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        <title>Calgary Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/tags/calgary-real-estate/</link>
        <description>Justin Havre's Calgary Real Estate Blog brings you the latest market news and property listings, as well as tips for buying or selling a home. </description>
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            <guid>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/wanted-altadore-properties-with-minium-50-foot-frontage-calgary-real-estate.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/wanted-altadore-properties-with-minium-50-foot-frontage-calgary-real-estate.html</link>
            <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
            <title>Wanted: Altadore Properties with minium 50 Foot Frontage - Calgary Real Estate</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
We have active clients that are looking to purchase properties in Altadore in SW Calgary. These properties must have a minium of 50 foot of frontage and will be used for redevelopment. If you are thinking of selling your home in Altadore, please do not hessitate to contact us before you list your home with anyone else.


Contact Us HERE 


 
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            <pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:02:00 -0700</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/why-should-you-use-a-real-estate-agent1.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/why-should-you-use-a-real-estate-agent1.html</link>
            <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
            <title>Why Should You Use a Real Estate Agent?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 




 






Real estate transactions are complicated and can be costly if completed incorrectly. Selling or buying a property is a process that is bound to be a little nerve-wracking and emotional. Buying or selling a property requires in-depth knowledge and experience in a wide range of disciplines.


A real estate agent is more than a "sales person". He or she is a trained professional that acts on your behalf and provides you with a clear understanding of the legal issues and potential pitfalls. After all, one wrong move could result in unnecessary costs and frustration.


Working with a reputable real estate agent that you trust can be the deciding factor in whether your house selling or buying experience is positive or negative. There are many reasons why it pays to use a realtor, and here are a few:


Setting or negotiating the right price One of the first things a real estate agent presents to a seller is a competitive market analysis (CMA). The CMA is study of the current market trends and recent sales in your area. Accordingly, your agent will suggest a listing price. Setting the right listing price is crucial because an over-priced property can turn away potential buyers.


If you are buying, your agent will use the CMA to help you negotiate a fair deal.


Greater market exposure and efficiencyWhen selling, your real estate agent will typically provide you with a marketing plan that details what he or she will do to sell your home. This may include coordinating open houses, writing and placing ads in various media, printing and distributing brochures and showing your house to potential buyers. Agents also have exclusive access to two resources that are often critical to selling a home: other real estate agents and the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).


If you are buying, the same resources will be used by your agent to help weed-out properties that do not match your requirements and help you shorten you search cycle.


Neighbourhood knowledge Agents usually have a better understanding of what buyers can get for their money in the neighbourhood they want to buy into. He or she should also have important information about the neighbourhoods, including noise levels, schools, shopping, property taxes and demographics. For sellers, these details are equally important, as they affect the value and marketability of a home.


Connections and objectivityWhen selling, your agent can provide an unemotional view of the home and what needs to be added or replaced to make it more appealing to buyers.


If you are buying, your agent also has the tools and connections to make you aware of the buying power you have. He or she will help you look at your down payment; purchasing options and borrowing options that can help you find the home of your dreams. He or she can also help you set realistic expectations to what your options are for purchasing a home.


Closing assistance Finally your agent can help complete the purchasing and closing documentation. Once an offer has been accepted, your agent may arrange for a home inspection, financing, a title search and a real estate lawyer, as well as ensure that all repairs and stipulations in the contract are completed.


If you are selling, your agent will make sure that all of the legalities involved are followed in the correct manner.






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            <pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:01:20 -0700</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/the-current-mortgage-market-how-to-make-cents-of-it-guest-blog-by-mark-herman-mortgage-alliance.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/the-current-mortgage-market-how-to-make-cents-of-it-guest-blog-by-mark-herman-mortgage-alliance.html</link>
            <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
            <title>The Current Mortgage Market - How to make Cents of it - Guest Blog By Mark Herman - Mortgage Alliance</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Get a rate hold now


 


Very pleased to be a guest blogger for Justin Havre &amp; Associates’s team and also pleased to work with one of the best realtors in Calgary. There are about 5,000 realtors in town and about 500 make their full-time living at it; Justin’s team are some of the better team of Calgary Realtors for sure.


