June 2019

Something that a lot of people don't take into account when they are selling their homes is their children's safety. You are going to be having a lot of strangers walking through your home in the next few weeks or months and your children's safety should always be a top concern.

Here are some tips that you should follow to keep your children safe when you are selling your home.

Make Sure Buyers Have a Real Estate Agent

If somebody walks up to your home and knocks on your door for a viewing, let them know that you want to talk to their real estate agent first. You can ask for their agent's number while they wait and you can give them a call. This will let you know whether they are really a person in the market for a new home. If you still feel

While a lot of young buyers are looking for new modern homes, there are still many that are looking for the unique characteristics that can only be found in an older home. In order to make your home more appealing to the younger crowd, here are some great suggestions that can certainly help you out.

Get A Home Inspection

One of the things that the younger buyers are going to fear most is the amount of repairs and maintenance that will be required for the home. You can put their fears to rest by getting a home inspection done on your own and then handing out a copy of it to prospective buyers. As a seller, you'll also find out ahead of time whether there is anything pressing that should be done on your home before it's put on the market.

Offer

If you're in the market for a new condo you have most likely seen ads stating that you must be of a certain age to live there. For example, you might have seen a condo building that only accepts residents that are 50 years of age or older. If you are 49 years old and know that your birthday is coming up in 6 months, you may think that you might be accepted even though you haven't officially reached the bi-centennial mark yet. Unfortunately, you'll have to prove that you have reached the required age in order to be accepted as a resident in that condo.

Age Restrictions in Condos

Condominium corporations are legally allowed to set age restrictions. When you run into these age restrictions, they have been set up as a bylaw for a particular reason,

There are home decorators and there are interior designers. While anyone can call themselves a decorator, an interior design title is earned through a degree. A designer can get down into the nitty-gritty of planning extensive changes in your home while a decorator can work with the existing space on a more superficial level. This is why an interior decorator generally charges a lot more.

The Role of a Home Designer

When you have a large project that you're working with there is a process behind the designer's job. Plans can include a schematic design, the design development, documents for construction, bidding for the building project and administering the construction. All or only some of these design stages may be necessary depending on the

It’s no secret that when it comes to selling a home that the homeowner needs to ensure that every listing they post has high quality photos so buyers have an accurate representation of what they’re seeing. The classic way of doing this is just for the seller to take photos themselves or hire a professional photographer to do it for them. However, with improving technology comes a new way of taking photos: using drones. Here are some of the different ways drones can be used and why using them can be helpful when selling a home.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

1. Drones Are Affordable

Homeowners don’t have to purchase their own drone in

After the snow and ice start to thaw and the weather gets warmer, it's time to inspect your home for damage. The spring brings a home inspection for most Calgary residents every single year. However, if you're new, you may not know what to include on the inspection list.

Certain areas outside and inside the home must be checked for damage. If you do find any damage, it will be important to get it fixed as soon as possible. Here are a few things to ensure you put on your inspection list.

Inspecting Your Roof

Inspecting your roof should be done every spring. You should be looking for any areas with missing shingles, damage, any sagging and anything else that doesn't look right on your roof. This is important because damage to your roof could

All year round, Calgary has great festivals, and as the summer warmth fades into a cool chill, Calgary’s autumn season is no exception. Explore Calgary’s autumn festivals now, whether it’s to get a side-splitting laugh at comedy festivals or to get a hearty tuck-in at a food festival. No matter what interests you, you’re sure to find a great fall Calgary festival that suits you.

The Calgary Improv Festival

The Calgary Improv Festival features many incredibly funny people and it's a great chance to get out for a good laugh. Over 2,500 people attended the Improv Festival last year and the festival hopes to once again break their attendance record. This festival will be held in September with many performances scheduled.

Some of the shows will be

October is often a busy month, and people can easily find Halloween fast approaching without a clue of what to do. It can be hard to start decorating without some inspiration, but the following ideas can help get the process started. Consider a few easy and affordable ideas to make a home ready for trick-or-treaters.

Select a Theme

There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Many themes used for Halloween parties can be used throughout the interior and exterior of a home. Traditional Halloween ideas can include references to a scary movie or book, vampires, witches, werewolves and more.

Those with young children may want to dial down the gruesome factor for a more wholesome celebration. The look of a spooky abandoned house can be achieved with

All is not lost for homeowners who want to make an upgrade to their cabinetry but have a relatively small budget. A home loan is not needed for these simple upgrades to cabinets that can make a dramatic difference.

It is possible to improve the appearance and functionality of cabinets with some affordable updates. Explore a few ways to make old cabinetry more modern today.

Paint Cabinetry

It is entirely possible to makeover kitchen cabinets without laying out a significant amount of money. Rather than rip out old and dated cabinets, cabinetry with good bones may only need a new coat of paint. A semi-gloss enamel paint may work best for some types of cabinetry.

Resurface Cabinets

A homeowner may need to put in a little more elbow grease

If you're new to the world of purchasing a home and haven't taken out a mortgage before, you may be confused about the differences between a mortgage broker and a loan officer at the bank. Although they can both provide you with a mortgage, there are differences between them that you'll want to learn so that you can get end up getting the best mortgage possible that matches your personal financial situation.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed mortgage professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Using a Mortgage Broker For Your Mortgage

This is a professional that specializes in mortgages and acts as a third-party to bring together borrowers and lenders. A broker can access a variety of lenders