You want to keep your home safe from thieves, but you don’t want to spend a fortune doing so because, frankly, you don’t have a fortune worth stealing. Technology has significantly brought down the cost of home security systems and home surveillance cameras, many of which you can install yourself. But there are also many low-tech solutions that cost little or nothing that will keep your home safer from intruders.
Use your deadbolt lock. The basic lock on your doorknob isn’t really very good, Holloway says. Many knob locks can be defeated by simply grabbing the knob with, at most, a pipe wrench or with, at the least, two hands and twisting hard. The internal locking mechanism shears and the door can be opened, and this can all happen in a matter of seconds. This is an old burglar trick. Deadbolts are harder to defeat, and a cheap deadbolt is as good as an expensive one. The lock isn’t going to break, but it’s the doorjamb and the wood around the door that’s going to break.
Secure sliding glass doors. Many older doors are easy to open from the outside. Use a broom handle lying on its side on the track to prevent the door from being opened and deter intruders.
Make sure your home is well-lighted outside. Motion detector lights are inexpensive and an easy way to illuminate anyone who approaches the house. The reason for that is because the front door is commonly the most visible part of the house, and if there’s anything would-be burglars don’t want, it’s to be visible.
Make it look as if you’re home. Lights, radio and TVs on timers create the illusion that someone is home when you’re gone on vacation. Get a neighbor to pick up mail and newspapers when you’re away.
Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category
Keep Your Home Safe – Without Breaking the Bank
Friday, November 13th, 2015October Market Snapshot
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2015Despite all the doom and gloom in the media the Calgary Real Estate Market has not crashed and in certain sectors is actually fairing quite well considering the circumstances.
Stay ahead of the curve 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 the effect on the price of Calgary Real Estate. A simple way to keep up to date and ahead of most!
Below are the details along with a few comments, all numbers were taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards Stats package for Realtors.
Calgary Listing Inventory
In October our inventory declined for detached homes and increased in the attached homes and apartments sectors.
| Inventory | Sept 2015 | Oct 2015 | Change |
| Detached | 3012 | 2922 | -90 |
| Attached | 1232 | 1290 | +58 |
| Apartment | 1282 | 1366 | +84 |
| Total City of Calgary | 5526 | 5578 | +52 |
Calgary Sales:
Sales for attached homes increased slightly this month while detached homes and apartment sales decreased. The largest decrease is in the apartment sector. Looking at the total sales we are down by only 27 sales from last month. We are down substantially from 2014 (2014 was a huge year) and are down from the long term average.
In my opinion seasonal adjustments are a small part of this and it is a bigger reflection of a weakened economy and uncertainty.
| Sales | Sept 2015 | Oct 2015 | Change | % Change |
| Detached | 906 | 872 | -34 | -3.75% |
| Attached | 283 | 312 | +29 | +3.2% |
| Apartment | 259 | 237 | -22 | -8.5% |
| Total City of Calgary | 1448 | 1421 | -27 | -1.9 |
Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:
Prices for all categories decreased this month. The overall price decrease from September was .66%. Looking at today’s absorption rate I predict that detached and attached homes will continue with small decreases while the apartment sector will show higher decreases. Why you might ask am I predicting a decrease for detached homes while we are still in a balanced market – my answer is simply the consumer confidence level out there.
| Sales Prices | Sept 2015
Benchmark Price |
Oct 2015
Benchmark Price |
Change |
| Detached | 517,200 | 513,800 | -3,400 |
| Attached | 357,000 | 354,100 | -2,900 |
| Apartment | 290,600 | 288,300 | -2,300 |
| Total City of Calgary | 456,100 | 453,100 | -3,000 |
Sales Prices “Year to Date”
Year to date prices – The numbers here speak for themselves. As you can see the largest decrease is in the apartment sector. Overall I am surprised at how well Real Estate has held up so far with all the uncertainty.
| Sales Prices | Dec 31, 2014 Benchmark Price | Oct 2015
Benchmark Price |
Change
$ |
% Change |
| Detached | 510,900 | 513,800 | +2,900 | +.57% |
| Attached | 357,000 | 354,100 | -3,000 | -.84% |
| Apartment | 300,300 | 288,300 | -12,000 | -4.0% |
| Total City of Calgary | 459,000 | 453,100 | -5,900 | -1.28% |
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 2.8 to 4.0 | Prices typically remain stable |
| Seller’s Market | <2.8 | Drives prices up |
*** Absorption Rate:
In October all categories increased with apartment condos taking the biggest jump. This will have an impact on prices in the coming months.