 


The big advantages of using a top mortgage broker are listed near the end of this entry but reasons to use us should be pretty obvious by the time we get that far. Good brokers earn our salt because we watch the markets, the lenders, the rules, and the mortgage rates all day for a living. Or the good ones do anyway.


 


So ... What is going on with these super low mortgage rates?


 


Right now interest rates are at their 111-year lows at about 3.4% for a 5-year fixed, closed, mortgage. The banks consider anything under 4.0% to be free money. Consider the banks have to borrow the funds, include the cost to administer the funds and also make a profit. At 4% there is not much room left for profits – they say.


Now consider the recent US debt ceiling issue (they have not really done anything about their debts yet) and pile the EU issues on top with the PiiGS – Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain – and the stock market freaked out and did a general sell off. That is the 46-word summary of the world economy right now.


When the sell-off happened, all those (literally) trillions of dollars have to go somewhere and they go into American Treasury Bonds – the standard for where banks put their short term cash. Those bonds then pay almost no “incentive” or interest to the buyers as banks really have no choice and are going to buy the treasury bonds anyway. This means the interest the bonds now have to pay to get banks to buy them is way less – around 0.25%. The circle is complete when the banks that fund your mortgage borrow money from that bond that charges them almost no interest – they pay the bond almost no interest, and in turn, charge you less too. That is how we got below the 4% barrier to these never-seen- before, short term, 3.4% rates.


Be sure that as soon as there is even a sniff of recovery, as in, the EU or the USA gets it’s mess sorted out, money will rocket back into the stock market and then these treasury bonds will have to pay more interest to get banks to buy them. That interest cost then gets passed along back to you, the mortgage consumer, and rates go back to above that 4% hurdle.


The news is that stock market rally might be here very soon as we watch the market very closely too. Then rates go up, everyone gets more confident, people start buying things that they were putting off – like homes, prices start to go up, people from all over Canada move back to Alberta – the CBC National on Nov. 15th just had a 25 minute focus on Alberta and Saskatchewan jobs and worker shortages – and the cycle accelerates with rates and prices increasing. More on my blog here: http://wp.me/pVaY9-5W


 


How to take advantage  of this


 


You CAN get a 120 day mortgage rate hold at no cost or risk to you if you are thinking about buying BEFORE the rates go up. We get your file worked up in a day – all that is needed is an application, employment letter, pay slip and some verification of down payment funds – and if rates change we put your file in for the rate hold. If rates come back down you get the lower rate, if they go up you have the rate hold – like free insurance – that can save your thousands a year. Your file waits in the “Rate Watch File” until that notice comes to us and then the clock starts ticking. We work the system, to your advantage, for you, for no cost to you. It’s true.


So now is the time to get your rate hold BEFORE things improve and rates are at the all time lows. Your grandparents would be envious of our situation right now. When the rush is on there is only so much time to jam deals into the system and it does get crazy busy. Best not to be the person that just misses the old rates. No one likes to be the focus of the “just missed” story others talk about.


What about your bank?


Our lenders give us 1 hour - 2 days notice of a rate increase so we can send in all the files we are working on. I don’t remember a bank ever calling me to say their rates are going up, or even offering to hold my fully worked-up file for the last second before rates change. I would never trust my bank to do that as whomever I talk to seem to always be: on holiday, in training, moved-on, at a different branch, etc, and isn’t the bank supposed to try to make as much money off of me as possible anyway?


 


Our broker rates are usually always lower than the banks because our lenders have lower costs than the banks do. They pass those savings on in lower rates. If the big banks want our business – and they do - then they need to match the other broker-only lenders rates that are lower. How would you feel if your personal banker did not give you their best rate, or use their maximum discretion for you? We always give you the best rates possible.


