Update the First-Aid Kit – Easy to forget until you need it! But this needs to be done at least every six months - so spring cleaning is a good reminder.

1. Remove Old Cosmetics and Beauty Products.
2. Curtains and Blinds – Wash curtains and dust the blinds.
3. Clean All Tile areas including Grout, air vents, light fittings and wipe switches.
4. Wash Out Trash Can – Dump the trash, clean out the inside of the can, maybe keep a paper bag in it for the waste.

August Market Snapshot: Are We Back to a Pre-Pandemic Market?

City of Calgary, Oct. 1, 2021 – Residential sales totalled 2,162 in September, nearing the record high for the month recorded in 2005. Further gains in new listings likely supported some of the sales growth that occurred this month.

“While sales activity in the fall tends to be slower than in the spring months, the continued strong sales are likely being driven by consumers who were unable to transact earlier in the year when supply levels had not yet adjusted to demand,” said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie. “The market continues to favour the seller, but conditions are not as tight as they were earlier this year.”

READ FULL ARTICLE

City of Calgary, Sept. 1, 2021 – Citywide sales in August reached 2,151 units, 37 per cent higher than last year and 25 per cent higher than long-term trends.

Sales have slowed from the record-setting pace seen earlier this year, but on a year-to-date basis, the eight-month total of 19,516 sales is higher than annual sales figures recorded over the past six years.

“Sales have far exceeded expectations throughout most of the pandemic, driven mostly by demand for detached homes. At the same time, supply could not keep pace and conditions shifted to favour the seller, something that has not happened in over six years,” said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

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 1111 77st  SW.

WALKTHROUGH VIDEO

Open House 2-4pm Saturday September 11th 2021- Take a look at this ready to move into beautiful former Landmark family Showhome in the heart of the South West. With 3,694 TTL sf & enjoying great access to Downtown and the Mountains.  Located on the quiet 77th street you are immediately impressed by its grand vaulted entrance complimented by the red brick classic facade, (Roof replaced in 2016)  As you enter this five bedroom home you are aware of the natural light that floods in through huge floor to ceiling windows and the East front & West facing rear, catching the morning and evening sun.  Lot’s of living space for a busy family, with maple hardwood flooring and carpet & tile on the main.  Featuring a formal dining & living room, private office den & family room, with cosy gas fireplace.  The kitchen is built around a center island with maple marquis cabinets, black appliances, pantry and lots of worktops and storage. A bright sunny breakfast nook leads to a spacious 16 x 12 concrete deck, with a fenced & landscaped private treed West backyard. The upper level is open to below & features 4 large bedrooms. Your primary master retreat has a walk-in closet & a Zen-like spa en- suite.  On the lower level of the fully finished basement we have a 5th bedroom / Gym, & huge recreation room with a small bar dispenser.  As well as it’s 10-15 minutes proximity to Downtown and walking distance to Park, Walking Paths & Shopping , West Springs has the West Side Rec.Center, Canada Olympic Park & the West LRT Station.  It is within the designated area and vicinity of some of the best public, private and French schools covering all grades, making this an excellent West Hills location. Double Garage attached with 8.6" height & 16 x 7 door. Call for your private showing today! Call Stu - 403-850-0669