| Absorption Rate | Sept 2015 | Oct 2015 | Change |
| Detached | 3.32 | 3.35 | +.03 |
| Attached | 4.35 | 4.13 | -.22 |
| Apartment | 4.95 | 5.76 | +.81 |
| Total City of Calgary | 3.82 | 3.93 | +.11 |
Calgary’s Housing Market Outlook Fall 2015
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015CMHC has released this fall’s housing market outlook and there’s some great information in there! Some highlights include:
- Single detached housing starts are forcast to remain below historical averages through to 2017
- Multi-family starts are set to decline from the record high in 2014
- MLS residential sales will decline in 2015 before gradually increasing in 2016 and 2017
- Emplyment growth to slow down in 2015 and 2016 but improve in 2017
For an indepth look at what CMHC is projecting for the coming year take a look at the whole report here.
The Real Cost of DIY – Are the Savings Worth It?
Thursday, October 22nd, 2015
It’s summertime, which in addition to road trips and backyard barbecues, is the season for DIY. That means lots of homeowners up on ladders, watching how-to videos online and making multiple trips to the big-box home supply store to pick up supplies and materials they forgot to pick up the first (or second or third) visit.
As Realtors we’ve seen it all, some DIY jobs have gone beautifully adding to both the appeal and value of your home. Some have gone ok- they aren’t professional looking but the average home buyer maybe doesn’t mind that squeaky step. It’s when the jobs go wrong that problems arise and sometimes they go REALLY wrong. Here’s a nice little guideline to help you decide if you are up for the task of your next home improvement project.
1. Jobs that exceed your skills.
The proliferation of YouTube how-to videos has been a boon to the persistent home improvement do-it-yourselfer. In just a few mouse clicks you can be face-to-face with a knowledgeable expert who takes you step-by-step through a project, from caulking the tub, to installing a skylight. Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell how expert any given YouTube “expert” actually is. Worse, even if the expert is knowledgeable and skilled, every home repair and maintenance project is different. As soon as your job fails to follow the script, you’re on your own. A pro has the necessary experience, tools and supplies to roll with the punches. Most DIYers probably don’t.
The costs? Poor bathtub caulking will soon cause leaks behind the tub or shower floor, where it’s hidden from view, and result in hefty repair bills for damaged walls and floor joists. And while the YouTuber makes that skylight installation look easy, it’s easy for us on the ground to lose sight of the fact that the job is up on the roof, where falling is easy, too.
2. Jobs that are dangerous.
A professional roofer will have the tools and the experience to do the job competently and safely. Most DIYers will have neither, which makes doing the job well and safely unlikely. Some electrical work falls into this category, with the danger occurring both during the work and afterward when poor workmanship can lead to risk of fire.
Some other dangerous DIY jobs to think twice about, according to the DIY experts at BobVila.com, include major tree trimming, interior wall removal, pest abatement and gas pipe repair or removal.
No savings on home maintenance and repair are worth risking life and limb. If you’re unsure, or don’t understand the risk involved, hire a pro. It’ll be cheaper in the long run.
3. Stuff that isn’t fun.
Everybody’s idea of fun is different. If you enjoy laying down hundreds of pavers for your new back patio, go for it. Learn all you can about the process and set to it. If you decide after a few courses that you do not enjoy it and dread the hours of tedium ahead, put down the stone and consider hiring a pro. Your time is valuable. Spend it on a DIY job you do enjoy, or focus your effort on developing your barbecue recipe. While persistence and determination are admirable, sticking with a job you hate too often leads to distraction and ultimately shoddy work you’ll pay for again later.
4. Big jobs that seem easy.
This goes hand-in-hand with taking on jobs for which the DIYer lacks the necessary skills. How hard could a bathroom or kitchen renovation really be? How difficult is putting up a fence, installing a deck or replacing the main sewer line?
Plenty difficult – and expensive, too. From the tools required to the supplies needed for the project, the costs for big jobs can mount, and for DIYers new to the work, estimating beforehand is not straightforward. Online project calculators can get you part of the way there, but every project is different and some DIYers lack the experience to adjust on the fly. That means more tools to buy, more supplies and more time finishing the project.
5. DIY jobs that require permits.
Permit requirements vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction – and many DIYers may not consider permits before diving into their kitchen or bathroom renovation. Failure to get the proper permits can make it harder to sell a home later, as banks will be reluctant to loan money for unpermitted improvements. Worse, unpermitted improvements could result in lawsuits post-sale.
