Real Estate Blog - Montgomery Homes for Sale

Wants vs. Needs

Congratulations, you have decided to purchase a home! Whether you are planning on purchasing the property for personal use or as a rental/investment property, there is a lot to consider. You may feel overwhelmed as you begin to consider all that goes into purchasing a home: finding a real estate agent, getting a mortgage pre-approved, dealing with your existing property (or properties), etc. Take a deep breath.

The first thing you need to figure out is what your wants are, versus what are you needs when it comes to your new property. Here is what to do:

Make a list with two columns. One column will be for your wants, the other for your needs. 

Address the wants column first. After all, this is where you get to have fun! Your wants list may…

947 Views, 0 Comments

New Year's Eve Fun Facts

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! We hope you enjoy a fun, safe evening ringing in 2022! Just like last year, I think everyone is more than ready to begin a new year. Hopefully this one brings us a step closer to some normality after a tumultuous two years. 

Here are some fun facts about New Year's Eve to get you pumped up for tonight:

• The very first New Year's Eve was celebrated 4,000 years by the ancient Babylonians.
• Celebrating with friends and family is a tradition because legend has it the first people you see will either give you good or bad luck; make sure you look at someone who likes you!
• The first ball drop in Times Square New York was in 1907. They used the ball, covered in 25 watt bulbs, because of a fireworks ban. Now the…

1243 Views, 0 Comments

October 2021 Calgary Real Estate Market Statistics

It is a very good time to be selling a home; at least that's what the experts at the Calgary Real Estate Board are saying!

Their latest report details an excellent summary of what happened in the real estate market this past month. As we head into November and you may be considering buying, selling or investing, make sure you are informed on where the market is at.

Here are some of the highlights from the Calgary Real Estate Board's monthly real estate market statistics report, which you can read in full by clicking here: 

• "There were 2,186 sales in October, a record high for the month and over 35 per cent higher than longer-term averages."
• "Year-to-date sales are on pace to hit new record highs and are currently 61 per cent higher than…

486 Views, 0 Comments

The Financial Benefits of Owning a Home

The journey towards owning a home is filled with hight hopes and hard work. While many find it daunting, working towards owning a home incredibly important. For most people their home will become their largest financial asset. They may cost a significant amount of money, but that doesn't mean people should put off this milestone. Here are some of the financial benefits of owning a home: 

Forbes writes, "your equity in your home is the amount of money you can sell it for minus what you still owe on it. Every month you make a mortgage payment, and every month a portion of what you pay reduces the amount you owe. That reduction of your mortgage every month increases your equity." This equity can be leveraged to help finance and back other endeavours.…

424 Views, 0 Comments

Best Christmas Lights in Calgary

Calgary loves to celebrate the holidays. A drive through any neighbourhood will quickly get you in the Christmas spirit. In Bowness, Christmas wreaths are lights adorn the streetlights and shops, giving the community even more of a festive, small-town feel. It is our favourite time of the year to drive through one of our favourite communities. 

Here is an inexpensive holiday activity idea: get a cup of hot chocolate from Tim Hortons and take a drive through the city. Set your radio to 95.9 CHRM for non-stop Christmas music and turn up the heat. Not sure where to start on this beautiful, Christmas adventure? Here are some places to check out:

1). Downtown Core: Many buildings in the downtown core are adorned with Christmas lights inside and out.…

1506 Views, 0 Comments

Shop Local this Christmas

Calgary has a thriving small business sector that we always like to encourage people to check out. It is important to support small local businesses and the Calgarian's that pour their hearts into them, especially this year as many Calgary businesses have faced loses due to COVID-19. As they say, when you shop from a big box store, a CEO doesn't blink twice. When you shop from a small business, the owner does a little happy dance. Support a fellow Calgarian this Christmas by buying your holiday gifts from one of these local shops:

• Outside The Shape: A curated shop with items from local YYC makers. You can find everything from candles to jewelry to workshops here!
• Plant: Your succulent dreams will come true in his gorgeous shop featuring all…

1034 Views, 0 Comments

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…

645 Views, 0 Comments

How to Save BIG this Black Friday

Canada has fully embraced Black Friday and Cyber Monday, both days marked by incredible retail sales. For many Canadians, this long weekend of savings has marked the start (and end) of all Christmas shopping. Many retailers boast incredible sales, free shipping and one-day-only savings events. Want to take advantage of this year's great deals? Here are some tips:

1). Make a list & check it twice: What are you hoping to get during this weekends deals? Make a list and check it twice. Consider everything: gifts, work clothes, food, home goods, etc.. Literally everything will be on sale somewhere. Having a list will help you stay focused and not forget anything. However, be flexible! You never know what great deals could await... 

2). Be Informed: On…

1136 Views, 0 Comments

House Hotel: Renting Your Home to Travellers

With the advent of the digital age comes a series of tech innovations aimed at making life more efficient. From searching for the best pizza place in town to messaging thousands of friends and family at once, the golden era of the internet is here. Love it or hate it, it is not going away anytime soon. 

For homeowners, the advancement of technology has helped them better find service providers for their property, secure their property, keep tabs on their property and easily access important property guidelines and documents. Most agree that these advancements are generally positive, but there is one new app that people are split on: Airbnb.

Airbnb and services like it are designed to enable homeowners to rent out their property, either a single room…

1926 Views, 0 Comments

Experience Matters

When you are thinking of real estate, especially now in 2019 during Calgary’s challenging real estate
market, think no further than to hire myself, Ken Richter for excellent service and ultimate results. As
your trusted professional Realtor® I have 30+ years of experience, 2018 ranked Top 6 Individual Agent at
RE/MAX Real Estate (Central), the #1 Selling Real Estate Office Worldwide for 19 consecutive years and
finished in the Top 100 in RE/MAX Western Canada once again. Contact me today at 403-630-6363 or ken@kenrichter.com.

This month the Calgary Real Estate Board released it's 2019 forecast, which echoed much of what we've heard in the last year: this economic climate is making buying and selling homes challenging. 

CREB® Chief Economist…

758 Views, 0 Comments