Want to Sell Your Home? – Here is Where We Can Help You 

1. Don’t Price It Too High: Price is everything. Overpricing your Calgary home does more to discourage buyers than any other single factor. When you overprice, you put your home in competition with homes that may be newer, larger or have more going for them than yours. All you will achieve is to help sell the others !. 
2. Poor Condition: A home that needs lots of work doing to it, does not excite buyers. A home like this is looked at by buyers as a work project and like the old Tom Hanks movie – The Money Pit. Having your home in good shape and great showing presentation will significantly improve your chances of a sale at top dollar value.
3. Poor Curb Appeal: Most buyers today will always want to drive by. If your home is an attractive drive-by, it will gain more attention and more showings. Doing the little things to help your home's curb appeal. Clearing snow in winter, cutting the lawn and cleaning the yard in summer will make a huge difference.
4. Dark Drab Homes Don't Sell: Buyers like Space and Light ! At showing time open the blinds and curtains -  " IT’S SHOWTIME". Go through your home and remove all clutter; touch up paint and wall dinks, fix counter tops, and carpets. Smells are offensive from pets and smoking smells are also huge turn-off.  If the weather is good open a few windows and let the air through before showings. The most important rooms to concentrate on are the living room, family room, kitchen and master bedroom. As they enter the home they will have their first impression! Don’t have a dirty front door - Make it sparkle !.
5. Don't Over-improve: Get your home in good showing shape, but don't over-do it. Huge projects such as complete remodels of kitchens, adding decks, and expanding room sizes may not pay back your investment. Before you jump into a huge improvement project, ask us for our advice.
6. Be Financeable: Bad roofs, exterior paint, or structural problems may make your home un-financeable. The wider the scope of financing that your home can qualify for, the higher the overall market value. 
7. Get Good Advice and Good Market Exposure: As professional agents with over 20 years experience in the Calgary Market, we will help you get your home priced right, and get you started with the best fix ups. We will get your home exposed to the largest number of potential "Qualified" buyers. Paying the agent is often the least expensive part of selling your home. 
8. Don't Be In At Showings: When your home is being shown, go for a drive or a walk. Take yourself, your family, and pets and let the agent and their clients have the freedom they need. An agent can always do their best job of showing your home when you are not underfoot. Buyers will spend longer looking at your home's features and the benefits when you are not there.
9. Let Us Do The Negotiating: If there is ever a good reason to have an experienced agent working for you, it's during the negotiation of your home sale. A good negotiator can mean thousands of dollars to you, and will protect your interests. Don't let your emotions run wild during negotiations. Try to separate your emotions from your business side. We will help you remain cool and calm during this time.

10. Act Fast With Offers: As with all showings, we contact you as soon as an offer comes in and  we need to act quickly and decisively to arrive at the best price and conditions. Letting offers sit around without acting can be a huge mistake, buyers think you don’t care. Things can change quickly in the mind of a prospective buyer so let us help you set up the strategy. What is your best finished price and conditions, and through negotiations how do we get there.

The Team Is Ready To Go! Call for a Market Consultation: 403-850-0669

City of Calgary, August 3, 2021 –

July sales totaled 2,319 units, which is well above long-term averages and the best July on record. The pace of sales growth has eased over the past few months, but so too has the pace of new listings growth. This has helped prevent any further monthly gains in inventory levels, and while overall supply remains slightly higher than last July, it’s mostly due to gains in apartment and row product.

With 6,678 units in inventory in July,  READ FULL ARTICLE

CONTACT US

There’s a common misconception among some homebuyers that if you’ve got a pre-approval, your mortgage is basically guaranteed. 

But this isn’t always the case. Having a pre-approval doesn’t automatically mean the lender will fund your mortgage. 
Below, we’ll explain what a mortgage pre-approval is and whether it’s worth getting one.
A mortgage pre-approval is a conditional approval granted by a lender based on a preliminary review of your financial situation and creditworthiness. While this preliminary approval usually requires a credit check, information about your debts and income are based on details you provide to your broker, which are then shared with the lender. A pre-approval is often based on that information alone, without the lender verifying the documents or knowing which property you’re going to buy.

FULL ARTICLE 

Summer - Ramp it Up

The Summer months are a great time of the year to sell your home. Here are a few tips to get your home SOLD.

Activate CalgaryDreamHomes.com and our marketing plan! Arrange a Marketing Consultation with us, and let us present how we get your home sold, for the right price and in the least time.

Use Lots of Natural Light. Buyers love lots of Natural Light – Blinds up – it’s showtime! It can make your home feel bigger, more open, and of course more appealing. In summer everyone loves the outdoor space, so make sure you cut back any tree branches or bushes that are stopping the Natural Light get into your home.

Put a Bit of Color in Your Garden We go through winter with everything green, apart from when it’s snow covered. But in the summer add some vibrant colors to your garden. Put them either “in’ the garden or in lots of pots. It will give your home incredible Curb appeal.

