You may have read recently that an increase in listings has started to soften Calgary’s market a bit. This is true – there are nearly 20 percent more homes currently for sale than there were a year ago. This is a good thing, as single-family home prices were up more than ten percent, year-over-year, in August, and that kind of increase is obviously not sustainable. Eventually we’ll move away from current market conditions, heavily favouring sellers, to a more balanced situation.

This is a good thing. More families are moving toward condos than detached homes right now because of the affordability factor. As those families grow and start looking for larger residences, a balanced market means they’re more likely to find them at a price they can afford. This doesn’t mean your home’s value will necessarily start dropping, just that its valuation won’t continue to jump at the same speed. You’ll be thankful for this when your property tax bill shows up.

I like a balanced market. Sure, when things are hot, homes move quickly and for high prices, and there’s a certain excitement to the industry. The downside shows up when a family I’m working with loses out on the property of their dreams because of a bidding war, or when a seller must scramble to find a new home after his current place sold quicker than expected. In slightly slower – but not slow – times, buyers can take a breath and really evaluate the home they’ll be paying for over the next 25 years, sellers can start shopping while their home’s on the market, and I get to eat dinner with my kids more often. Wins all around.

The Calgary Home + Design Show is just two weeks away – save four dollars with the promo code SAVEFOUR when you buy your tickets online before September 12!

# 602 2505 17 Av SW

Here it is! You can have everything you want right here. Chic design with contemporary lines, mountain and city views, heated titled parking, insuite laundry, high-end appliances, the list goes on… 2 bedrooms with 2 bathrooms perched atop the hill on 17th Ave near Crowchild Tr. A stone’s throw from downtown, and all the shops and restaurants just down the hill. Don’t feel like leaving? No problem, there’s an organic market and wine store on the main floor! Because of its convenient location, Chinook Centre and Westhills are both about five minutes away. Like to get out of the city for the weekend? No problem, that’s just ten minute drive. Want more? How about hardwood and porcelain tiled floors, quarts counter tops with a gas cook-top, built-in appliances, floor to ceiling windows and a balcony with 3-sided views from the mountains to downtown? There’s even an advanced HVAC system that includes air-conditioning. Ahhhh! Available for immediate possession.

To view full listing details, more photos, floor plan and virtual tour visit my web page.

In the news a few days ago was the story of Derek Johnson, a man who allegedly posed as a Realtor, under an assumed name, to illegally obtain the title of a home in foreclosure. It reportedly cost the victim several thousand dollars, over the course of more than half a year, to reclaim his home’s title. Johnson has been fined by the Real Estate Council of Alberta $50,000 for posing as a Realtor; this is not the first time Johnson has been in trouble with the Council.

This story serves as a reminder to anyone seeking to engage in a real estate transaction that the licence status of any real estate professional or brokerage may be easily verified through the Real Estate Council of Alberta’s website. Using the public search, you can instantly confirm that the professional with whom you intend to do business is indeed in good standing with the RECA.

Realtors need to be licenced by RECA, and to uphold the organization’s standards of conduct to maintain that licence.

There’s a plethora of other useful information on the site as well, so I encourage you to take a few minutes to surf through it if you are considering entering the market as either a buyer or seller.

On a side note, the Calgary Home + Design Show is coming September 18-21, and I have a promo code that’ll save $5 off your tickets if you buy before August 26: click here, and enter the code SAVEFIVE.

We all know Alberta’s economy is leading the country growth-wise, but you might be surprised to find out our growth rate is nearly double the national average, and is a fair sight ahead of what was accomplished last year. No wonder, then, that the period from April 2013-2014 reportedly saw Calgary’s population increase more than ever before in the city’s history. Nearly 39,000 people became Calgarians, either through immigration or by being born, which is about 25 percent more than in 2012-2013. Alberta is the Land of Opportunity, with more than four million residents and counting.

That opportunity is certainly being seized by home builders: there were more new homes started between January and April of this year than in all of 2013.

Despite higher land costs and increased home prices, it’s still a seller’s market because demand is outdoing the supply. That may level off slightly in the coming year or so, but there’s not really any reason to think a major economic cool down is on the horizon; people will continue to flock to the home of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

Despite sensational headlines and the occasional, truly shocking and tragic violent crime (of which there have been two too many in recent months), it bears a reminder that Calgary is a remarkably safe place in which to live. Our crime rate, along with the rest of the country, has been on a downward slope over the past 40-plus years, and last year our fine city was ranked 25th out of 33 cities in terms of crime rate (Toronto had the lowest number of crimes-per-100,000 people, while Kelowna, BC had the highest).

Surely there are a multitude of factors contributing to our safe streets. Effective policing, especially on the prevention side, our mayor’s efforts to build a greater sense of community through things like Neighbour Day, the high rate of employment and relatively good wages available, even our cliched-but-true notion of cowboy hospitality. Are there some neighbourhoods that are rougher than others? Sure there are, as there would be in any city. But they’re all pretty safe, especially compared to pretty much anywhere south of the border.