Reliable contractors will take care of the permits and the paperwork. Whether you do the project yourself, or hire a pro, it’s a good idea to meet with your local building or planning department to discuss the improvement project beforehand. You’ll understand the permit requirements before starting, and you can apply for the permits yourself, saving you a little money on contractor fees.
September Market Snapshot
Monday, October 5th, 2015September Results are in and it looks like things are changing in the Real Estate front in Calgary.
Stay ahead of the curve 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 the effect on the price of Calgary Real Estate. A simple way to keep up to date and ahead of most!
Below are the details along with a few comments, all numbers were taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards Stats package for Realtors.
Calgary Listing Inventory
In September we saw an increase in inventory levels for all categories. New listings were up and sales we down causing this increase.
| Inventory | Aug 2015 | Sept 2015 | Change |
| Detached | 2801 | 3012 | +211 |
| Attached | 1130 | 1232 | +102 |
| Apartment | 1215 | 1282 | +67 |
| Total City of Calgary | 5146 | 5526 | +380 |
Calgary Sales:
Sales for all categories decreased this month. While the percentages look high it is important to note that some of this is strictly seasonal as September is always lower in sales than August. In my opinion seasonal adjustments are a small part of this and it is a bigger reflection of a weakened economy and uncertainty.
| Sales | Aug 2015 | Sept 2015 | Change | % Change |
| Detached | 1000 | 906 | -94 | -9.4% |
| Attached | 364 | 283 | –81 | -22.3% |
| Apartment | 279 | 259 | -20 | -7.1% |
| Total City of Calgary | 1643 | 1448 | -195 | -11.8% |
Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:
Prices for Attached and Detached homes increased slightly this month while the Apartment Condo sector prices decreased. Looking at today’s absorption rate I predict that Detached homes will continue with small increases or stay flat while attached homes and Apartment Condos will continue to see price declines in the next while.
| Sales Prices | Aug 2015Benchmark Price | Sept 2015Benchmark Price | Change |
| Detached | 516,000 | 517,200 | +1,200 |
| Attached | 356,700 | 357,000 | +300 |
| Apartment | 294,100 | 290,600 | -3,500 |
| Total City of Calgary | 456,300 | 456,100 | -200 |
Sales Prices “Year to Date”
Year to date prices – Again increases in detached and attached while Apartment condos have decreased.
| Sales Prices | Dec 31, 2014 Benchmark Price | Sept 2015Benchmark Price | Change$ | % Change |
| Detached | 510,900 | 517,200 | +6,300 | +1.2% |
| Attached | 337,300 | 357,000 | +19,700 | +5.8% |
| Apartment | 300,300 | 290,600 | -9,700 | -3.23% |
| Total City of Calgary | 459,000 | 456,100 | -2,600 | -.63% |
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 2.8 to 4.0 | Prices typically remain stable |
| Seller’s Market | <2.8 | Drives prices up |
*** Absorption Rate:
In September all categories increased with attached homes increasing the most. As mentioned earlier this will reflect in prices in the upcoming months.
| Absorption Rate | Aug 2015 | Sept 2015 | Change |
| Detached | 2.80 | 3.32 | +.52 |
| Attached | 3.1 | 4.35 | +1.25 |
| Apartment | 4.35 | 4.95 | +.6 |
| Total City of Calgary | 3.13 | 3.82 | +.69 |
Price Sensitivity
It is also very interesting that starter homes are the ones that are still selling in the first day in a lot of circumstances. The higher priced homes are the ones seeing the least amount of activity.
**Please note that these numbers do change on a community basis and more so for towns. If you would like to find stats on your community just let me know. If you have any questions about this summary, the attached stats package or any Real Estate questions please feel free to contact us.
If you know anyone else who might enjoy seeing our monthly summary please feel free to pass this on. Gord, Eric, Brent, Melissa
TSW Real Estate Group
Building a Wish List for Home Buyers
Tuesday, September 29th, 2015
There’s a difference between what you need and what you want. We all need a place to eat, sleep and call home, but when the time comes to buy that place, there’s a lot to consider. In a dream world we could envision our perfect home and magically make it happen. But this is reality, and in reality we all have budgets and other parameters we must work within, which is why I encourage all of my clients to start with a wish-list. It helps you determine exactly what you need, want, and must-have. It lays down a blueprint for your house hunt and it keeps you in check.
Here are some suggestions to help get you started building your wish-list:
• Make a list of all the things you love and don’t want to give up in the place you’re currently – a kitchen island, a soaker tub, a fireplace – whatever gives you pleasure and makes your house feel like home.
