Archive for December, 2017

Should You Buy the Latest Home Automation Gadgets?

Tuesday, December 19th, 2017

You’re at work when the thought hits you, “Did I lock the door when I left this morning?”

You check your smartphone, see that you didn’t, and click the “LOCK” button. Now your house is secure. That’s home automation for you! But, is home automation a good idea?

That depends on a number of factors. On the pro side, home automation can improve your quality of life. There are automation products that will adjust heating/cooling depending on whether or not you’re home, make your morning coffee when you get out of bed, and the list goes on and on. These conveniences save you time. Home automation can also give you peace-of-mind. It’s comforting to be able to remotely see the inside of your home and check that everything’s okay.

Home automation can also make your property more appealing to buyers. Traditionally, buyers like homes with security systems, and will appreciate other automation gizmos, too. The only downside is the cost. Like most new technology, home automation products can be pricey and may become out-of-date within just a few years.

Thinking about it? Experts advise you to do your research first. Check out product reviews online. Then, if you determine that a particular product is going to benefit you, go for it!

 

 

 

Radon Gas Awareness

Tuesday, December 19th, 2017

What Is Radon Gas? 

Radon is an invisible, odourless, and tasteless radioactive gas  found naturally in soil and rock from the breakdown of uranium.   Radon gas may be inside your home and can be a health risk to you and your family.  Long term exposure can lead to lung cancer making it the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

Why is this important to me? 

In a recent study done by the University of Calgary researchers found that radioactive radon gas exceeds safe levels in one in eight Calgary Homes.   The study found that homes built in the past 25 years had a 31.5% higher average Radon Levels as they are built with tighter seals and have less ventilation than older homes.

How do I know if my home has high levels of Radon gas? 

The only way to know for sure is to have your home tested.  You can buy the test kits anywhere from home depot to The Lung Association.  The Kit from the Lung Association is only $34.99 +$11.95 shipping and includes the kit, instructions and Lab testing fees.  Order your kit here Lung Association

What if my home has high levels of Radon Gas? 

This is the easy part,  home venting to migate high levels of radon usually costs between $2000 to $2500.

If you would like to learn more about Radon Gas here is a great article from the Calgary Herald

 

Calgary Real Estate Market Snapshot – Dec. 1, 2017

Saturday, December 2nd, 2017

Absorption Rate Dec. 2017

What is really happening in the Calgary Real Estate Market?

Stay ahead of everyone else by following our Monthly Market Snapshot of the Calgary Real Estate Market This shows what’s really happening! The market is driven by supply and demand so here we show the inventory (supply) and sales (demand) and most importantly the relationship between the two and how it affects the price of Calgary Real Estate.  A simple way to keep up to date with how the market is trending and to stay ahead of most! All numbers are taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards Stats package for Realtors. I have also included some general comments which are simply my opinion.

What is Absorption Rate (Months of Inventory)   (the inventory divided by the number of sales in the last month). What does this mean you might ask?

Buyer’s Market >4.0 Drives prices down
Balanced Market Between 2.4 to 4.0 Prices typically remain stable
Seller’s Market <2.4 Drives prices up

Current Absorption Rate

The Absorption rate for November decreased in all categories except Semi – Detached which rose a little.  In my opinion this is mainly due to listings expiring and not due to sales.  Either way this is good as it is keeping the market fairly balanced. 

Oct  2017  Nov  2017  Change
Detached 3.57 3.15 -0.42
Semi Detached 4.27 4.40 0.13
Attached – Row 5.28 4.60 -0.68
Apartment 7.03 6.69 -0.35
Total City 4.41 4.01 -0.39

 

Calgary Listing Inventory

In November all categories saw a decrease in the number of listings.  This is normal for this time of year where people will let their listing expire and then put it back on in the new year.

Inventory Oct  2017  Nov  2017  Change
Detached 3246 2758 -488
Semi Detached 611 555 -56
Attached – Row 967 861 -106
Apartment 1639 1491 -148
Total City 6463 5665 -798

 

 

Calgary Sales:

Sales for November saw a small decrease overall.  Attached Row homes are the only category to show an increase.  Semi-Detached saw a rather large decrease and it’s my belief that this is simply listings expiring that will be relisted in January.

Of interest Calgary year to date sales are 15% above last year’s sales.

Calgary Sales  Oct  2017  Nov  2017  Change % Change
Detached 908 875 -33 -3.63%
Semi Detached 143 126 -17 -11.89%
Attached – Row 183 187 4 2.19%
Apartment 233 223 -10 -4.29%
Total City 1467 1411 -56 -3.82%

    

Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:

Prices for November showed a slight decrease in Calgary.  This in my opinion is mainly due to consumer confidence or lack of it.

  Sales Prices Oct  2017  Benchmark Price   Nov  2017  Benchmark Price Change
Detached 506,200 504,000 -2,200
Semi Detached 419,000 417,800 -1,200
Attached – Row 305,000 303,100 -1,900
Apartment 261,600 258,300 -3,300
Total City 438,900 436,700 -2,200

 

Sales Prices “Year to Date”  

Sales Prices Jan 1, 2017    Benchmark Price  Nov  2017  Benchmark Price Change

$

% Change
Detached 498,700 504,000 5,300 1.06%
Semi Detached 406,800 417,800 11,000 2.70%
Attached – Row 302,600 303,100 500 0.17%
Apartment 265,000 258,300 -6,700 -2.53%
Total City 433,400 436,700 3,300 0.76%

 **Please note that these numbers include only Calgary homes and do change on a community basis and more so for towns.  This report does not include rural properties.  If you would like to find stats on your community just let me know.