 


And here is the killer point. The only thing we do, all day, is mortgages. Bank people do car loans, checking and saving accounts, RRSPs, RESPs, mutual funds and try to give you an iPod to change your main account over to them. All we do is: self-employed mortgages, employee mortgages, Lines of Credit (LOCs), first time home buyers, complicated divorce mortgages, real estate investors, move up’s, move down’s, help pay off debts and credit cards with trapped home equity, New-To-Canada mortgages, 2nd home purchases, recreational property mortgages, and lots more. We know what we are doing mortgage-wise. Your bank may not and probably only has 4 mortgage products. We have access to more than 40 lenders and 100 products.


 


There are other advantages to using a broker but that is enough for now. If you have been able to hang in here to the end you probably have a question. Feel free to call anytime for a quick chat. We are busy so we do not have time to become your mortgage-stocker or send hundreds of emails, which is really what you want anyway. Other than the best possible mortgage for your individual situation.
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            <pubDate>Thu, 24 Nov 2011 22:40:22 -0700</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/just-listed-218-west-ranch-place-sw-calgary-alberta-west-springs.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/just-listed-218-west-ranch-place-sw-calgary-alberta-west-springs.html</link>
            <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
            <title>Just Listed 218 West Ranch Place SW, Calgary, Alberta - West Springs </title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
We Just Listed 218 West Ranch Place SW, Calgary, Alberta. This Fully Developed Family home is located on a quiet cul-de-sac in sought after West Springs. Enter this home &amp; a grand foyer open to above welcomes you into to this great family home. Main floor den just off the entrance. kitchen with upgraded stainless appliances which includes a gas stove, kitchen island with raised eating bar &amp; corner pantry. Bright breakfast nook with access to your east facing yard which is great for entertaining. Your living room has soaring 17ft ceilings with huge window for lots of natural light &amp; a corner fire place. Upstairs you have your spacious master bedroom with 4pc ensuite that includes a jetted tub &amp; walk in closet. 2nd &amp; 3rd bedrooms are of good size. 4pc bath &amp; a small loft finish the upper floor. Fully developed basement with rec room, family room, hobby room &amp; a 2pc bath that can be expanded into a full bath if needed


View 218 West Ranch Place SW, Calgary


View more West Springs Calgary Homes for Sale


Thinking of Selling Your West Springs Home? Request Your Free Market Evaluation today.
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            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:58:50 -0700</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/just-listed-45-douglas-view-rise-se-calgary-douglasdale-estates.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/just-listed-45-douglas-view-rise-se-calgary-douglasdale-estates.html</link>
            <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
            <title>Just Listed 45 Douglas View Rise SE, Calgary - Douglasdale Estates</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
We just listed this This open concept 5 bedroom executive bungalow backs directly on to Golf course. Vaulted ceiling on main floor with 3 sky lights gives this home lots of natural light. Formal dining room leads into the spacious kitchen with maple cabinets &amp; granite counter tops. Breakfast nook with access to the large SW facing deck with views of the golf course &amp; mountains. 3 way fireplace separates the nook &amp; living room. Master bedroom with 4 pc ensuite &amp; walk in closet. 4pc bath &amp; 2nd bedroom finish off the main floor. Fully developed walk out basement with built in bar with an open rec room &amp; games room separated by a 2nd fireplace. 3rd,4th &amp; 5th bedrooms are of good size &amp; another 4pc bath. Lots of storage as well. 3 car garage gives you enough room for your toys. Over sized landscaped lot on a quiet street a short walk from schools. Call today for your private showing.

