Calgary Real Estate Blog

The Canadian housing market has rebounded well from the lows in sales experienced at the beginning of 2009. Sales climbed back to healthy levels across the country because the cost of home ownership remained affordable in most areas.

Compared to last January, the market has returned to balance. Increasingly confident consumers moved to take advantage of the affordability created by lower interest rates.

“Expect strong annual growth rates for existing home sales and average price through the first quarter as we continue to make comparisons to the weak market conditions at the beginning of 2009,” said Jason Mercer, Toronto Real Estate Board’s (TREB) Senior Manager of Market Analysis. “The rate of sales and price growth240, 240);

Moving can be stressful for every member of the family—children included. Depending on the age of children, their fears about a move vary from child to child, but most children approach the idea of moving with some hesitation.

One out of five Canadian families move into a new home each year. Some families experience a stressful time two weeks before and two weeks after a move. For many families, the actual move is a time when everyone pitches in and works together. Reality starts to sink in about a month later. People then begin to realize how much they miss friends and places they left behind. Confusion, frustration, and anger are common emotions at this time. Even if you are upgrading to a bigger house in a nicer240, 240);

The rebound that occurred in the Canadian housing market in 2009 was nothing short of incredible. Having started the year a dismal 47% off 2008 levels, sales steadily clawed back. Purchasers who held off in the final quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009 quickly acclimatized to new market realities and moved to take advantage of favourable lending rates. Yet, inventory levels proved a significant impediment, as supply struggled to meet demand—down considerably for much of the year.

Consumer confidence started to return in the second quarter and the real estate market was the first place in the country to show signs of the recovery.

Housing proved to be a safe harbour for much of the year. Rock bottom rates fueled much of the activity, but…

Finding a qualified contractor for your home remodeling project can be daunting and confusing but it's not a difficult task. You can easily search the web or look in the yellow pages and find many home remodeling contractors listed in your area. But the questions are: Which one do you hire for your home remodeling project? Which one will perform quality work, charge a fair price, and get the job done on time?

By following these tips you will make the selection process easier and be better prepared to make an informed decision that best suites your needs.

1. To reduce the risk of hiring the wrong home contractor you should first do a little preparation yourself for the home remodeling project. Sketch out and write down what you want to get done.…

Strong year-end sales put a crown on a year that started slow but ended big. We entered 2009 with a global recession at our backs and a real estate meltdown to the south. However consumer confidence started to return in the second quarter and the real estate market was the first place in the country to show signs of the recovery.

"After a slow start to the year, existing home sales rebounded during the second half of 2009,” said Tom Lebour, President of Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB). “As consumer confidence improved, many households moved to take advantage of affordable home ownership opportunities. The strong residential real estate sector was a key contributor to overall economic recovery in Canada.”

“In 12240, 240);

Condominium units have become a wise alternative to owning a home. This is not surprising, as living in a condo is more convenient that living in a house. A condo is ideal for individuals living alone, small families and older people. And because condos are smaller, they are less expensive to maintain.

Condominium sales are booming in many urban areas in Canada especially in large cites such as Toronto and Vancouver, with several buildings being set-up. Today, condominiums continue to appreciate in market value at a rate that is almost as fast as that of single-family residences which make them a good investment.

Buying a condo with features that are in high demand will maximize the profit on your real estate240, 240);

Being earth-friendly doesn't require going solar or growing all your own food. Making your home a little greener is easy but will have a great impact on the environment. A few simple changes in your house can go a long way to combat both high energy bills and global warming

There are plenty of easy ways to make a big difference, consider these 10 tips and save money. 

1. Use CFLs 
Replace your incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). By replacing even your five most frequently used light bulbs, you'll save $100 per year because they use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer.

2. Program Your240, 240);