• A wish-list can also be referred to as a “change-list” – meaning, these are all the things about my current living space that must change. So take note of all the things in your current space that you are not happy with and highlight anything that frustrates you to no end.
• Consider how long you’re going to be in this home and what you envision happening in your life during that period. If you’re finally going to get that pet dog you’ve always wanted, then you’ll have to consider that when choosing the property.
• Identify which items you must have now, and which items can be added over time. Maybe you really want a deck in your backyard and you’ve just seen a great house that has everything but. A deck is something you can add on down the road.
• Consider your wish-list a constantly changing thing. Trust me – once you start looking at properties, you’ll be adding and dropping things from your list. That’s the best part about house hunting – every place you see gives you a better sense of what you’re really looking for.
Do I Need a Deposit?
Wednesday, September 9th, 2015
You found your dream home and have started the purchasing process. Now what?
When you find your dream home and decide to make an offer, in most cases, a deposit is a requirement.
How much is required?
A typical deposit can be anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the cost of the property and other factors.
How do you pay?
If closing is within 30 days, the deposit must be a money order or bank draft.
So, when preparing to make an offer, keep the deposit in mind and make sure you have the money available that it will require.
Let our professional staff help you
September Market Snapshot
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2015Stay ahead of the curve 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 the effect on the price of Calgary Real Estate. A simple way to keep up to date and ahead of most!
Below are the details along with a few comments, all numbers were taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards Stats package for Realtors.
Find out what your Neighbor’s home sold for – Our market report is set up based on your community! Register for our Market Report at http://www.calgaryareasolds.com/
August saw a small increase to our inventory levels and a decrease in sales numbers in all categories. Prices remained flat however our Absorption rate increased. This is somewhat typical of August with summer holidays and people away.
| Inventory | July 2015 | Aug 2015 | Change |
| Detached | 2728 | 2801 | +73 |
| Attached | 1104 | 1130 | +26 |
| Apartment | 1223 | 1215 | -8 |
| Total City of Calgary | 5055 | 5146 | +91 |
Calgary Sales:
Sales for all categories decreased this month. While the percentages look high the important thing to know is that sales in August have almost always been lower than July sales. Last year sales were down for the same period 18.1%
| Sales | July 2015 | Aug 2015 | Change | % Change |
| Detached | 1222 | 1000 | -222 | -18.2% |
| Attached | 449 | 364 | -85 | -18.9 |
| Apartment | 324 | 279 | -45 | -13.8 |
| Total City of Calgary | 1995 | 1643 | -352 | -17.6 |
Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:
Prices in all categories changed very little this month. Based on the absorption rate below my prediction is that detached homes could see small price increases, Attached homes should remain fairly flat while apartment condos should see very small price decreases.
| Sales Prices | July 2015
Benchmark Price |
Aug 2015
Benchmark Price |
Change |
| Detached | 515,300 | 516,000 | +700 |
| Attached | 355,300 | 356,700 | +1400 |
| 00Apartment | 293,300 | 294,100 | +800 |
| Total City of Calgary | 455,400 | 456,300 | +900 |
Sales Prices “Year to Date”
Year to date prices – All categories have decreased except attached homes have gone up by $700.00
| Sales Prices | Dec 31, 2014 Benchmark Price | Aug 2015 Benchmark Price | Change
$ |
% Change |
| Detached | 518,600 | 516,000 | -2,600 | -.50% |
| Attached | 356,200 | 356,700 | +700 | +.19% |
| Apartment | 300,400 | 294,100 | -6,300 | -2.1% |
| Total City of Calgary | 459,500 | 456,300 | -3,200 | .69% |
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 2.8 to 4.0 | Prices typically remain stable |
| Seller’s Market | <2.8 | Drives prices up |
*** Absorption Rate:
In August the absorption rate increased for all categories. Inventory stayed almost the same while sales decreased meaning the number of months of supply increased. This leaves detached homes just in a seller’s market, attached homes in a balanced market while apartment condos have moved into a buyer’s market position.
| Absorption Rate | July 2015 | Aug 2015 | Change |
| Detached | 2.23 | 2.80 | +.57 |
| Attached | 2.46 | 3.1 | +.64 |
| Apartment | 3.77 | 4.35 | +.58 |
| Total City of Calgary | 2.53 | 3.13 | +60 |
**Please note that these numbers do change on a community basis and more so for towns. If you would like to find stats on your community just let me know. If you have any questions about this summary, the attached stats package or any Real Estate questions please feel free to contact us.