Make The Best of Your Outdoor Space. When you are selling in winter it is hard to show off your outdoor living space. But in the summer WOLLA! Make sure you highlight it. It can be a small balcony or patio, but you can invite potential buyers to spend their summers outside! I recently added a fire pit and bought 4 Adirondack chairs and I got my 2 children to pick their own colors! OK Turquoise and Baby Pink – but FUN!

· Keep Your Home Nice and Cool. Maybe add an AC unit to your home, it can get really hot in summer, and it helps if the buyer arrives at your home and it is nice and cool. They are more likely to spend more time in your home and appreciate what it. If you don’t have AC then turn on the ceiling fan/s and open windows, create a nice through breeze.

Let us make a few suggestions – 403-850-0669

City of Calgary, July 2, 2021 – 

Calgary’s housing market is showing few signs of letting up, as sales reached 2,915 units in June – a record high for the month. 
“It is taking time for supply to catch up with the demand in the market,” said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie. 
“Through the early spring market, many buyers did not have a lot of choice, but the recent improvements in supply are providing more options for those purchasers and supporting the strong sales we continue to see in June. At the same time, gains in inventory are taking some pressure off the market as it starts to trend towards more balanced conditions.” 

New listings in June totalled 4,135, the second-highest level ever recorded for the month. This caused inventories to trend up to 6,918 units. While this is higher than longer-term averages, it was balanced by strong sales and the months of supply remained relatively tight at 2.4 months. However, this is still an improvement from earlier in the year when the months of supply was below two. 

As the market moves toward more balanced conditions, we are also starting to see the pace of price growth slow. The benchmark home price continued to trend up in June, but the monthly gain slowed to less than one per cent. While the pace of growth is slowing, as of June, the benchmark price was 11 per cent higher than levels recorded last year. (Cont)

FULL REPORT FROM CREB

3 TIPS FOR BEING BEAR AWARE IN THE ROCKIES JULY 2021

If you’re hiking in the Rockies you’re on the home turf of the resident grizzly and black bears. Parks Canada recommends taking the following steps to minimize the chance of an encounter:

BE NOISY

Clap, sing and talk loudly. Don’t rely on bear bells alone to make your presence known.

TEAM UP

Hike in a group of four or more and don’t let kids wander off.

LEASH THE DOG

Or better yet, leave the pooch at home. Dogs provoke defensive behaviour in bears.

For more information on bear safety visit pc.gc.ca.

SOLD

Fabulous North West Townhome

3335 42St NW - congratulations to our buyers.

Watch the New Aerial Video

MLS # A1119671

Its always the best feeling - putting the SOLD sticker on one of our listings! 238 Citadel Drive NW sold in 10 days over list price. Happy clients!

Members of The Institute who hold the CLHMS designation (Stewart J Lowe-Calgary & Area) have successfully documented performance in the TOP 10% of their markets, and have successfully demonstrated their expertise in the luxury home and estate market.

Recognized as the mark of accomplishment in luxury markets around the world, the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) designation assures affluent buyers and sellers that the agents who have earned it have the knowledge, experience, competence, and confidence they require. 

ACHIEVING GUILD RECOGNITION

Recognized as an achievement in luxury markets around the world, the Million Dollar GUILD™ recognition assures high-net-worth-individuals that real estate professionals who have achieved GUILD status are remarkably knowledgeable, experienced, and have the unique skills necessary to meet and exceed expectations for today’s most discerning luxury buyers and sellers.

Luxury real estate professionals achieve GUILD recognition after having completed the luxury home sales and marketing training, becoming an Institute Member, earning the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist™ designation, and have documented performance in the million dollar and above residential market.

June 9, 2021- Once again, The Bank of Canada has held its target for the overnight rate at ¼ percent.

Great news for those with a variable rate mortgage and those with line of credit! Rates are still at historic lows! As always, if you or someone you know has questions, feel free to contact me at anytime

City of Calgary, June 1, 2021 –

With 2,989 sales, housing market activity hit a new May record.

Despite strong levels of sales, they did trend down relative to last month. Additionally, there were 4,562 new listings, causing seasonally adjusted inventory levels to increase over last month.

“The recent gains in prices have encouraged more homeowners to list their homes and take advantage of the current market situation,” said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

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WEDNESDAY COFFEE CONNECTION

MAY 26 2021

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