Calgary Real Estate Blog

Have you ever checked your home for radon gas? If you’re like most Calgary homeowners, the answer is probably ‘no’ – but you should.

Radon is a colourless, odorless (i.e. undetectable by humans) gas that is produced by decaying uranium in rocks and soil, and seeps into homes through foundation cracks and vents. While there are pockets of radon across Canada, Alberta and southern Saskatchewan have the highest concentrations in the country. And it is serious business.

Radon is the second-most common cause of lung cancer in Canada, and can be linked to about 1900 deaths every year.

Fortunately, testing for radon in your home is easy and inexpensive. Testing kits (both short term, which measure for a couple of days, and long term, which detect for months) are available at local home improvement stores for about $30, and require only that you open the package and place the radon detector in an appropriate place (away from drafts and out of your furnace room). After the set period of time, you send the detector to a lab in the enclosed envelope, and a couple weeks later you get your report.

If no radon is detected in your home, you can rest easy. If it is, contact a radon mitigation company to assess and remediate the problem. There are several such companies in southern Alberta, who also do more involved testing than the kits homeowners can purchase themselves.

No one likes to think about unseen dangers that could be lurking in their homes, but if your home hasn’t been cleared for radon, it’s really something you should act on sooner rather than later. Feel free to give me a call to discuss this further.

On a side note, we’re only two weeks away from the Calgary Home + Garden Show, and they’ve given us a romantic coupon code to get 2-for-1 tickets! Simply use the code LOVE before February 22 to get your tickets.

For many years now, Calgary Realtors and their customers have relied on the MLS System for the most accurate and timely information on homes for sale in our city. Now the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) has chosen to align its MLS naming conventions with the City of Calgary’s official terms for communities.

In some cases, the changes are as simple as corrected spelling: Bel Aire becomes Bel-Aire, Saddleridge becomes Saddle Ridge. In others, neighbourhoods are consolidated: Varsity Acres, Varsity Village, and Varsity Estates become, simply, Varsity.

Zone names are also being changed from four quadrant letters, A, B, C & D, to eight more meaningful names titles: North, Northwest, Northeast, Centre, West, East, South and Southwest.

What will this mean to you as you use the MLS System? It means the community names referred to by the City of Calgary will now correlate directly with those in the System, making for an easier, more straightforward experience. A database is only as reliable as its data, and so CREB should be applauded for taking this step to start 2016 off right.

Speaking of starting the year off right, the Calgary Home + Garden Show is only a little over six weeks away, and you can get 2-for-1 tickets if you purchase before January 14 using the promo code NEWYEAR. Click here to get yours today!

Want to talk about putting your home on the market, the updated MLS naming conventions, or the new Star Wars movie? Contact me!

As we near the close-out of 2015, Calgary is settling into mild buyer’s market and will likely stay that way for a good chunk of 2016. However, if you’re looking to sell your mid-range home – especially sub-$450,000 – you’ll likely have plenty of interest. It’s the higher end that’s really taking the hit of job losses and low oil prices in Alberta.

We haven’t seen a buyer’s market in Calgary in quite a while, and so many looking to sell may be a little concerned and uncomfortable about the prospect. If that’s you, allow me to set your mind at ease.

First, Calgary’s real estate market, even in economic slowdowns, tends to remain pretty strong thanks to solid fundamentals. You won’t need to hold a fire sale on your well maintained home just to move it; priced and marketed appropriately by a real estate professional (like me!), you can still get what your property is worth. So, relax.

Second, to get top dollar, your home needs to look like it’s worth it. Professional staging, decluttering, yard maintenance and home repairs are key in a buyer’s market. When there’re plenty of homes to chose from, many shoppers are going to lean toward those that look ready to move into without a lot of work. Little touches make a huge difference, logical or not.

Third, trust your Realtor to manage expectations and give you honest opinions on pricing and strategy. She or he wants to move your property as badly as you want it to sell, and is motivated to secure the best price. Realtors live and breath real estate, and know the truth behind the headlines, so find someone you can trust and let their experience guide you.

Keep these things in mind and you’re set to have a positive experience selling in a buyer’s market.

Want some inspiration? Put the Calgary Home + Garden Show on your calendar for February! Use this link, with the promo code HOLIDAYS and get 2-for-1 tickets!