If you know anyone else who might enjoy seeing our monthly summary please feel free to pass this on. Gord, Eric, Brent
TSW Real Estate Group
July Market Report Snapshot
Tuesday, August 4th, 2015Stay ahead of the curve 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 the effect on the price of Calgary Real Estate. A simple way to keep up to date and ahead of most!
Below are the details along with a few comments, all numbers were taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards Stats package for Realtors.
Find out what your Neighbor’s home sold for – Our market report is set up based on your community! Register for our Market Report at http://www.calgaryareasolds.com/
July saw very little change to our inventory levels and a decrease in sales numbers in both detached homes and apartment condos. This is quite typical for Calgary as people are vacationing in July and of course we have our annual Calgary Stampede. In addition to that we have had beautiful weather and people are taking advantage of that while it’s here.
Calgary Listing Inventory: Inventory went down in all categories except Apartment Condos this month. All changes are really insignificant.
| Inventory | June 2015 | July 2015 | Change |
| Detached | 2760 | 2728 | -28 |
| Attached | 1114 | 1104 | -10 |
| Apartment | 1196 | 1223 | +27 |
| Total City of Calgary | 5070 | 5055 | -15 |
Calgary Sales:
Sales for detached homes and apartment condos decreased this month while attached homes remained even. As mentioned above a decrease in sales in typical in July.
| Sales | June 2015 | July 2015 | Change | % Change |
| Detached | 1335 | 1222 | -113 | -8.5 |
| Attached | 449 | 449 | 0 | 0 |
| Apartment | 399 | 324 | -75 | -18.8 |
| Total City of Calgary | 2183 | 1995 | -188 | -8.6 |
Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices:
Prices in all categories changed very little this month. Based on the absorption rate below my prediction is that detached and attached homes (in a Seller’s Market) will see small price increases while apartment condos (in a balanced market) should stay flat.
| Sales Prices | June 2015 Benchmark Price | July 2015 Benchmark Price | Change |
| Detached | 515,500 | 515,300 | -200 |
| Attached | 354,500 | 355,300 | +800 |
| Apartment | 293,600 | 293,300 | -300 |
| Total City of Calgary | 455,400 | 455,400 | 0 |
Sales Prices “Year to Date”
Year to date prices – All categories have decreased.
| Sales Prices | Dec 31, 2014 Benchmark Price | July 2015 Benchmark Price | Change$ | % Change |
| Detached | 518,600 | 515,300 | -3,300 | -.64 |
| Attached | 356,200 | 355,300 | -900 | -.2 |
| Apartment | 300,400 | 293,300 | -7,100 | -2.4 |
| Total City of Calgary | 459,500 | 455,400 | -4,100 | .89 |
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 2.8 to 4.0 | Prices typically remain stable |
| Seller’s Market | <2.8 | Drives prices up |
*** Absorption Rate:
In July the absorption rate increased marginally for all categories. What this means is that the relation to sales over inventory decreased. This leaves detached homes and attached homes in a seller’s market, while apartment condos have stayed in a balanced market but have reversed direction coming closer to a buyer’s market.
| Absorption Rate | June 2015 | July 2015 | Change |
| Detached | 2.13 | 2.23 | +.10 |
| Attached | 2.44 | 2.46 | +.02 |
| Apartment | 3.6 | 3.77 | +.17 |
| Total City of Calgary | 2.44 | 2.53 | +.09 |
**Please note that these numbers do change on a community basis and more so for towns. If you would like to find stats on your community just let me know. If you have any questions about this summary, the attached stats package or any Real Estate questions please feel free to contact us.
If you know anyone else who might enjoy seeing our monthly summary please feel free to pass this on. Gord, Eric, Brent
TSW Real Estate Group
The Neighbors
Friday, July 31st, 2015
One thing often overlooked when viewing property to buy is…
The Neighbors
When viewing homes it’s crucial to get an idea of what your neighbors are like. You don’t want the experience of falling in love with a house, purchasing, moving in and finding out your neighbors are a nightmare to deal with!
Good indicators are what their back yard and back lane look like. Is the property being well kept or piled up with junk? Do you want to live next door to a neighbor that has 3 dead cars in his back alley?
A simple knock on the door can provide invaluable information. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and let the neighbors know you are looking at a nearby property. Ask some questions about the neighborhood and see what they have to say.
This can help you gain a better understanding of the neighborhood dynamics and with whom you will be sharing space.