&nbsp;View photos and details of this property here

&nbsp;View more Homes for Sale in Douglasdale Estates&nbsp;located in South East Calgary

&nbsp;
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            <pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:21:14 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/understanding-closing-costs.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/understanding-closing-costs.html</link>
            <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
            <title>Understanding Closing Costs </title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 



 
Closing costs &mdash; the list of charges that you need to pay to complete a real estate transaction &mdash; come as a surprise for many home buyers. Since closing costs are additional costs over and above the price of a home, you should budget at least 2.5% of the purchase price for closing costs, in addition to the down payment.

Your exact closing costs depend on where you live, how much you are borrowing, and how you are financing your mortgage.&nbsp; The rules and regulations surrounding the various mortgage fees can be complex, and can vary from lender to lender.&nbsp;

Below you will find a brief explanation of these costs. Some of these fees may (or may not) apply to your specific situation. Use this is a guideline and then talk with your lawyer or real estate agent who can provide a more realistic estimate for your situation. 

Home inspection fee: A professional inspection is a definite must for buyers purchasing properties older than 5 years. A typical home inspection can cost anywhere from $300-$400, but that they are well worth the investment. Typically, a home inspection&nbsp; is not required if you are purchasing a new home. 

Legal costs and disbursements: A lawyer or notary will charge a fee for their professional services for work involving drafting the title deed, preparing the mortgage, and conducting the various searches. The disbursements, on the other hand, are out-of-pocket expenses incurred, such as registrations, title search, supplies. These fees usually cost between $600-$800.

Mortgage appraisal fees: Lenders usually require a professional appraisal of the market value of the property in order to process your loan. This could range from $100-$250. This may be waived depending on how you negotiate the mortgage with your lender.

Land survey fee or title insurance fee: A recent survey of the property is usually required by the lender, and if one is not available, it normally costs anywhere from $600-$900 for a new survey. In lieu of a survey, most lenders today will accept Title Insurance, at a much lower price of approximately $225.

Land Transfer Tax: Most provinces charge a land transfer tax payable by the buyer. This tax, which is based on the purchase price, varies from province to province. In Alberta there is no Land Transfer Tax

High ratio mortgage insurance: This is required if your down payment is less than 20%.

Fire Insurance: All mortgage lenders will require a certificate of fire insurance to be in place from the time you take possession of the home. The cost can vary depending on the property size and extras being insured, as well as the insurance company and the municipality. The cost can vary anywhere from $250-$600 for most properties.

GST/HST is payable for newly constructed homes. Many builders include this cost in the purchase price so that the buyer does not have additional fees at closing. Therefore, on the offer, the purchase price will say &quot;Plus GST&quot; or &quot;GST Included&quot;, and it will identify who will receive the new home GST rebate


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            <pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:54:15 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/just-listed-sold-290-west-ranch-place-sw-calgary-alberta.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/just-listed-sold-290-west-ranch-place-sw-calgary-alberta.html</link>
            <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
            <title>Just Listed &amp; SOLD 290 West Ranch Place SW, Calgary, Alberta</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
We Just Listed and SOLD 290 West Ranch Place SW, Calgary. This fully developed 4 bedroom home spent only 4 days on the market and sold for over 98% of list price.&nbsp;

Search for more homes in West Springs calgary&nbsp;or if you would like to sell your West Springs Home, request your Free Calgary Home Evaluation 
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            <pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:29:28 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/how-to-reduce-the-stress-of-moving.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/how-to-reduce-the-stress-of-moving.html</link>
            <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
            <title>How to Reduce the Stress of Moving </title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 



 
Moving can be a very stressful time for many of us. A move carried out in haste can bring about several unnecessary problems. However, there are many ways to reduce the stress of moving allowing you to actually enjoy the moment. Here are a few tips to help plan for your move.

Get organizedMuch of the stress people feel during a move comes from not knowing what or when things need to be done. Make a list of all the tasks you need to do, and assign dates for each task, allowing yourself enough days to complete every item on your list.&nbsp;Reduce your loadGet rid of household items that you no longer need. Hold a garage sale and leave books with friends, the local library or sell them to a used bookstore. Anything you can't sell, give to a local charity. 

