Sunday 29 December 2013

A Brief Look on Commercial Real Estate in Calgary

Of all the provinces in Canada, Alberta seems to be highly-prized by most real estate investors, either domestic or foreign. One of its cities, Calgary, is even expected by some real estate experts to have an increase in sales for commercial real estate in 2014;
from 3.3 percent last year to 3.4 percent.


Values for commercial real estate in Calgary remain strong as the urban economy maintains its steady advance over the last ten years. Investors continue to establish head offices in the city given its diverse workforce that prizes risk-taking and enterprise. 
 
Calgary commercial real estate listings for various industries also continue to be sought even as property values increase.

For as long as the city sustains its highly integrated transportation and communications systems, Calgary will remain inviting to investors, as well as most Canadians seeking employment and social opportunities.


The boom in commercial real estate and high business start-up rate, however, should give city officials a pause. The tax gap between Calgary proper and the Calgary region can get too wide, and if not reasonably supported, businesses just might take off for more feasible places. Public officials can stand to improve in this area, fairly responding to issues around equitable property and business taxes.

Friday 27 December 2013

Home Inspection: Confirm and Compare

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but there's no telling them whether those words are good or bad. You should never believe in anything you see until you've seen it firsthand.

It's for this reason that home inspection remains a crucial stage in the real estate process, not just in Alberta where homes sell like flapjacks. The inspection team often consists of at least two people: the buyer and a home inspector. Why is it often done this way? The buyer may fall in love with the couch, but the inspector may see bedbugs lying in wait.

In other words, the home inspector looks where the buyer rarely goes: wall cavities, plumbing, roofing systems, and the like. The intelligent buyer makes sure the house lives up to its description posted on the online listing. Nobody can perform this job better than a home inspector with years of experience under his belt.


You also have to remember that most pictures on real estate listings are taken with a digital camera. With some Photoshop skills, any picture of a living room can appear attractive enough for buyers to consider the real estate. Hold any plans of buying until your eyes confirm that the picture speaks the truth.

Why Homebuyers Should Hire Real Estate Agents

Buying a house isn’t as simple as purchasing goods in a grocery; there’s an entire process to acquiring property. For the uninitiated, buyers and sellers need to negotiate over the deal in terms of pricing, not to mention the tedious process of securing the home loans to purchase the property. It can be easy for first-time buyers to get lost in the middle of such a convoluted process.

Fortunately, real estate agents can be hired in order to better understand how property purchasing works. These knowledgeable industry experts can explain all the confusing parts to buyers new to the market, which should help consumers make informed decisions. Aside from serving as a guide, real estate agents offer other services as well.


Agents are constantly updating themselves with information regarding neighborhoods, so they’re the best people to ask if you’re looking for a specific house to buy. More importantly, agents are there to help close deals between buyers and sellers by acting as an intermediary. They can also handle the paperwork that comes with purchasing a home, so that buyers need not trouble themselves with filling up the documents. Simply put, real estate agents will help their clients through the entire buying process, which is incredibly convenient.

Sunday 22 December 2013

On Calgary Home Prices and Income Bracket

One of the most important matters that many home buyers struggle with is maintaining a monthly payment that doesn’t take a huge chunk out of their income. In booming cities like Calgary, the line between home price and income rate are getting wider and wider as home sales improve as the months pass, resulting in many people looking to resell their property to keep up with expenses.

While figures for median-priced houses for sale in Calgary are trending up, real estate pundits are wary about a widening gap in housing prices and income, which will eventually make it harder for working professionals to own homes. Experts opine that should this trend keep up, people might have to opt for rental instead.

Affordable Calgary homes may have dipped somewhat but overall in Alberta, the province's affordability position hasn't turned people away. For first-time home buyers in Calgary, however, saving for a down payment can increasingly become a difficult barrier. No matter the obstacle though, people with big aspirations will naturally just keep looking for the home of their dreams.

Lending institutions subscribe to two simple affordability rules: First, your housing costs shouldn't go beyond 32% of your gross monthly income. It's called the GDS (gross debt service) ratio. Second, your debt load shouldn't be more than 40% of your gross monthly income. This covers housing costs, car loans, credit card bills, among others, and this is your TDS (total debt service) ratio.

Friday 20 December 2013

Why a Town Home in Calgary Is a Good Idea

According to recent research by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Calgary is among the list of five best cities in the world to live in, defeated only by Melbourne, Vienna, Vancouver, and Toronto. This is why, if you have any plans of relocating soon and are seeking better job opportunities, Calgary is one of the options you can consider. After you've made your decision, the next thing to work out is to look into Calgary real estate properties and choose your place of residence; would you prefer to live in a town home or a condominium?

