Top Luxury Home Buying Tips in Calgary

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Confession Time About This Blog

Blogging has not been my strength and so this is officially a work in progress.  I have some big plans for the blogging page in the foreseeable future so I ask for your patience as I venture into this side.

Market Updates

NOVEMBER 2024 HOUSING MARKET UPDATE
Market Knowledge

NOVEMBER 2024 HOUSING MARKET UPDATE

December 2, 2024 Supply on the rise, but not across all price ranges As we transition into winter, Calgary's housing market is following ...

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OCTOBER 2024 HOUSING MARKET UPDATE
Market Knowledge

OCTOBER 2024 HOUSING MARKET UPDATE

Supply levels improving for higher-priced homes November 1, 2024 Sales and Price Range Dynamics | Sales of homes priced above $600,000 ...

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Top-Tier Real Estate: 2024 Fall State of Luxury Report*
Market Knowledge

Top-Tier Real Estate: 2024 Fall State of Luxury Report*

Canada’s housing market continues to balance the effects of population growth and declining mortgage rates against a slowing economy, ...

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SEPTEMBER 2024 HOUSING MARKET UPDATE
Market Knowledge

SEPTEMBER 2024 HOUSING MARKET UPDATE

New listing growth driven by higher-priced homes October 1, 2024 Sales Decline in Lower Price Ranges | Despite rising sales in higher ...

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Style & Design

Things To Do This Month FOR FREE in Calgary

Posted by Steven Hill on Dec 12, 2023

Times Are Tough, But Finding Low-Cost Fun Shouldn't Be Here Are Things To Do This Month FOR FREE Legacy’s ...

10 Halloween Safety Tips For Your Home

Posted by Steven Hill on Oct 03, 2023

Home safety for trick or treaters As a responsible homeowner, making your property safe for young trick-or-treaters ...

RSS

Winter Prep For Your Calgary Home

Winter is coming and so it makes perfect sense to start today on your winter home maintenance list.

Using a simple checklist to get all the tasks organized is easy so here are the essentials to look out for:


Clean Out The Gutters and Downspouts

With the leaves now off the trees in Calgary, it's safe to say that they have either landed on your lawn or in your gutters.  Clearing out your gutters prevents any debris from clogging up your eavestroughs and allows for proper drainage.  *safety is key in this task so call a professional if you unable to use a ladder or access your eavestroughs safely.


Have Your Furnace Checked and Ready

Temperatures are dropping quickly and now is the time to get your furnace in tip-top shape for the long winter.  Call a furnace technician or hire a professional to have your furnace checked and given a proper tune-up.  As a bonus, having your ducts cleaned increases efficiency and reduces the amount of dust that will accumulate in the next few months.


Hibernate Your Air-Conditioner

Admit it, you won't be using your A/C for a good six months so now is the time to focus on tucking it away properly for the winter.  Most A/C units come with an easy disconnect to prevent it from accidently being turned on.  Purchase a cover to protect it from the elements and if it's a window type, you should remove it so it doesn't cause a draft.

 

Chimney & Fireplace Check

Before you dream of roasting marshmallows or cuddling by the fireplace, it's important to have your chimney and fireplace in good working condition.  Dangerous gasses can build up inside a chimney so be sure to have a professional inspect your chimney to prevent fires and keep you and your family safe.  


Smoke Detector & Carbon Monoxide

It's always good practice to check both your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors a few times in the year.  Before cozy evening by the fireplace happen and the furnace gets set for the winter, be sure to check ever detector on all levels of your home.  If you don’t have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on each level, now is the time to go shopping for them.


Windows and Doors

Higher heating bills are imminent in the winter months but see if you can help keep them lower by following a few easy steps.  Replace worn weather stripping and fill any gaps your feel near your windows and doors, pipes and faucets.  This not only prevents heat from escaping but can also stop cute little critters from calling your place home for the winter.


Lawn Care

An easy, fool proof way to care for your lawn before snow arrives is this:  rake up all your leaves, mulch them and spread on flower and garden beds for good nutrients or compost them in your green bin.  Putting a fall/winter fertilizer on the lawn before the snow hits is a good idea and can help give you a head start in the spring time to a lush, green lawn.  


