Tagged : Calgary Real Estate

Everyone wants to enjoy the beautiful weather that summer brings. But the warm sun and damaging rays sometimes force us to retreat inside, where we crank the costly air conditioning to stay cool.

Creating an outdoor room is a great way to expand your home's living space without the cost of an addition. Retractable Awnings expand homes by turning decks and patios into added living space, combining the comfort of the indoors with the enjoyment of the outdoors.

In the hot summer days, an awning provides a simple solution that shields out these harmful rays while keeping you cool. It also helps homeowners conserve energy and therefore save money because awnings block the sun from entering the home through windows. Not only do your cooling costs go…

Buying a house can be the most rewarding purchase you ever make. However depending on your current circumstance this may not be your best option.  To help make an educated decision, try to answer the following questions first:

1. Do you really want to own your home?
Some would argue that this is the first question you should ask yourself. Home ownership, like everything else, is a matter of choice. Only you can decide whether or not home ownership is important to you. If it is then you may want to re-assess how you spend your money every month.

2.  How often do you expect to move in the future?
If you expect to be moving a lot (every couple of years or more) then you probably shouldn't buy your own home. Every time you buy or sell a home you incur…

Housing trends and styles are changing constantly. Today, more than ever, buyers have a strong sense of what they want in a home.
 
Today’s desirable home features depend greatly of the type of buyer.  Buyers can be divided into two main groups. The first group are first-time buyers which is pretty self-explanatory. The second group are the move up buyers, which are looking to move into a home that addresses the shortcomings of their existing home. They aren't necessarily second-time buyers but they are often people that have out grown their current home. Buyer age is also a main factor in deciding the desired home features.

This article will focus on what is hot in the housing market today. Whether you are planning on renovating, selling, or you…

Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

Many big home repairs start out small but, left unattended, become more costly problems. By taking care of little issues now, you can save yourself a lot of money and stress in the long run. Keeping a list of what needs to be done, and when, can help you to avoid and prevent the most common household problems.

Many of the necessary tasks are probably easy enough for you to take care of yourself. However, if you don’t feel comfortable or don’t have the proper equipment, consider hiring a…

The spring market kicked off early and strong this year, possibly boosted by the unseasonably warm weather and absence of snow in March. Inventory is still lower than at this time in 2009, but has begun to increase slightly in recent months.

“The strong rebound in the existing home market was one of the initial drivers of economic recovery,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Tom Lebour. “While we don’t expect to see the same rates growth moving forward, GTA households will remain confident in ownership housing as a quality long-term investment, especially as economic recovery expands across all industries.”

Most major banks raised their fixed mortgage rates in late March and the Bank of Canada has warned that interest rates will rise again after…

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty recently unveiled new mortgage rules aimed at stopping housing speculators and ensuring homebuyers can adequately handle their debts when interest rates inevitably rise. Mr. Flaherty stressed that Canada's real estate market is healthy, and that the new rules, which take effect April 19th, would stop “negative trends” from development.

"There's no clear evidence of a housing bubble, but we're taking proactive, prudent and cautious steps today to help prevent one. Our government is acting to help prevent Canadian households from getting overextended, and acting to help prevent some lenders from facilitating it," commented Minister Flaherty.

"The underlying message is that Canadians should be prudent in the obligations they…