As we grieve, en mass as a city, for Nathan O’Brien and his grandparents, along with the five university students murdered at a party in April, it’s important to maintain perspective with regard to how violent – or not violent, as the case may be – Calgary is as a whole. There will always be senseless crimes in the world, but there will also be inspiring feats of generosity and caring, and in Calgary the latter greatly outnumbers the former.

27 Crystal Shores Pt

First time for sale! Properties such as this seldom become available. Access the beach from your back yard, it’s just a short 30 yard walk through the park. Enjoy sprawling lake and mountain views from this walk-out home with south exposure. Perfect for a family that wants some space for everybody, there’s over 3300 sq.ft. of developed area available, plus room to develop more if you want. The fourth bedroom upstairs has 10″ vaulted ceilings (essentially a bonus room with a door on it). The “kids” bathroom has dual sinks that are separated by a door from the shower and commode, so everybody can have some privacy. The main floor boats a den and a dining room, plus a large laundry/mud room and a butler’s pantry. This really is the perfect floor-plan (visit my web page to see the floor-plan). The home has 2 furnaces for the upper levels, plus in-floor heat in the basement. The rec room downstairs is wired for home theatre sound. The roof and main deck are new. Book your showing today.

To view more photos, floor plan, virtual tour and full listing details visit my web page.

27 Westbluff Court

Welcome to 27 Westbluff Court. Outstanding, unrestricted mountain and valley views from this 2.12 acre property. The home is a fully developed walkout bungalow with 5,674 Sq. Ft. of custom quality. Specially equipped with a state of the art air filtration system. The gas fired boiler for the hot water in-floor heating system is located in a separate building so there are no fumes what so ever in the house. The garage, although attached to the house, has a separate breeze way system to enter the home. The yard is fully landscaped including a private, tree lined curved road from the front gates to the circular drive; there is ample paved parking for your guests. The rear yard of the home is a like a sanctuary. Multiple retreats include a large patio, a hot tub deck from the walkout, and two-more decks off the main floor. Oh, and there’s a full tennis court on the property too.

To view more photos, floor plan, virtual tour and full listing details visit my webpage.

Not at all unsurprisingly, according to the Calgary Real Estate Board’s most recent statistics the tide is starting to turn with regard to supply and demand in the city’s market. More specifically, June 2014 saw nearly 30 percent more new listings added than one year earlier. As homeowners see their neighbours’ properties selling in days for above asking price, it’s only natural that they’d think about listing themselves.

Interestingly, however, Calgary’s surrounding towns are also seeing a boom. Cochrane and Okotoks are becoming prime locations for commuters looking to stretch their home buying dollar by a few percent; sales in Airdrie are up a whopping 40 percent year-over-year.

Add these communities’ properties to our own market, and there are more and more homes for buyers to choose from, which will inevitably cause prices to plateau at some point. I highly doubt we’ll see any significant downward pressure on prices – with Calgary’s population growing by more than 4 percent every year, we’ll have plenty of people looking to buy for the foreseeable future – but if the growth dials down a bit, it might be a little easier for those looking to sell and move up to calculate what they’ll be able to afford.

# 1207 1818 Simcoe Bv Sw

Dana Village at 1818 Simcoe Blvd SW. This is a 50 plus age restricted building built with seniors in mind. Great location with LRT and bus transportation at your door. Activities galore should you want to be involved or not. Large deck 4.2×3.6 meters (11’9″ X 13’8″)for you to enjoy your morning tea or coffee. One bedroom home with all appliances included. In suite laundry room and storage plus secure underground parking with additional storage space. The common areas feature meeting rooms, party rooms, games area, exercise area plus so much more. The smaller one bedroom units seldom become available so take advantage now.

To view more photos, floorplan and full listing details visit my webpage.

As bidding wars continue to be common in the red hot Calgary real estate landscape, buyers need to be prepared to make multiple offers on attractive properties. While there is no way to guarantee you’ll win a bidding war, there are a few strategies you can employ to improve your chances:

• Write a personal letter to the homeowner. Talking about how important it is for your child to walk to school, how the floorplan reminds you of your childhood home, or any other personal spin you can put on your offer can pull at a seller’s heartstrings and give you a leg up.
• Have your mortgage pre-approved. You should take this step regardless of market conditions, but especially in a seller’s market.
• Offer as large a down payment as possible.
• This is not an option for most people, but the ability to pay cash is certainly an advantage.
• Pare down your conditions. Insist on an inspection, of course, but maybe make the window in which to get it done a little smaller. Skip the appraisal if you can, and make your possession date as convenient for the seller as possible.

Bidding wars can sometimes stoke the competitive fires within buyers and make them want to win at all costs; it’s important to trust your Realtor’s advice and judgement on what a property is really worth, and when it may be time to let it go. But if you’re embroiled in a bidding war, the tips above can help your chances of being successful.