Sylvia Garrett & Norm Rousseau, Real Estate Assistants
6204B Burbank Road SE T2H 2C2 Calgary, AB, Canada

January sales signal strong start to 2021, Calgary Real Estate Board City of Calgary, February 1, 2021 - January sales were the highest they have been for the month since 2014, as housing market momentum from the end of 2020 carried over into the start of 2021. Sales activity improved across all product types and across all price ranges. Discount lending rates are exceptionally low, which is likely attracting all types of buyers back into the market, said CREB chief econom...ist Ann-Marie Lurie. New listings in the market were also slightly higher than what was available over the past two months, which is providing more options to purchasers. January’s new listings were 2,246 relative to the 1,208 sales in the market, causing inventories to edge up over December levels. These types of movements are typical for January, but 2021 is starting the year with 4,035 units in inventory. This is far lower than the past six years. Benchmark prices remained at levels relatively consistent with prices recorded at the end of 2020, but they reflect a year-over-year gain just below two per cent. Average and median prices recorded higher year-over-year gains, likely due to larger gains in sales in the higher end of the market. Those segments do not have the same inventory constraints as lower-priced product. See more

The Calgary Real Estate Boards annual forecast summary.

5 Ways To Winter Proof Your House It’s never too early in the season to start thinking about how you’ll winter proof your house. These expert tips will help protect your key asset from the ravages of ice, snow and freezing temperatures. 1. Check your roof and eavestrough Managing water flow is a top priority to winter proof your house for freezing temperatures. Within the gutters and downspouts, minimize places where liquid can freeze and expand to create leaks. That also mea...ns securing shingles. 2. Shut off your outside water supply Water expansion can wreak havoc on pipes. To prevent them from bursting, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) suggests shutting off the water supply to your outside tap by October. 3. Trim vegetation Prune greenery so that nothing touches the walls, says Erich Kelter, a home inspector based in Barrie, Ont. Wet leaves and branches brushing up against your house can erode brick and degrade siding. 4. Test your smoke detectors According to Home fore stats half of all home heating fires occur in December, January, and February. Replace batteries and test your detectors to make sure they're working properly. 5. Plug indoor gaps Keeping heat inside your home means identifying drafts that are entering through doors, windows or trim. Kelter says you can detect air leaks by going around the house with a smoke pencil, a hand-held device that releases smoke to indicate drafty spots. To fill the gaps, try caulking, spray foam or weatherstripping.

AMIDST ECONOMIC CHALLENGES, HOUSING MARKET ENDS 2020 ON A HIGH NOTE. City of Calgary, January 4, 2021 With December sales of 1,199, this is the highest December total since 2007. "Housing demand over the second-half of 2020 was far stronger than anticipated and nearly offset the initial impact caused by the shutdowns in spring. Even with the further restrictions imposed in December, it did not have the same negative impact on housing activity like we saw in the earlier part...Continue reading

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL. Lets hope that 2021 is much better.

Snow Covered furnace vents can become deadly if covered by snow. Now is the time to check them and remove the necessary show.

How to Best Maintain Your Driveway Throughout Winter written by Megan Sullivan Canadian winters can bring some harsh weather. With all the snow, ice, hail, rain, and freezing temperatures it can be hard to stay on top of maintaining your driveway. Unfortunately, without proper maintenance, come springtime, your driveway might not be a pretty sight. Plus, attempting to navigate your icy paths and driveway can be dangerous. Read on to learn how to best maintain your driveway th...Continue reading

Calgary detached housing market sees growth in sales Natalie Miller-Maleschuk CTVNewsCalgary.ca Digital Producer Published Monday, November 2, 2020 12:20PM MST Last Updated Wednesday, November 4, 2020 1:33PM MST CALGARY -- There has been recent gains in citywide residential sales that are outpacing the growth in new listings.... According to the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB), Calgary's detached home sector grew in sales in October to 1,764 units, a 23 per cent increase over the last year. "Over the past several years, higher lending rates and the stress test pushed many out of the detached housing market, said CREB chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie. However, recent declines in rates, combined with prices that are lower than several years ago, have brought back some of that demand. However, price improvements are not occurring across all product types, and price ranges and downside risk still hangs over future conditions." October's largest gains in sales occurred for homes priced above $600,000. When looking at price movements by district, the only city district to record further price declines was the City Centre," said CREB officials in a statement. "The South and South East districts recorded year-over-year price gains of around four percent. Despite recent price movements, prices in all districts remain far from recovery and are well below previous high." There were more new listings in October 2020 than in October 2019, and a significant improvement over the summer months of 2020. Even with the recent surge in sales, CREB says year-to-date sales are nearly six per cent lower than what they were in 2019. CREB say, as of October, the benchmark price totaled $248,600, and over one per cent below last year's levels. Benchmark prices have gone up over the past four months, and October prices were slightly higher than in 2019. See more

"Take two minutes to Remember"

IT"S THAT TIME AGAIN!

Enjoy Halloween in a save and responsible manner!

Do your windows need replacing? Sometimes it’s obvious you need to replace your windows. If a baseball comes flying through your front window and lands on your carpet, you know you’ll need to replace it sooner rather than later. Other times our windows can be broken or need repairs but because of age- and weather-related issues, we sometimes fail to see they need to be replaced. Read through these 5 signs to find out if it’s time to replace your windows. 1. Do Your Windows fe...Continue reading