Call Altadore’s ReMax Realtor Local Specialist Bryon Howard today to get the jump on this great 1230 sq foot home / building lot.

Also have back pocket listings for two R2 zoned 50′ Altadore Lots.

The month of January performed as expected.

In 2011 prices increased by 1% … and in 2012 the ‘gods’ are predicted a 2% increase in prices. Not stellar … but with all the projects happening in Alberta … and the constant increases in In-Migration, I think we are shaping up for good increases in prices in 2013.

Between all the stats … if you want to sell in this market – it’s a good time – assuming you price relistically.  If you are a buyer … your are definately in a good place.  This is especially true if you heed the words of Warren Buffet, “Don’t buy for 10 minutes if you don’t plan to own for 10 years.”

The housing market pointing towards price stability

Calgary, February 1, 2012 – Home sales in the City of Calgary are off to a slow start as buyers show continuing caution, according to figures released today by CREB®.

“Overall, the market is behaving as expected for the winter season,” says Bob Jablonski, president of CREB®.

The year-over-year volume of residential sales in the City of Calgary dropped, but the inventory of available homes declined even faster in January 2012.

The City of Calgary residential market recorded 1,078 sales in January, nearly one per cent below the same month in 2011. This is in part related to the drop in new listings, which declined by 8 per cent over January 2011, causing inventory levels to continue to contract over 2011.
“A lower number of sales is not uncommon for the month of January,” says Jablonski. “The number of sales is offset by the number of listings, ultimately pushing the housing market towards a balanced market territory.”

The single-family market recorded a one-per-cent drop in sales over last year levels, while the condominium market recorded a one-per-cent gain. However, the decline in new listings in the single-family market was much higher than the condominium market, with a year-over-year decline of 11 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively.

“As presented in our housing forecast report, a slow start to the year is anticipated, as consumers continue to be cautiously optimistic regarding purchasing and/or listing their home,” says Jablonski.

The average price of single-family homes in January 2012 was $438,683, a 3-per-cent drop over last year, and over December 2011. Meanwhile, median prices in the single-family market remain relatively stable over last month at $395,000, while posting a 1-per-cent gain over the previous year.

“The price changes are related to the composition of what was sold. The rise in the median price was likely due to the increase in the number of homes sold in the $450,000-$549,999 category, as this category recorded a significant jump in activity in January. The decline in average price is due to the rise in sales in the under-$300,000 category, as well as the decline in the number of homes sold in the upper-price ranges,” Jablonski explains.

The condominium market continues to favor the buyer; however, this market is trending towards balance. The average and median price of condominiums for the month of January 2012 were $268,526 and $245,000, respectively. This corresponds to a 7-per-cent decline in average prices and a 4-per-cent decline in median prices.

“Last January, there was a significant jump in sales in both the $600,000+ price range and the under-$200,000 price range in condominiums. For January 2012, while sales under $200,000 remain strong, there has been an increase in activity in the $200,000-$299,999 price range, mostly at the expense of the condominiums priced above $400,000. This explains the significant decline in condominium prices,” Jablonski concludes.

Bright Kitchen with East Windows

4912 45 St SW, Glamorgan – Less than 1 km from Mount Royal University. 1960′s Bungalow offers hardwood floors, updated kitchen and appliances.  New Windows throughout. 4th bedroom downstairs with rumpus room. Parking for 2 cars in back – a garage could easily be built.  Last tenant did a rediculous job of removing the front door step and installing the front door. (He was less bad at installing the back door.) Priced as a handiman special! Seller fed up with this generation of people who don’t do what they say they will do … like pay rent.  Offered at $339,900.
Call or text me to view – it’s vacant and ready for a good property manager like you who capitalizes on it’s proximity to great transportation and Mount Royal University! (… and did I mention … the nearby Grey Eagle Casino?)    For More Pics click here!
Bryon Howard, ReMax House of Real Estate, 403-589-0004

Cute Home for Sale

… I was just doing some searching … and found this hilarious video … on the customer experience.

