe even some treats and surprises along the way... Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! 

(Image Via Canva)

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JUST LISTED: #1907 145 Point Drive NW

This 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bathroom corner unit sits on the 19th floor in the wonderful Point McKay area. The bright kitchen and open living room make this condo feel fresh, clean and modern. This unit is currently rented on a lease for $1600/month until June 2018. The buyer can assume the tenants and take immediate possession. 

The views from this condo are incredible. Breathe easy as you take in the Bow River escarpment, the downtown core twinkling from afar. The large windows in every area of the house and a corner wrap around porch give you the perfect place to gaze out over beautiful Calgary. 

This condo has underground heated parking and a car wash. You receive a separate storage locker and mailbox, giving you security and privacy. With 24 hour…

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November Events

Some must-see events this month:

Disney On Ice || November 15th - 19th || $$

• Come see your favorite Disney characters skate in the spectacular Disney on Ice show! Disney presents "Follow Your Heart," featuring characters from films such as Finding Dory, Inside Out, Frozen, Toy Story and more! This family-friendly event is a must see for all die-hard Disney fans.
• More information here. 

Calgary Expo Holiday Market || November 25th - 26th || $

• Brought to you by the creators of the Calgary Comic Convention, this holiday market is about to make all of your nerdy dreams come true. Dress up as your favorite character and check out the "local retailers, vendors and artists [that] sell comics, toys, collectibles and art... [Plus], if you…

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Calgary Real Estate Statistics

CREB®, the Calgary Real Estate Board, did not have the best news to share during October's market statistics summary. 

October’s housing market conditions closely echoed previous month’s trends with easing sales, rising inventories and downward price pressure. Like last month, the monthly activity was not enough to derail gains that occurred earlier in the year.

So what exactly were the stats? Here are some highlights to know:

• October Sales: 1,467 units
• Inventory: 6,463 units
• Most Inventory: Detached homes under $500,000
• City-wide Unadjusted Benchmark Price: $438,900 (this is 0.6 % below last month)

CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie says, "while economic activity has improved in 2017, it will take some time for this to…

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Nunavut || Highlights

Nunavut is full of both hidden gems and world-renowned hot spots. With so much to offer, it can be hard to narrow down your must-sees. Don't worry; Team Ken Richter is here for you. Here are three things you need to add to your Nunavut bucket list today, so that you can experience this beautiful territory in all of its glory:

Mount Thor: You heard it here first; Nunavut has its very own Avenger, Mount Thor. Amusing Planet writes, "Mount Thor, officially called the Thor Peak, in Auyuittuq National Park, on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, is a granite peak that features the world’s tallest purely vertical drop. The drop measures 1250m and angles inwards at 105 degrees making it more of an overhang. To put the height in context, the Eiffel Tower is 324m."…

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Nunavut || Canada 150

In honor of Canada’s 150 birthday, we are featuring a different province or territory each week. This week we head to the province notoriously known by schoolchildren for being difficult to color on a map of Canada... Nunavut!

The Inuit named the land Nunavut because it means "our land" in Inuktitut. The original settlers of the territory of Nunavut were the Paleo-Eskimos, which "crossed the Bering Strait sometime around 3000 BC and moved into the Canadian Arctic Archipelago around 2500 BC, apparently because of a change in climate. From there they followed marine mammals and herds of big game land animals across all of Nunavut to Greenland" (Tourism Nunavut). The people of Nunavut continue to practice and celebrate traditions from their ancestors,…

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The Northwest Territories || Highlights

The Northwest Territories has so much to offer for the adventurous traveler—explore it today!

The Aurora Borealis: There is a reason why the Aurora Borealis are nicknamed the Northern Lights: because the great white north is the absolute best place to view them. The Northwest Territories are known for their beautiful Northern lights and work hard to ensure every visitor gets a chance to see them. Global News reports, “Wood Buffalo National Park, which stretches across the Northwest Territories… was designated a Dark-Sky Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.” This makes it the perfect place to view these dancing lights, because there is less artificial light pollution.

Historic Sites: “Here, as nowhere else in Canada, time stands…

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