Name the boxesLabel each box with the name of the corresponding room. You can write directly on the box or to make it even easier, print out large computer labels and stick them on the boxes.

Do not put everything together in one room, which would make finding items very difficult. If you have special items such as art, antiques, wine collections, equipment, make sure you have special packing materials for these items.

Confirm the datesConfirm the move date with your moving company. Give them clear directions to your new home and make sure they put your belongings in the correct rooms as per the box labels.

If there are parking or access restrictions to your new home, arrange for the required permission in advance. 

Make arrangements for the gas and electric utilities, telephone and cable to be turned off at your old home and to be connected at your new home on or before your moving day.

This is also a good time to do some online research on your new community. Make notes about restaurants and other places in the area.

Keep children busyTry to keep children occupied. Have colouring books or other toys readily available to fill the children's time while the movers are bringing items into the home. Older children may enjoy the excitement of moving and can help as far as possible, both during the planning, movement or unloading itself.&nbsp;At your new homeBegin by opening boxes that you will need first, such as ones that contain necessities like paper towels, trash bags and light bulbs. Take care of the bathroom and bedrooms first, and then move on to the kitchen and other living spaces. Keep a trash bag in every room, so packing materials can be discarded as you go.

Take it easyEven if you're the most organized mover ever, things can go wrong. You need to be flexible and allow yourself some extra breathing room to deal with these problems as they arise.&nbsp;Return to your task list and timeline and work in some extra days if you can. Allowing for some wiggle room will ensure that you can adjust and feel calm even when chaos abounds.

&nbsp;


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            <pubDate>Sat, 09 Jul 2011 12:45:34 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/market-watch-june-2011-resale-housing-market-sees-high-gains-in-may.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/market-watch-june-2011-resale-housing-market-sees-high-gains-in-may.html</link>
            <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
            <title>Market Watch - June 2011 Resale Housing Market Sees High Gains in May </title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 



 
Positive economic news and low borrowing costs led to strong sales through the first five months of the year, including the increase in May. At the same time, the market has become much tighter compared to last year, due to a substantial dip in new listings.

Overall, the market is in a balanced position, however there are significant differences amongst individual communities and property types stressing the importance of getting local expertise if youre thinking of buying or selling.&nbsp;Ontario - residential condominium market sees highest gains in May 

Toronto, June 3, 2011  Greater Toronto REALTORS reported 10,046 sales in May 2011  up 6% compared to May 2010. This result was the second best on record for May under the current Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) service area. The number of new listings in May, at 16,076, was down 15% compared to last year.

&ldquo;Positive economic news and low borrowing costs led to strong sales through the first five months of the year, including the increase in May,&rdquo; said TREB President Bill Johnston. &ldquo;At the same time, the market has become much tighter compared to last year, due to a substantial dip in new listings.&rdquo;

Homes were on the market for an average of 23 days and sold for an average price of $485,520  up 9% compared to $446,593 in May 2010. The strongest rate of price growth was experienced for single-detached homes sold in the City of Toronto.

&ldquo;We have seen clear-cut seller's market conditions emerge over the past two to three months,&rdquo; explained Jason Mercer, TREB's Senior Manager of Market Analysis. &ldquo;The robust price appreciation that we have seen will hopefully prompt more households to list, resulting in a more balanced market later this year,&rdquo; continued Mercer.

The median price was $400,000 in May, compared to $376,750 recorded during May of 2010.

Hamilton, June 3, 2011  The Greater Hamilton, Burlington and their outlying areas experienced an increased number of listings for the month of May and a small decrease in the number of sales overall.

The average sale price of all properties rose again in May when compared to last year. The largest gain in average sale price was in the residential condominium market.

&ldquo;The condominium market in our area is where we saw the most growth in May,&rdquo; said REALTORS Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) President Ann Forbes Arndt. &ldquo;The average sale price is up almost 11% over May of last year and sales were higher than the 10-year average for the month.&rdquo;

Residential sales saw a slight decrease in the number of sales compared to May of last year, while the average sale price rose 3.8%. Year to date residential unit sales were 8.4% lower year than last year.

