Buying Tips

Any decorator can walk into a home and date it back to its beginnings by its architectural style. Sometimes there are long transition periods from one style to the next but there's no question that throughout the years housing designs have been changing. What's in store for the next generation of homes and what are the latest trends for new design styles?

The next-generation homes are going to be bright and airy with plenty of space. The dark and narrow hallways of yesterday will be transformed into large passageways that lead from one open concept room to the other.

The Flow of Modern Homes Has Changed

There is a lot of concentration on the flow of the home and how the residents of it can make their way from one end of the house to the other

Although a home doesn't quite have as many moving parts as a car or cell phone, items can still break and be in need of repair. Often times these repairs can come out of the blue and can be rather costly to fix.

In the instance of an older home or any situation where a homeowner anticipates something might go wrong, a home warranty can be a beneficial tool. An agreement between a homeowner and a home warranty company, this contract can cover a number of repairs.

The Basics Of The Warranty

Each home warranty might look a bit different, but the ultimate goal is to provide protection and monetary coverage should something break in one's home. Many times a home warranty is included with the purchase of a home as an additional perk, or it can be

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

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

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

There

Many 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

Calgary land is becoming more and more popular as house prices continue to rise and the dream of owning a home becomes more and more difficult for young people. One of the alternatives to buying a home is to purchase a piece of land as an investment opportunity.

Just like a home, Calgary land will rise in price over the years. It is at the bottom of the chain in real estate, but it is still an excellent option if you just need to get started.

Building On The Land

Some people just don't have enough disposable income coming in to set aside enough savings to make a big purchase all at once. If you decide to build a home on the land, you can do it in stages per your budget. You can do a lot of the work yourself if you're handy to keep the costs

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,

A new survey was conducted by Pfizer Canada that asked real estate brokers and agents in the province of Ontario about the price changes that could occur due to an owner smoking in their home. The survey showed that smoking could reduce a property's value by up to 29%. It's important to note, however, that Pfizer Canada is a pharmaceutical company that promotes a medication to help smokers quit the habit!

How Smoke Smell Affects Home Resale Value

During the course of the study it was found that 401 brokers and agents agreed that smoking does make selling a home more difficult when compared to one that is smoke-free. More than half of the professionals surveyed, 56% of them, said that the buyers they work with are less likely to buy a home where