Calgary Real Estate News and Information

Luxury Living on Osoyoos Lake!

Spring is here, Summer is on the way. Osoyoos is becoming more and more of a vacation hot spot for Albertans - especially those living in and around Calgary.

Las Ventanas - Window to Paradise may be that perfect lake front property you have been waiting for! Affordable, high end luxury condos featuring open floor plans, all facing and on the lake with mountain views, boat moorage, large private decks and secured parking.

Starting at $579,900 - for full ownership, you can find yourself gazing across the lake or watching family wakeboard from your patio!

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity! For more information, simply call me (Dan) at 403-770-0188 or visit http://LasVentanas.FindNewDigs.com

The vast majority of people in Calgary are pressed for time. We work longer and harder than ever before and finding the time to do tedious tasks such as shopping for groceries becomes a chore. In our family, a chore is exactly what it is - or was until we began a new grocery delivery service.

It was about a year and a half ago we decided to try SPUD - they were fairly new to Calgary and offered all kinds of organically grown, local (when available) produce, dairy, grains etc. We were able to purchase pretty much everything we needed and the cost was comparable to the local supermarket. Perhaps slightly more expensive - but we did not have to go spend time in a store, fight the line ups and haul all the groceries back home!

There are a couple very enjoyable features when using their service - we manage our grocery list online throughout the week, then on Thursdays we get a bin dropped off at the front door. This saves our family time and has also made us very aware of how much utilizing this service helps our environment. On our bill, we can see the distance traveled for items - the carrots for example come from Alberta, not somewhere in California - so we are supporting our local economy as well as the fuel impact of shipping carrots across the country!

Of course we still need to hit the ‘big’ store - but that has been cut down from weekly to monthly.

If you are looking to save your family some time, as well as the added bonus of helping our local economy and world environment - check SPUD out!  Definitely recommended!

Welcome to London @ Heritage Station!

• 500 sq. ft., 1 bath, 1 bdrm apartment "Super Functional" - MLS® $199,900 - Open Concept Studio Suite

Haysboro, Calgary  -  Welcome to The London! Exceptionally well laid out studio floor plan utilizing every square inch to create a comfortable, functional and trendy atmosphere! Finished with Maple Cabinets, Granite Counters, Tile flooring through Kitchen hall and bathroom, black appliance package, floating island, 9' ceilings and large balcony with gas line hook up bbq! With a south western exposure, you can enjoy views and sunshine all day and into the evening! The London complex offers 24 hour on site security, roof top gardens, fitness facility, media rooms, sports lounge & hobby rooms, library, boardroom & executive center being completed - environmentally conscious construction built to LEED Certification. Just steps to LRT, and will offer the convenience of onsite retail, coffee and dining. No disappointments here - definitely worth checking out!

Property information

Recently I met a  young entrepreneur Matt LePan who kindly gave me a bottle of YouthJuice - he explained this stuff will cure my desire for a boost of energy in the mornings - especially on days where I am heading out to my bootcamp classes. 

After trying it out on several of my class days - I did find myself to have more energy and ability to power my way through difficult exercises when I normally would begin to lag from fatigue.  It does have a strong flavour - I personally have a difficult time drinking it straight up - so I typically mix it into my smoothies.

If you are looking for a healthy drink - definitly check it out - here are the links to Matt's info pages: www.checkthescience.com - this is a 28 page independent science report done in conjunction with Agriculture Canada based on their research and testing of the whole product, Youth Juice.  www.theyjteam.com/matthewl  to get more info and to order!

:)

Huge West Exposure Lot on Cul-de-Sac

• 1,320 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm single story "1320 sq.ft. with Main Floor Family Room!" - MLS® $479,900 - Great Value

