I met a wonderful lady by the name of Jocelyne from Moncton who was at a conference I was attending in Toronto.
To my surprise and delight - I recieved a card just to say hello - and how she enjoyed meeting me and her take away from the conference.
I so enjoy attending Conferences for this alone, I met someone who I can refer to for Moncton in the future.
I also have met someone who is growing her business - who has challenges and victories just like me. Thanks Jocelyne - Royal Le Page Atlantic
Home buyers are flocking to Airdrie.
Recent stats show an influx of buyers coming from Calgary to consider living in Airdrie.
With very limited inventory, homes are selling fast. Some in a matter of days.
Looking for a home in this kind of market can be challenging. With more buyers looking at the same home - you have to be prepared to get into a mulitple offer situation.
Having lived in Airdrie 17 years - will help with this - I know the communities and the history of homes here.
Having all your ducks in a row will help too. Need mortgage advice, get qualified or just need to get some sound information - I have you covered.
Give me a jingle or text - would love to chat 403.827.4663
There are 147 properties for sale in Airdrie today
126 are single family homes
86 Homes have sold in the last 30 days
we have less than one month of inventory on the market
over 70% of the home's statistically to sell in the next 30 days
Market Condition: Sellers
Average List Price: $ 398,257.000
Average Sold Price: $393,485.00
Average Days on Market: 42
Average list to sale price ratio: 98.8%
Property priced at market value will attract more buyers than a home prived above market value. Consider that a competitively priced property will also attract a greater number of potential buyers and increase your opportunity for a quick sale.
Sellers can take a slightly more agressive approach to pricing but it's not recommmened to step out of the realm of realsitic. Due to inventory being limited buyers may be more willing to over the unique/uncommon features that they generally may not need. Or wait for spring 2014.
Terri 403-827-4663
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DINING OUT |
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When Albertans aren’t working or playing, we have a record-breaking appetite for dining out. |
Close the purchase
Your offer has been accepted and you can't wait to move in. But don't break out the bubbly just yet. You have to close the deal. Your REALTOR® and lawyer will do most of the closing work, but here's your checklist.
Immediately begin satisfying any conditions of the agreement that require action on your part. Your REALTOR® can fill out the documents stating that the conditions have been satisfied.Have your lawyer begin searching title to the property. This can take a while, so make sure you allow ample time
Well before closing, get your homeowner's insurance to be effective on your closing date. Your insurance broker will give you a 'binder' letter certifying that you're covered.
You can't get a mortgage without this letter!
Contact your lender and have them finalize your mortgage documents.
Have your lawyer review them before you sign.
Your lawyer will transfer essential utilities like hydro and water, but you'll have to make sure telephone and cable companies switch their services to your name.
(your realtor can also help you with names of utility providers & numbers)
If you rent, give notice to your landlord or sublease your apartment.
Begin planning your big move!
Where are those cardboard boxes?
(ask your Realtor they may have a contact for boxes)
Send out your change of address information and fill out a card at the post office. (do this in advance if you can)
Contact the Ministry of Transport about changing your driver's licenses.
* new address
Walk through your new home one more time with your REALTOR®.
* ensure this is writen into the purchase contract
A day or two before closing, you'll meet with your lawyer to sign the closing documents.
Your lawyer will tell you in advance what certified cheques you'll need to seal the deal.
It’s a very good idea to get a pre-approved mortgage before you start shopping. Many realtors will ask if you’ve been approved. A lender will look at your finances and figure the amount of mortgage you can afford. Then the lender will give you a written confirmation, or certificate, for a fixed interest rate. This confirmation will be good for a specific period of time. A pre-approved mortgage is not a guarantee of being approved for the mortgage loan.
Even if you haven’t found the home you want to buy, having a pre-approved mortgage amount will help keep a good price range in mind.
Bring these with you the first time you meet with a lender:
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Workin' hard for the money |
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The Owl examined median family income earlier this week and showed that Albertans earn considerably more than households elsewhere in Canada. But just how many hours are spent each week at work to bring home those big paycheques? |
One conversation with the man the bedding industry has dubbed the “Wizard of Ahhs” is all it takes to be convinced that with his mattress-design expertise he can and will solve the greatest sleep discomfort.