&ldquo;Every community in our jurisdiction has their own localized market with larger swings than we see in the overall numbers,&rdquo; said Arndt. &ldquo;Hamilton Mountain saw a 20% increase in numbers of sales, while Dundas showed a decrease of 32.4%. Dunnville is a smaller community but has seen big increases in sales over the same month last year, percentage-wise.&rdquo;

Burlington had the largest increase in average sale price at 8.8%; other areas with significant increases in average sale prices in May were Hamilton Centre and Ancaster. Dunnville and Grimsby were the only communities with significant decreases in average sale price.

British Columbia  Fraser Valley housing market shows local variation

Fraser Valley, June 2, 2011  The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,608 property sales on its Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in May, an increase of 9% compared to 1,477 sold during May of last year, and an increase of 6% compared to Aprils 1,516 sales. 

Sukh Sidhu, president of the Board, reports, &ldquo;Overall, the Fraser Valley market is in a balanced position, however there are significant differences amongst individual communities and property types stressing the importance of getting local expertise if youre thinking of buying or selling.

&ldquo;For example, sales of single family detached homes in South Surrey/White Rock, Cloverdale and North Delta remain brisk with those markets favouring sellers, however in Abbotsford and Mission high inventory and downward pressure on prices is good news for buyers. In Langley, Surrey Central and North Surrey, conditions are balanced for sales of detached homes.&rdquo;

Variation is also evident in home prices. In May, the benchmark price for Fraser Valley detached homes was $529,810, an increase of 2.8% year-over-year. The benchmark price is the predicted sale price of a typical property in the Fraser Valley. Contrast that to Mays average price of $630,870 for detached homes, an 11.6% increase compared to May 2010  influenced by the sale of higher-end homes or homes with larger lots.

Sukh Sidhu explains, &ldquo;The average price and its percentage change often do not provide an accurate picture of the real market, which is why we talk about prices of &ldquo;typical&rdquo; homes that most people are buying or selling.&rdquo;

In May, the benchmark price of Fraser Valley townhomes was $324,730, a decrease of 1.1% compared to $328,295 in May 2010. The benchmark price of apartments was $250,988 in May, a decrease of 0.5% compared to the $252,221 price in May of last year.

May finished with 2.9% more active listings on the MLS than it had in April  9,978 compared to 9,697  however, 12.6% fewer than the 11,411 listings that were active during May of 2010. The Board received 3,070 new listings in May, an increase of 5.2% compared to April and a decrease of 11.2% compared to the 3,457 new listings received in May 2010.

Alberta - local housing market up

Edmonton, June 2, 2011  The local real estate market is looking up according to the current statistics released by the REALTORS Association of Edmonton. The average residential sales price is up, the price of a single family detached home or a condo is up, number of sales is up and inventory is up over the previous month. 

&ldquo;Local market housing sales this year are tracking as we forecast in January,&rdquo; explained REALTORS Association of Edmonton President Chris Mooney. &ldquo;Historically for the month of May, the days-on-market (50 days) is at the second lowest point in four years while the sales-to-listing ratio at 53% is at the second highest point in the same period. Both metrics are a good indication of market optimism.&rdquo;

The average price of a single family detached home in May was $380,545, up a quarter of a percent from last month. An average priced condo sold for $241,079, up an amazing 3.65% from April. Duplex and row house prices declined 2.96% month-over-month but the average residential price (including all types of residential properties) was up 1.39% from a month ago.

Median prices in most housing categories were up: single family detached up 1.13%, condo up 3.64%, Duplex/row house down 2% and all residential up 0.8%. There were 1,857 residential sales in May (up 24.9% from April) with listings of 3,525 properties (up from 3,278 in April). As a result, inventory increased from 7,715 properties to 8,180.

