July 2019

When you're buying or selling a home, there are a ton of ins and outs that define how smoothly a transaction will go. Because the home-buying process is so complex, many myths and misunderstandings propagate, giving new home-buyers an incorrect understanding of what to expect when buying a home. Here are a few of the most common real estate myths to look out for.

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

Top 10 Real Estate Myths

What lies about the real estate industry have you heard? Here are a few widely circulated myths that many inexperienced home-buyers fall victim to believing.

1. A Referral Is The Best Way To Get A Real Estate Agent

Many home-sellers make some very common mistakes that can cost them time and money. When it's time to sell your home, you want to make sure you don't make any of the following common selling mistakes.

Bad Home Presentation

If your home isn't ready to show, you may struggle to sell it, regardless of the price. You want to make sure the property is clean, well maintained, tidy and in order. Make sure you take care of any small repairs before listing your home for sale.

Taking the First Offer Lightly

Sometimes, as a seller, you think the first offer is just a sign of many more to come. This causes you to take it a little lighter than you probably should If it's a good offer, instead of waiting for a better one, make sure you consider the offer

Getting a home ready for sale requires a lot of care, but even more so in a buyer's market. Selling your house fast is a challenge in slow markets, but a buyers' market raises new challenges. When sellers take advantage of the information below, they will know how to help their homes stand out from others in the neighbourhood.

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

Understanding a Buyer's Market

What is a buyer's market? The definition is somewhat malleable. Simply put, a buyer's market means that there are more homes for sale than there are interested buyers. Although this dynamic is often divided by region, there could be different kinds of

Any time a landlord rents out an apartment, he is taking a risk. If he gets the wrong type of tenant, his asset could be virtually destroyed. When you are asked to provide a security deposit it will cover any damages that you may make to the apartment when you are living there.

The Protections For Your Security Deposit in Albertan Rental Properties

Just as a landlord has recourse against tenants who damage rental property, tenants enjoy reasonable expectation that their security deposits will be held in trust and returned promptly. By law, a landlord may require no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, and it must be retained in a designated trust account. The deposit cannot be retained without justifiable cause, and final

It has been difficult to find rental properties across the city of Calgary during the last year. With so many people looking for a unit and so little available, it can become quite a desperate situation if you're looking for a place to rent. Unfortunately, some underhanded people are taking advantage of this desperation and are running a rental scam on Kijiji.

Rental Scams Are On the Rise in Calgary

The RCMP is warning consumers to watch out for a scam that will encourage you to pay for a damage deposit for a rental property that's completely fictitious. Scammers are placing pictures of houses on the Red Deer and Calgary Kijiji classified ads websites and advertising them as rental units.

If you respond to the ad, the people at the other

Working from home has become not only possible, but increasingly common, across all fields and in all parts of the world. With the reliability of high-tech communication, and a growing trend toward decentralization in commerce, more and more employees work at home at least part of the work week.

If you work from home, even if only for a few hours each week, a dedicated work space is a decided benefit. An attempt to concentrate on business while family life swirls around you will usually be less than successful.

In order to make working from home a viable option, both aesthetics and efficiency should be considered. Soundproofing your home office may also be necessary. Design of the work space is a strategic benefit and a priority. The space need not

At one time, it was enough to have a patio in the backyard for lounging and entertaining. Today's homeowners are more sophisticated, which may be why outdoor living areas are gaining in popularity and becoming a popular home improvement for homeowners and sellers. The best outdoor living areas have a variety of components that can increase comfort and give homeowners options as they spend time outside.

Shade

Sun is a welcome component of any outdoor living area, but its position can make or break the outdoor experience. No outdoor living area is complete without shelter to give shade. Shade can be provided in many ways, so it's up to the homeowner to decide how it should be done.

• Canvas covering. This option is utilitarian, easy to install

All jokes aside, a dual-master is about bedrooms and bathrooms. Not about who's in charge at home. Dual-masters are becoming more popular and satisfy a particular niche in Calgary's housing market.

There is a cross-section of the population for which a traditional three-bedroom home doesn't quite work. Dual masters can be a great alternative, with bedroom/bathroom configurations that work well in smaller homes such as townhomes and condominiums.

What is a Dual Master Home?

A dual master home is a home with two master bedrooms, each with their own ensuite and frequently their own walk-in closets. They often take that extra square footage that would have been a third bedroom and instead make a second master bedroom so people can be accommodated

Moving to a new city is a stressful event, but it can also be very rewarding. If you choose the right neighbourhood for your family, you get involved sooner rather than later and you embrace your new city, you can eliminate some of the moving stress. It starts with the neighbourhood you choose and here are a few of the best choices for families in Calgary.

Parkland

If you have younger children, Parkland is the best choice. This neighbourhood has the highest population of children under 14 years of age in the city. The Community Association here is very active and many programs are provided for children, including Sparks & Brownies, Cubs & Beavers, soccer, hockey, karate and many other choices. Along with the emphasis on children, the homes here

Baby boomers are getting older and greatly influence the housing trends in Calgary and across Canada. The largest increase in birth numbers since 1921 took place in 1945 and 1946, which was the beginning of the baby-boom. It ended in 1964 and 1965. This means that there were approximately 20 years of increased birth amounts and these babies are now in their late 40s - 60s.

There were more than 8.2 million babies born during this time period. If you average that out it's about 412,000 births yearly. During the same time women were averaging 3.7 children each while in recent years the number has decreased to 1.7. The 2011 Census figures showed that approximately 3/10 Canadians were baby boomers.

How Baby Boomers Affect Real Estate Trends

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