Bring out the machines

It's inevitable: shovels are the new fashion accessory.  At our home, we each have one, even the kids.  I suggest for easy clearing to purchase ones with the metal edger to help clear right down to the sidewalk.  Getting an ice chipper is also a good investment since the City of Calgary bylaw requires ice to be cleared down to bare cement. Having a bag of sand or kitty litter and salt to help melt the icy patches is always a good idea too.


Don't forget your vehicle

Now is the time to throw that snow brush and windshield scraper in the trunk and top up with antifreeze washer fluid.  We have a golden rule in our house as well that no matter what, the gas tank must always stay above half in the winter.  You never know in Calgary when you will be stuck in traffic and having your tank filled is a good habit in the colder months.


Last but not least,  enjoy it while it lasts.  Sure, it can be a bit of a nuisance to head out to shovel or feel bundled up for six months of the year, but that being said, winters are beautiful in Calgary.  Wear proper clothing, plan some day trips to the mountains and smile when ol' Jack Frost appears in the early mornings.  Most of all, stay warm!

Cheers,

Steven


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Real Estate Magazine: How To Deal With Career Stress

Did you know that a career in real estate is one of the most stressful careers there is?!    Well, I sure do!

And recently, Toby Welch of Real Estate Magazine asked my thoughts on how to perform at a high level and manage all the stress that comes along with it.

Remember, this is a commission based career, so I see the way the great Billy Jean King said it, "Pressure is a privilege" .

Take a look and let me know your thoughts....



Advice for Agents

How to deal with career stress

 
Read The Full Article Here
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October 2021 Calgary Housing Market Update

Market continues to favour the seller in October



City of Calgary, November 1, 2021 –
There were 2,186 sales in October, a record high for the month and over 35 per cent higher than longer-term averages. Year-to-date sales are on pace to hit new record highs and are currently 61 per cent higher than average activity recorded over the past five years and 42 per cent higher than 10-year averages.

“Moving into the fourth quarter, the pace of housing demand continues to exceed expectations in the city,” said CREB® Chief Economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

“Much of the persistent strength is likely related to improving confidence in future economic prospects, as well as a sense of urgency among consumers to take advantage of the low-lending-rate environment.”

New listings have improved relative to last year, but stronger sales caused further easing in inventory levels, which remain 16 per cent lower than last year and longer-term averages for the month. Supply levels have struggled to keep pace with demand, but much of the decline in the months of supply has been related to the strong sales levels. As of October, the months of supply dipped to just over two months.

Persistently tight market conditions did cause some benchmark price gains this month. The benchmark price in October reached $460,100, slightly higher than last month and nearly nine per cent higher than the $422,600 recorded last October.

HOUSING MARKET FACTS

Detached
Thanks to gains in most districts, detached home sales improved by 17 per cent compared to last year. The strongest sales growth this month occurred in the North East and East districts, which are the most affordable districts in the city.

New listings improved relative to last year’s levels, but with 1,350 new listings in October and 1,333 sales, the sales-to-new-listings ratio for detached homes rose to 99 per cent, inventories fell to 2,063 units and the moths of supply dipped below two months.

Further tightening in the detached market resulted in upward pressure on home prices. In October, the detached price reached $540,900, up nearly one per cent compared with last month and over 10 per cent higher than levels reported last October. On a year-to-date basis, price growth has been the strongest in the North and South East districts, where prices have increased by over 11 per cent.

Semi-Detached
Sales continued to improve this month, contributing to the year-to-date record high. However, new listings eased and the sales-to-new-listings ratio rose to 98 per cent as inventories fell. The months of supply, which has trended down over the past several months, once again placed upward pressure on prices in the sector.

The semi-detached benchmark price rose to $427,800 this month, nearly nine per cent higher than last year’s levels. So far this year, sales have improved across every district, but the tightest conditions have been in the South East and North districts. These two districts have also seen the highest year-to-date price gains, which have exceeded 10 per cent.

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Latest Blog Posts

NOVEMBER 2024 HOUSING MARKET UPDATE

Posted by Steven Hill on Dec 02, 2024

December 2, 2024 Supply on the rise, but not across all price ranges As we transition into winter, Calgary's ...

OCTOBER 2024 HOUSING MARKET UPDATE

Posted by Steven Hill on Nov 01, 2024

Supply levels improving for higher-priced homes November 1, 2024 Sales and Price Range Dynamics | Sales ...

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