Town home living offers advantages that you won't experience in condominium living. For one, living in a town house will give you access to a small yard. Having one of those is definitely something you would welcome if you love to indulge in a little gardening, and the yard is of manageable size that makes it easy for you to do your own maintenance work and upkeep.


Another benefit of town home living is amenities like pools, fitness centers, sports facilities, entertainment areas, party areas, and more. While some condominiums do offer some of these amenities, the fact that only a few people are allowed to occupy an area of town houses means that you will have much easier access to these facilities and won't have to compete with a lot of other residents. Of course, to enjoy such amenities, the town house owner will charge you with homeowner association fees.

Making the Play for New Agricultural Land

Farming is one of Canada’s main economic assets. The wilds of the Canadian Shield and even the Prairies already host fertile tracts of land. If you are looking to invest in the Great White North’s agriculture and farming industry, you will be in luck considering government efforts to lower operating costs. How do you make the first move, even with a business plan in place?
You can start by approaching a reputable real-estate agent who knows the market well and is versed in farming and property laws. They can set you up with a number of viable farm property listings around your chosen area. All that remains is to research on all listings and weed out the one property that fits the thrust of your business. The research can uncover some factors that will affect the business’ long-term goals. For instance, you and your realtor must discover that there are no pending disputes with the property or any development plans already eyed for it, such as a road cutting through the area.
Your Realtor may help you hire a surveyor to analyze the area and further determine its viability. Have the property appraised and negotiate with the seller at the same time, then secure financing from institutions skilled at land purchases.

Investing in a new farm can be a way to a quieter life. Learning which properties are right for you is a step in the right direction.

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Moving Somewhere? Choose Calgary

So you’re thinking about moving to a city with your family, buying a house, and starting with a clean slate while considering the future for yourself and your children. It is understandable that you will want to weigh your options carefully. Why not try Calgary?
The largest city in Alberta has much to offer families who are looking to start anew. Here are a few reasons why Calgary should be considered as one of your prime locations to move into:
A thriving economy
Calgary is a very lucrative city when it comes to jobs: the city has an unemployment rate of 4.6%, lower than the national average of Canada. The oil boom in Alberta has produced more than 40,000 jobs in Calgary since 2011. Other industries in the city also offer fair terms, which makes the city a very attractive option.
Environment
Calgary is a surprisingly clean city despite the fact that its oil industry has been on the roll lately. There isn't much litter in the city, and it has been rated by both Forbes and the Economist as one of the cleanest cities to live in the world.
The Rockies
Calgary is close to the stunning beauty of the Canadian Rockies. Nature junkies and families can have a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful sights that nature has created.

These are only some of the benefits you will get when you move to Calgary. What's not to like for a bright future?

Multiple Listing Services – What You Need to Know

If you want to sell your home, you might want to put it up through a reliable MLS or multiple listing service. Having your home for sale up in an MLS allows real estate professionals to see what you offer. This is a great springboard for you to be able to find your prospective buyers.

MLS

Basically, MLS is a collective database that can be accessed by real estate brokers who have shared listing agreements with one another. This way, you aren’t just relying on the skills and resources of one broker to find buyers for your home, but of an entire team. These brokers earn by commission, depending on the sale of properties they sold or helped sell.

FSBO

While some properties bought and sold through MLS are listed by a broker who is representing the seller, some listed properties can be unrepresented; these are called “for sale by owner” or FSBO. The sellers of these properties circumvent the usual MLS restrictions by paying a flat fee to a broker for having the house listed without representation.

Benefits

The main benefits of MLS are essentially the same for both the seller and the buyer: access. The seller gets to place his home more efficiently in the market, with multiple brokers serving as channels to prospective buyers. The buyers on the other hand, can see a comprehensive list of homes with helpful data and photos to help them make their choice.






Tuesday 17 December 2013

Calgary’s Housing Market Greets 2014 with a Bang

Real estate values and rates are often considered as one of the main contributing factors that determine a community’s economy and in turn, its potential for excellent home purchases that won’t go anywhere near bleeding the prospective homeowner dry of his funds. In this case, there’s little doubt that Calgary, Alberta is definitely one of the “it” places to buy a property this year, finance-wise.

A population surge, notably the in-migration of Ontarians due to the influx of available jobs in Calgary, is driving the city's economy and animating its housing market activity. Reports on Calgary’s real estate market reflects a spike in both sales and home prices—a huge jump compared to last year. Home prices have beefed up because of tight inventory and a close-to-zero vacancy in the rental market.

However, while the prices yield a strong showing in favor of Calgary's housing market, industry trends suggest that if new listings continue to surge relative to sales activity (with demand overwhelming supply), prices will soon to level off after a time. In any case, it won't hurt to “strike while the iron is hot”, as they say. Deal your property aces by getting in the forefront of news and activities through reliable resource channels today.