“Mattress making is like cooking to taste: We have the idea and we make the first rendition and we keep remaking and tweaking it until it's perfect,” Earl S. Kluft, owner of the luxury bedding brand E.S. Kluft & Co., told FoxNews.com.
Priced at $33,000, Kluft’s Palais Royale bed, sold exclusively at Bloomingdale’s, is his hand-tailored take on the 1940s “Rolls Royce” of mattresses -- the “Aireloom.”
Bloomingdale’s wanted to develop an “ultra-premium bed” and tapped Kluft to design “a line that would accommodate their customers’ affluent lifestyles,” he said.
The Palais Royale features monogrammed handles and more than 10 lbs. of cashmere, mohair and Joma wool. Inside the mattress, layers of Talalay latex and certified organic cotton felt allow for airflow, while thousands of hand-sewn cotton-wrapped steel springs give it a strong support.
“This mattress is fabulous!” reads a costumer review by looking4comfort on Bloomingdales.com. Another customer, Balzacnyc, writes, “This is far and away the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever tried.”
With his mattresses he aims to merge exclusivity and accessibility. The goal is to get consumers hooked on the brand, so that they stay loyal and eventually graduate from the “entry-level” mattresses offered to the pricier models.
Kluft is a third-generation mattress maker. In 2004, he founded the company hoping to revitalize Aireloom luxury mattresses -- a beloved American mattress brand.
What distinguishes from other luxury mattress makers -- think Sealy Posturepedic, Shifman, Tempur-Pedic, Stearns & Foster -- is that it is a very basic design handcrafted with top quality products.
“It’s not designed in mass based on a single test,” Kluft said.
For those who can’t afford Kluft’s higher-end beds, there’s a new design, the “Aireloom Aspire,” which starts at $1,999, also at Bloomingdale’s. He compares it to Mercedes-Benz’s C Class.
The Aspire Collection will be available in three models. Each mattress is finished with a unique heavy-weight, double-knit cover, and features a stylish chenille fabric.
Kluft promises that once you try one of these beds, “you won’t want to sleep on anything else.”
Terri Stephens
CIR REALTY
403.827.4663
Throughout 2013, Calgary has led Canada’s upper-end real estate market in nearly every category.
Calgary ended the summer with a strong finish and experts predict sales momentum to continue into fall, as resale and rental inventory remains tight. Strong employment and migration numbers reflecting the city’s continued economic health will drive demand- it is estimated that for every 300 square feet of new office space created, an additional person is added to downtown Calgary.
The high number of executive level jobs created will continue to fuel demand for top-tier real estate specifically, as newcomers take advantage of the city’s relatively affordable real estate market to “buy up”.
In spite of the floods experienced by the city this summer, there is not enough data to date to show any long-term impact on the housing market, particularly in the high-end.
According to Statistics Canada, about one-quarter of Canadians are spending too much on housing costs. “Too much” is defined by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) as 30% or more of household income. Are you house rich and cash poor?
First off, it’s important to understand what CMHC’s “household income” refers to in order to measure if you are over or under the suggested 30% threshold. They define household income as pre-tax household income, which is a questionable metric due to our tax code.
We have a graduated tax system in Canada where every taxpayer files their own tax return, so there can be a big difference in after-tax income between two households with identical household incomes. A household where two people are earning $50,000 each in Ontario, for example, has after-tax income of about $75,840. A household where one person is earning $100,000 – the same gross income as the $50,000 times 2 household – has only $69,841 of after-tax income. That’s a difference of about 8%, so not immaterial.
What are “housing costs”? According to CMHC, these costs include rent and utilities for renters. For homeowners, included are mortgage payments, property taxes, condo fees and utilities.
Several factors are ignored by the 30% rule of thumb. What if a couple has two cars and they drive long distances to work, so transportation costs are higher than a couple with no cars? What if they have kids? They’re not cheap either.
Airdrie has seen more sales this summer than in recent years.
With limited inventory - buyers are out there
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