&ldquo;There is a wide range of property on the market right now but it is turning over quicker than in recent months,&rdquo; said Mooney. &ldquo;The local economy is picking up, the demand for labour is increasing but the national situation is keeping interest rates low. We anticipate increasing prices and sales through the summer ahead as we originally forecast.&rdquo;

Total Edmonton and area MLS System sales in May were $701 million for an annual total-to-date of $2.574 billion. 


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            <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:57:40 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/nine-ways-to-visually-create-more-space.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.justinhavre.com/blog/nine-ways-to-visually-create-more-space.html</link>
            <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
            <title>Nine Ways to Visually Create More Space</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 



 
Many people think of adding square footage to create more space. But that doesn't have to be the case. You can make your home appear bigger without going through the hassle of renovating and remodelling. With just a few home modifications, it is possible to make more from less. And remember, often what the eye needs is the illusion of spaciousness not actually more space. 

Here's how to create the illusion of space without adding square footage.

1. Think diagonal views. Think back to geometry and how the hypotenuse of the triangle was the longest of the three sides. Apply that to the sightlines within your small-house design. Your house will appear much bigger than it actually is if you are able to stand at one corner of the house and look to the far corner without any obstructions. Also, if you have a room that will be tiled, place the tiles on a diagonal. It makes the space seem larger visually, pushing the walls out. 

2. Think like a sailor. Sailboats usually have no wasted space and that's what you should aim for. Look for opportunities for built-ins, such as building bookshelves in staircases, unique space-saving cabinets, drawers under beds, etc.

3. Use lighting to open up space and add interest. In creating the feeling of more space, it is important to give your house an airy feel. Use simple window dressings to bring in natural light and steal space from the outdoors and give it to the interior of the house.

If possible, use recessed spot lights as they are both visually appealing and have a low profile that is perfect for a small space.

4. Play with the furniture. Try to move furniture away from the walls if the space allows. It will give a feeling of more openness when a sofa isn't butted against a wall. If you're buying new pieces, try to purchase items that are on legs versus feet. The higher a piece sits from the floor, the more visual space is present. Also, armless furniture pieces give an illusion of extra space so consider an armless sofa or slipper chairs. 

5. Accessorize. The bigger a piece of artwork is, the bigger the feeling of a space. A wall filled with many small pictures seems cluttered and less dynamic versus a wall with a large piece of art, which makes a bold statement. Also, &quot;lighten up&quot; your corners by using lights and plants. It will look stunning at night, casting shadows on the ceilings and giving an illusion of more space. 

6. Use mirrors to reflect light. When using mirrors in a space, make sure that whatever the mirror is reflecting it is pleasing to the eye, or at least doubles the amount of light let into the space. In addition to mirrors, use other materials that reflect light and space (stainless steel, chrome, etc.). A glass table with stainless steel legs will allow light to bounce off it.

7. Colour your world. The colour of a rooms walls has the power to create a mood and affect the rooms appearance. Use just one or two colours per room for visual simplicity that expands a space. Also keep in mind that white, neutral or pale colours best reflect light, visually &quot;pushing back&quot; walls. Cool blue and green hues will make a space seem larger and airier. Warm reds and yellows cozy a room and can make it appear smaller.

8. Let there be height. Use at least one tall element in a room to draw the eye upward, towards the ceiling. Not only does this maximize the vertical space in the room, but it also draws the eye up to the less crowded ceiling space above.

9. Minimize the amount of furniture you have in each room. It is both wise and essential to select furniture and accessories that perform multiple tasks. The smaller your space, the more this applies, especially with furniture. Storage is an obvious second job for many pieces of furniture. 

Every room has good proportions which make its space flexible enough to create any environment you wish. Compromises in decorating, colour techniques, furniture arranging and lighting considerations can all contribute to the illusion of space. By following some of the tips above, you can create a visually larger room.


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