Guide for Legalizing Your Secondary Suite in Calgary

March 7th, 2024
Legalizing Your Secondary Suite Navigating the process of legalizing a secondary suite in Calgary can be a daunting task for homeowners. However, recent changes to the City of Calgary's Land Use Bylaw, coupled with the extension of the Secondary Suite Amnesty Program, have made this endeavor more accessible and cost-effective. These changes, implemented in 2021, have streamlined the approval ...

CREB Q3 and 2024 Market Forecast Summery

December 7th, 2023
The Year That Was - 2023 The real estate rollercoaster of 2023 in Calgary has been nothing short of fascinating. Despite early-year declines, the market picked up momentum in the latter half, favoring sellers due to persistent supply challenges. Chief Economist Ann-Marie Lurie notes that the unexpected surge in interprovincial migration, particularly from Ontario, contributed to the stronger ...

Radon Gas

October 20th, 2017
If you haven't heard of radon gas yet, you probably will. There has been more talk about what it is and how it affects us. Radon gas is very common and is a product of the breakdown of naturally occurring uranium in the soil. When a person is exposed to high levels of radon gas, it can cause lung cancer. When you are outdoors, the gas easily dissipates and there are no issues. Where it beco ...

Foreign Buyer Tax in Ontario

June 2nd, 2017
Looks like Ontario is following suit with BC by implementing a 15% tax for foreign home buyers. The move comes as a measure to cool the sizzling market in Toronto where prices are up 33% since this time last year. That along with several other measures (increase in rents capped at 2.5% and taxed on vacant properties) will took effect in April.Only time will tell whether the new regulations ...

Humidity in Your Home

March 4th, 2017
During the winter months you will probably notice condensation on your windows especially on colder days. The reason for this is that windows are the coldest part of your home. When hot air from inside the home makes contact with the cold surface of the window, any moisture in the air condenses and turns into water droplets on your window. You may also see condensation on your walls. This may ...

Refinancing Could Save You $1,000’s

November 18th, 2016
I know there are a lot of people out there that are pretty comfortable with their mortgage. The banks send you a renewal notice and it’s easy to just keep making the payments. Most people don’t even check the rate to make sure it’s competitive. The last renewal I had, the bank sent me a notice saying their ‘competitive’ rate was 4%. At the time, 3.19% was the going rate. I’m glad a checked! W ...

What Goes In To A Market Evaluation?

October 14th, 2016
Have you ever wondered what goes in to a market evaluation on a residential property? I’m guessing probably not, but I’m here to break it down for you! Haha! For a proper evaluation, you need to compare apples to apples. The problem is that most homes are oranges to apples or pears to apples. First step is evaluating the subject property. Ideally, I like to visit the home. This way I can get ...