All Blog Entries by Justin Havre

Providing professional real estate services for people looking to buy and sell real estate in Calgary and surrounding areas. Proven marketing plan that sells properties. Call for your free home evaluation today and have your home listed tomorrow.

Found 254 blog entries published by Justin Havre.

Sell a Home with Virtual RealityIt may be time to take a listing to the next dimension. Static images are a common way to market a property but cannot provide the type of experience that comes with virtual reality. Virtual reality is here and can be a useful tool in depicting features of an available home in emails and online. Learn more about how virtual reality is being used to help sell homes faster and possibly for more money.

Why Embrace Virtual Reality

Home buyers can get a sense of a home, both inside and out, with traditional real estate photography. However, they do not see the layout of a home or the get a sense of spaciousness. Agents are attempting to address these gaps as they realize how important it is for a property to appeal to buyers.

Using virtual reality

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What to Know When Qualifying for a MortgageMany people wonder if buying a home is really within their reach. It often seems like a daunting purchase for the first time buyer. The good news is that with the large variety of options available today, it has never been easier to secure a mortgage.

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

What Criteria Do Mortgage Lenders Use to Select Qualified Buyers?

Mortgage lenders assess a variety of criteria when considering mortgage applications. Most lenders look at the following factors when determining whether you qualify for a mortgage loan.

One of the first questions a lender will consider is how much of your total income you'll be spending on

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Buying Farm Fresh Groceries in CalgaryThe nice thing about living in the province of Alberta is the offerings for food you get to experience in almost all corners of the place. In every small town, you will be able to find food establishments offering farm fresh dishes making you want visit them for second time around.

The Saskatoon Farm - 80181 338 Avenue East, De Winton

Located to the south of Calgary is The Saskatoon Farm. This stop offers delectable and authentic Mexican dishes, where food is grown by Mexican farmers who take pride in their fresh picks. Aside from the excellent dishes, you can also check out the fresh fruit preserves, which you can bring home and you can take a sip of their heart warming hot drinks from its cafe.

The Millarville Farmers' Market - Box 68,

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What Should You Do When You Can't Afford Home Maintenance?Deferred maintenance occurs when a homeowner puts off necessary repairs either due to cost or a lack of spare time, and it's unfortunately relatively common for people to do. While understandable for homeowners to try to delay five-figure repairs, such as replacing the roof or fixing the foundation, the consequences of doing so can be drastic. The good news is that managing maintenance (and mitigating the damage of deferred repairs) is possible once homeowners understand how they can spend their limited resources to limit the degradation of the structure or grounds.

Catching It Early

Even if a homeowner can't afford to fix the problem with DIY projects, noticing it in the infancy stages can give all the residents an edge. The key is for

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Why You Should Use a Drone For Home PhotographyIt’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

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How to Sell Your Home in a Buyer's MarketSelling a house in a slow real estate market can be difficult. In times like these, it's not enough to simply list your home and wait; you actually have to sell your home. No one really wants to sell anything when the market is bad, however, it's not impossible to sell your house in these conditions. It just takes a positive attitude and a different kind of game plan.

Even though the market's not favourable to sellers and widespread economic recovery may be months, even years off, there are a number of tactics available to increase the likelihood of a sale.

Know Your Market

One of the most important things you can do to get your house sold is to learn your market, the value of your property and your competition. Most sellers operate in the

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Annual Home Maintenance ChecklistAfter 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

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best-water-parks-in-calgaryThere's joy to be discovered while playing in the water. Both the young and young at heart in Calgary love to escape their worries by splashing, swimming and sliding down gigantic water slides. While there are four distinct seasons in Calgary, that doesn't stop people from enjoying the city's best water parks. There are excellent indoor and outdoor water parks in Calgary.

These are the best Calgary water parks for families to visit:

Southland Leisure Centre

The Southland Leisure Centre is an indoor water playground operated by the city of Calgary. This expansive water park provides play features that are perfect for children in any age group. Parents of young children particularly enjoy the zero-entry, beach-style pool entrance that allows

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The Best Fall Festivals in Calgary, ABAll 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

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3 Easy Cabinet UpgradesAll 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

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