Acadia, Calgary  -  1320 sq.ft. Bungalow with a Main Floor Family Room, Huge West Exposed Yard on a Cul-de-Sac! Large master offering two closets & a lighted make-up counter, spacious 2nd bedroom, all finished with a dark stained oak hardwood that extends to the hall & living room. Kitchen is finished with Oak to match floors, offer’s Corian counter’s, ceramic tile backsplash, wall mounted oven & counter cooktop stove. Kitchen also has a spacious eating nook that over looks the Family Room addition. Finished with Brazilian Cherry, you can enjoy evenings with your gas fireplace & gaze out into your park like yard! At 170 feet long, this lot is like a private sanctuary! With a fountain & pond, patio, water line feeder’s for the garden. Gated RV parking, heated garage & workshop - you still have loads of play area in the yard! Fully developed basement offers an additional Family Room, Wet Bar, Full Bathroom, Large & Bright 3rd Bedroom. Updated HE Furnace, 50G Hot Water Tank & Upgraded exterior insulation!

http://AbbottPlace.FindNewDigs.com

For most, when you hear "invest" in today’s market - they are thinking you are crazy! This depends completely in what your goals are. If you are looking for a quick buck - crazy talk is about right - when speaking real estate investing, aside from very short stints - rarely do you see quick returns!

Speaking specifically for Real Estate Investing, first and foremost - you need to know what you want - and you want to do it conservatively and confidently.

Our current market has opened up doors for some incredible deals if done right.

Here are some tips:

Keep your investing confident - this means you stick to what you know or can get help with. If you have never fixed and flipped before - right now is probably not your time to learn. However, with the right expertise and help - it can work. Keep it simple!

Buy and Hold - our current market offers plenty of homes perfect for revenue opportunities. Plan for a 5 year or longer holding term, you can expect to see a solid Return on Investment (ROI). Perhaps you are not interested in ‘managing’ a rental? - for a small fee, you can hire a property management company to represent you.

Foreclosures - if you are handy, the fix and flip option on a foreclosure may be a perfect fit. I have seen a several bank owned properties sell for well below market values - all they need is a little TLC and the same home can be turned around and sold for a solid return.

Get professional advise and opinions - speak to your real estate representative who can provide you with statistical information supporting the kind of investment you are looking into. This of course is me!

Investing in Real Estate can be a very lucrative business - especially in our current market leading into the next 3 to 5 years - the longer the better. Do your homework - keep your investment simple, be conservative, ask questions and be confident.  Happy Investing!

Call or email me to discuss further!

Has the Calgary Real Estate Correction Bottomed Out?

This is a very good question - and certainly still a very common topic of discussion. Depending on which media reports you follow, our economy can either be stabilizing or looking as though we will continue this path of uncertainty.

Home buyer’s seem to be following the more positive outlook on the state of our economy! As noted several times over the past few months, first time buyer’s or entry level housing has been dominating our sales in Calgary. Through the month of March, we saw an increase of sales in the $375,000 to $425,000 range compared to previous months - this means the sales in the lower price brackets is beginning to spill upwards to the higher end ranges. We also saw more investors confidently buying.

Most importantly, the key number to pay attention to is the list to sell ratio - how many homes being listed for sale versus how many homes are selling and clearing the market.

From about June/July 2007, the list to sell ratio began to slide from our market surge. In the late summer and early fall of 2008, the list to sell ratio plummeted downwards to the 30% (meaning for every 100 homes listed for sale, 30 sold) range as we struggled into the winter months. In contrast, our March 2009 ratio was hovering at the 50% range and April is expected to be slightly higher (stress slightly).

Historically, approximately 65% is where we need to be to have a "normal" market with "normal" increases of value. With the percentage of homes selling increasing, our inventory levels are dipping forcing a price stabilization. We can see already in many price brackets the home values have maintained themselves for several months now.

As you can see, we still have room to move for the price ratio’s to be "normal" - what is evident, is the downward price correction has pretty much ended - though I am unable to confidently say that home prices will start to go up by the historical average of about 5.5% annually - that will take some time yet.

Another very important key piece of information here are the hundreds of properties on the market right now that are simply priced too high for what is actually selling. Lots of homes are selling, and there are lots of buyer’s out there ready to buy! These seller’s simply have to get up (or down!) to speed with the current pricing for their community - and their home will sell.

What you can expect over the remaining of 2009 are more signs of stabilization - slightly less inventory, more ‘sold’ signs and possibly (stress possibly) a very slight increase in values for entry level housing.

For those buyer’s waiting for home prices to hit rock bottom - well - now is your time to shine! Get out there and buy that home as it will not get any less expensive!