Real Estate Blog - YYC Living

First Time Home Buyer Tips and Tricks

If you are currently in the market for your first home, you probably have lots of questions. This is a major investment of both your money and time, so you're likely feeling the weight of this as you begin your search. Ken Richter has a wealth of experience in helping first time home buyers, and he is here to help you make the most out of this moment!

Here are some tips that will make your home buying process successful: 

Tip #1: Do Your Homework: The perfect home won’t find you by itself. A key step in buying a home is doing the proper research. Educate yourself on local schools, neighborhoods, and the kinds of homes available. By reading available materials and talking with experts, you can start to put together what the perfect home looks…

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YYC Hot Chocolate Festival Favourites

It's YYC Hot Chocolate Festival time! This annual event will help you discover new local cafes, try some tasty drinks, and give back. $1.00-$3.00 from every cup sold goes towards Meals on Wheels, a charity that brings healthy and filling meals to those in need. You can vote for your favourite drink, and in the end, a winner will be crowned. Here are just a handful of the drinks being featured this year:

Euphoria Cafe: "Inspired by Bantha Milk, with the power of the force, we introduce to you our “Tatooine Hot Chocolate”. White chocolate melted to order blended with blue spirulina and lavender, fresh steamed coconut and gf oat milk, topped with a dusting of the light side and dark side. This sweet exotic drink is sure to please in this cold…

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5 Moving Mistakes To Avoid

Moving homes can be a complicated process. This is why you need Ken Richter, your trusted real estate professional. With Ken's 30+ years of expertise, he'll make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible from start to finish. Another way we can help? Check out our buyers guide by clicking here, and helpful blogs like this one to give you all the tips and tricks you need along the way!

Here are 5 Common Moving Mistakes, and how you can avoid them:

1. The Forced Move: You may be surprised to learn that many people sell their homes without any plan of where they will reside next. Especially in such a hot real estate market, people are listing their homes before they’ve gotten their bearings, and selling before they come up with step 2. Make…

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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…

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January 2022 Calgary Real Estate Market Statistics

The Calgary Real Estate Board has released their summary of what went on in the market last month. It's always interesting to see what happens in the first month of the year, because it sets the tone for the next eleven months. If January 2022 is any indication, it's going to be another incredible month for Calgary real estate!

The following are some of the highlights from their report, which you can read in full by clicking here.

• "Thanks to persistently strong sales, inventory levels in the city eased to 2,620 units, the lowest levels seen since 2006. This caused the months of supply to remain exceptionally low for this time of year at 1.3 months."
• "The unadjusted benchmark price in January reached $472,300, a monthly gain of nearly two…

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February 2022 Calgary Events & Things To Do YYC

This is a strange month for events, since so much is up in the air with COVID restrictions. While we’re trying to stay positive, we wanted to make sure this month you get some suggestions of things you’ll be able to do no matter what COVID restrictions are in effect. Here are our top 10 suggestions:

1. Go Skating on Bowness Lagoon. The weather is cold enough for ice, but warm enough that you won’t freeze out on the pond. Check out their new ice pathways!
2. Shop Local in Inglewood! Wandering through the local shops in Inglewood is such a fun way to spend an afternoon. Check out the Spice Merchant, Plant, Rosso Coffee and more.
3. Check out our local murals! You can view maps of where all the prettiest murals are in the city. Take a friend and a…

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Ken Richter Awarded & The 2022 Real Estate Market Forecast

In today's blog we have two items of note we are excited to share!

The first comes from Ken Richter, who writes, "I would like to personally Thank my Team, Family and all of my Valued Clients for their continued support contributing to my success as a "2021" Year-End "TOP 4" Individual Real Estate Agent at RE/MAX Real Estate (Central), the #1 Selling RE/MAX Office Worldwide for 22 Years!" This is a major accomplishment and great news to kick off the 2022 New Year! 

Second, the Calgary Real Estate Board has released their 2022 Calgary Real Estate Market Forecast Report. This is a valuable report for buyers, sellers and investors to read and understand, as it gives insight into the market that will help you strategically make decisions for the…

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Creating a Cost-Friendly Home Theatre

Having a home theatre produces a rather romantic vision. Plush seating, tasty treats, moody lighting, your favorite film on the big screen, surrounded by loved ones—or enjoying some much needed alone time. It’s easy to imagine grand home theatres in large homes where money is no issue, but what about for the average person?

We’re here to tell you that your home theatre dreams are possible, no matter what your budget. Here are some tips on how to create the perfect home theatre:

1). Choose your space. This could be where your TV screen already sits, or it could be a newly designated room. Whether your home theatre exists on its own or in the living room, it’s going to be great. Make sure it’s a space that can be quiet and calm, uninterrupted.

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Home Upgrades That Will Help Your Home Sell

Even when the market is hot, you need to make sure that your home stands above the rest! One way you can do this is by completing some simple home upgrades that don't break the bank, but will have a major return when the offers land on the table. Here are four small things you can do to help your home sell:

Window Treatments: Windows are a big deal for buyers. The Spruce writes, "dreary draperies, torn window shades, or bent mini-blinds will do nothing to sell a home faster. Remove these outdated items and replace them with simple white mini-blinds or wood blinds cut-to-measure at a home center. This is a fairly simple fix that can refresh your rooms in just one weekend."

Smart Home Technology: Many of today's home buyers are Millennials and Gen…

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Why Partnering with Ken Richter Is So Valuable

In this day and age people have access to information that makes it easier for them to act as their own realtor. However, here are the top 3 reasons why having a real estate agent is so useful:

1). Experience: Here at Team Ken Richter we like to make sure our clients know that our experience is their advantage. With over 30 years of experience, we have truly seen it all. We have weathered many different market conditions, helped all different types of buyers and sellers, and have watched the City of Calgary grow and change. We apply our years of experience to every aspect of our business. When you partner with Team Ken Richter, our experience will help guide you in ways that no google search can. 

2). Knowledge: The knowledge we have gained from…

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