Realtor Bryon Howard Loves a Deal

My friend who got a cut at Right In Hair Styling last week learned he was born in The Year of The Ox. Did you know that it not only matters what your birth year symbol is … but weather you were born in the spring, summer, fall or winter? Also … the time of day?

Owner Patrick and I also had a fun conversation … mostly focused around real estate.
He translated my name to Chinese … and was rewarded with a $3 tip.

A hair cut, a great conversation … and my name translated in Chinese … all for $15. I love a deal.

That’s why we’re posing it. It’s what’s driving Project Calgary, a new initiative of the Calgary Herald that kicks of today and runs for the next 100 days. In hundreds of ways, we will seek answers to that question, and we want your help.

At the heart of Project Calgary lies an ever-growing archive of data that we have spent months compiling. In nearly 50 different areas, we have collected data on Calgary’s 200 individual neighbourhoods that collectively shed never-before seen light on community life in the city. We have crime statistics, housing data, affordability indexes, and measures of neighbourliness and much more. Want to know how much parkspace your community has compared to your best friend’s? We’ve got that. Want to know where your neighbourhood ranks on an index of coffee shops? We have that too. Worried about growing enclaves of poverty, or the plight of seniors living alone? We have data that can shed light.

Over the course of the project, all of that data and more will be made available to everybody, as spreadsheets or in more easily understood maps and interactive charts, on our website. It’s a project of open data, so we want you to take it, interpret it, post it on your blog, share it with your friends on Facebook, and tell us what you think.

The data, however, is just the starting point. It will kick off conversations about how we can make our neighbourhoods, and thereby our city, better. Our journalists have spent months combing the data, looking for stories and trends that will illuminate, inform and perhaps even enrage all of us.

There are a few points to remember as we begin this journey. Calgarians like their city. A poll commissioned for this project found 83 per cent of people satisfied with the quality of life in the city. And Calgarians like their neighbourhoods even more — 85 per cent said they were satisfied with 39 per cent saying they were very satisfied. There is, however, room for improvement.

“I think a question like this shows that (Calgarians are) content,” said Jaideep Mukerji, managing director of Angus Reid, who conducted the poll. “It’s a positive feeling but it’s not necessarily a very intensely positive feeling with respect to Calgary in general.”

Affordability, for example, is still a concern for many Calgarians, and along with this comes questions of poverty, charity and community. Interestingly, our poll found the most important part of neighbourhood life to Calgarians is not safety or amenities, but the old-fashioned notion of neighbourliness.

“It’s the quality of your neighbours and the quality of your housing that really tend to drive overall satisfaction,” said Mukerji. “It’s very much ‘Do I live around nice people?’ and ‘Do I live in a nice place?’ And those seem almost banal, but they actually really do have a pretty big impact on people’s overall satisfaction with their neighbourhood.”

These are just some of the issues that will be addressed over the coming 100 days. We’re kicking off Project Calgary with a look at one of the most contentious areas of civic life: Transportation. Over the next two weeks, you’ll see data and stories related to walkability, traffic and transportation, and it’s sure to spark a discussion — as the launch this week of a new bike lane in the city has proved.

In addition to the stories, photos, maps and data you’ll see in the print edition of the Herald, our website will feature even more.

Project Calgary is intended to be an ongoing conversation about neighbourhood life, so we invite you to get involved. Share your comments on our blog, discuss the data, tell us why you love your community or what would make it better. Project Calgary is being set up as a living initiative, so if you have an idea for us to explore, or some data you think we should track down and share, let us know. Tell us about your community, share your photographs and take part in our regular live chats. This project is intended to be a journey, and we’d love some company for the ride.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Project+Calgary+will+give+perspective+Calgary+neighbourhoods/5519415/story.html#ixzz1aVzxO0MT

Recently, I was knocking doors recently around a “Just Listed” property in Montgomery and I met the fabulous Janice MacKett of PowerHouse Architecture.

She is currently building a fabulous home on the hill in Montgomery. She also built that cool house on the North Side of the Bow River near Edworthy Park.

… the thought of knocking doors can be a bit painful … however, I always get some great leads … and more importantly meet some great folk.

Here’s a bit about Janice and her biz.
PowerHouse Architecture
Phone: (403) 286-1294
Type of Firm: Architecture

Firm Profile: PowerHouse Architecture is an energetic and progressive design studio specializing in residential architecture and exhibit design. We are committed to creating design solutions that reflect the client’s programming needs and budget. This office has a special interest in providing sustainable designs that focus on building envelope, water conservation, energy use and materials selection in creating an energy efficient and healthy living or work environment.

Special Capabilities:Residential: R-2000, Built Green, Strawbale construction, Energy efficienct design. Exhibit Design and Programming for Interpretive and Discovery Centres.

Calgary, April 1, 2011 – According to figures released today by CREB® (Calgary Real Estate Board), Calgary Metro sales remained at levels similar to the first quarter of 2010. Improved sales in the single family market have largely been offset by declining sales in the condominium market, indicating that the gradual recovery will continue to be driven by the single family market for the better portion of the year.

Single family home sales in the first quarter of 2011 were 3,309, a 4 per cent increase over the first quarter of 2010. The combination of stable home prices, low interest rates and year-over-year improvements in employment are the primary factors fueling the growth.

March 2011 single family home sales totaled 1,355, a 3 per cent decrease over March 2010 figures. The decline in sales was accompanied by a 19 per cent year-over-year decline in new listings. As a result, inventory remained at three months, which indicates a balanced single family market.

The NW sector boasted the largest gains in single family home sales in the first quarter of 2011 with 1,198 sales, a 13 per cent increase over the first quarter of 2010. Sales in the SE posted quarterly gains of 5 per cent, while the SW remained relatively unchanged and NE sales declined by 9 per cent.

“Improved affordability levels in single family homes have offered some individuals the opportunity to purchase homes in areas of the city that were once unattainable,” says Sano Stante, president of CREB®.

The SW sector recorded the highest single family average home price in the first quarter of 2011 at $570,748, while average home prices in the NW and SE were $464,990 and $422,821 respectively. The NE sector continues to remain the most affordable, with average prices hovering around $282,713.

“Average single family home prices remain relatively stable compared to the first quarter of last year, as people continue to purchase more homes at the lower end of the price spectrum,” says Stante. “The rise in sales has been primarily offset by a corresponding increase in listings, resulting in stable average prices.”

Calgary Metro average price of single family homes in March 2011 was $462,947, a 2 per cent decline from March 2010, and virtually unchanged from the previous month. Meanwhile, the median price declined by 5 per cent compared to March 2010.

Quarterly condominium sales continue to fall over levels recorded in the previous year, down by 11 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2010, while quarterly average prices are down by 1 per cent. It is important to note the quarterly average price of condominiums is skewed upwards for 2011 due to the sale of a $4.1 million condominium. If we remove this sale, quarterly average price would have declined by over 2 per cent.

The average price of condominiums in March 2011 was $280,781, while the median price was $256,000, a respected 5 per cent drop and 7 per cent, respectively, from levels recorded in March 2010.

Improved selection of affordable single family homes and higher inventory levels of new condominiums have reduced the demand for resale of condominiums. It is anticipated that demand should gradually recover in the latter half of the year, as Calgary’s economic recovery continues to take hold. “This provides a window of opportunity for condo buyers early in the year to discover a large selection of available product at affordable prices,” says Stante.

Calgary’s labour market has shown some recent improvements, however, it is still in the early stages of recovery as job growth remains below the 5-year average. Improvements in the energy sector are anticipated to show stronger job growth in the second half of the year, providing the foundation for continued recovery in the housing market.

METRO STATS UPDATE (June 1 – 9, 2010)