The Gord Piper & Associates Real Estate Blog

1907 Ramsay Street SE Calgary T2G 4H6

June 24th, 2013

Pride of ownership shows in this inner city character home located on one of the most desirable streets in Ramsay, 1 block from Scotsman Hill with gorgeous views of the city. This raised bunglow features many updates over the years including kitchen, high efficiency furnace, hot water tank and shingles being put on this week. Main floor boasts a large bright living room, kitchen with plenty of cabinets, breakfast bar, Corian countertops, stainless steel fridge and stove and a separate dining room. Two bedrooms and main bath complete the main floor. Downstairs you will find the large recreation room with large windows allowing for plenty of light. Downstairs also features a bedroom, 3 piece bath and a laundry room with sink. Step out back and enjoy your private yard with a double garage. Excellent investment as City has indicated that 2 attached homes can be built on this size of lot. Located minutes to Saddledome, East Village, Farmers Market, schools and pathway system along the Elbow River. Listed at only $719,900

Check out our Video Tour at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjmMCBehCZw

Full Video tour at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjmMCBehCZw

MLS Listing C3574685

Tags: 1907 Ramsay Street SE Calgary Ab. T2G 4H6, Calgary Real Estate Listings, Home for Sale
Posted in Listings, Uncategorized | Comments Closed

How to tell if a neighbourhood is improving?

June 10th, 2013

When you’re looking for a new home, you want to find one in a great

neighbourhood – or, at least, in a neighbourhood that is on the upswing.

How can you tell if a particular area is improving? Here are some common

indicators:

Pride of ownership. Take a walk around the neighbourhood. Do you get a

sense that people take good care of their homes? Are the lawns mowed?

Is the landscaping trimmed? Are flowers planted? Make sure you take a walk

down the alley’s as they really tell a story. Homeowners are more

likely to look after their properties when they like where they are living.

Home improvements. Are people investing in their homes? Are they

getting their driveways re-done? Their windows replaced? Are there signs

of home improvement projects? If so, this is a clear indication that

homeowners like the area enough to invest in their properties.

Infills. If you are looking in the inner city in Calgary then check out where

builders are investing in infills. This is a huge indicator of how the community is changing.

Real estate sales activity. Do homes tend to sell quickly in the area? Do

they sell for a good price? If so, the neighbourhood is probably in demand.

If people want to live there, it”s a desirable area.

Business investment. Are businesses investing in the surrounding area?

Is there an increase in the number of upscale shops, health clubs,

restaurants, and other commercial enterprises that often locate near

desirable neighbourhoods?

Community involvement. Are there signs that the community plays an

active role in the look and lifestyle of the neighbourhood? Are there

neighbourhood picnics, yard sales and other get-togethers? Check

Facebook.com to see if the neighbourhood casino online has a community page.

City plans. Find out what plans the city has for the area. Will there be road

improvements done in the near future? Are there any major construction

projects on the schedule, such as a new school or community centre, LRT.

Although such projects can be disruptive in the short term, they may

improve the neighbourhood – and, as a result, boost the value of any home

you buy – in the long-term.

Future Investment. One key question I always ask about any neighbourhood is

“What will attract people to buy in this neighbourhood? if the answers are obvious chances are

community will continue to be in demand.

Of course, the best way to find out the desirability of a neighbourhood is to

talk to a good REALTOR® who knows the area. Contact us today.

Posted in Blog, Communities | Comments Closed

Outstanding starter home in Hidden Valley. 25 Hidden Hills Way NW

June 7th, 2013

Are you looking for a home for a growing family? Pride of ownership shows throughout this fully developed 4 level split that features an open concept and large windows providing natural light. New carpet, paint, granite and more. Main floor boasts hardwood floors throughout living room, kitchen with huge island with granite counter tops, new backsplash, lots of cupboards, and a dining nook. Upstairs you will find a loft which overlooks the main floor (perfect for an office), the master bedroom with cheater door to bath and a second bedroom. Third floor features a large living room with fireplace, another bedroom, 2 pce bath and is a walk up to your yard with deck and garage. Downstairs you will find a large family room and 3 pce bath with large shower. Located on a quiet street only a minute walk to the park. Location provides excellent access to Shaganappi trail, Stoney, Beddington Blvd and 14 Street. Minutes from schools and close to Creekside for your shopping needs.

Posted in Blog, Listings | Comments Closed

May’s Calgary Real Estate Market Snapshot

June 3rd, 2013

Want to know what’s really happening in the Calgary Real Estate Market. 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. In summary the Calgary housing market is still very strong. Sales are strong and our inventory is on the low side making it a Seller’s market.

Here is the details along with a few comments, all numbers are taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards Stats package for Realtors.

Calgary Listing Inventory: Inventory levels for all categories except townhouses increased throughout May. The Townhouse inventory dropped only marginally. Seeing our inventory increase is very normal at this time of year as many people wait until spring to list their homes. This trend of increasing inventory should continue for the next few months.

Inventory	April 2013	May 2013	Change
Single Family Home	2977	3311	+334
Condo Townhouse	518	503	-15
Condo Apartment	871	929	+58
Total	4366	4743	+377

Calgary Sales:

Sales increased in all categories except apartment Condo’s this month. Apartment condo sales dropped but by very little. What is important here is that our sales increased at a lower rate than our inventory moving us towards a balanced market (although we have a long way to go). We are still challenged to find good Single Family homes for buyers as there is little choice so many buyers are moving into the townhouse market, the condominium market and surrounding towns.

Sales	April 2013	May 2013	Change	% Change
Single Family Home	1611	1766	+155	+9.6%
Condo Townhouse	341	365	+24	+7.0%
Condo Apartment	429	413	-16	-3.8%
Total	2381	2544	+163	+6.8%

Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices: Please note that we are now using the Benchmark price for this comparison.

In May, the benchmark price increased slightly for all categories. This is simply a reflection demand outpacing supply and should continue until the inventory starts to increase faster than sales.

Sales Prices	April 2013 Benchmark Price	May 2013 Benchmark Price	Change
Single Family Homes	452,900	456,900	+$4,000
Condo Townhouse	288,900	292,100	+$3,200
Condo Apartment	261,300	263,600	+$2,300

Sales Prices “Year to Date”

Year to date prices have increased in all categories.

Sales Prices	Dec 31 2012 Benchmark Price	May 2013 Benchmark Price	Change	% Change
Single Family Homes	434,800	456,900	+$22,100	+5.1%
Condo Townhouse	284,100	292,100	+$8,000	+2.8%
Condo Apartment	248,700	263,600	+$14,900	+5.99%

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
Balanced Market	Between 2.8 to 4.0
Seller’s Market	<2.8

Absorption Rate: Throughout May there was little change in the absorption rate except for the apartment condo market which softened a little.

Absorption Rate	April 2013	May 2013	Change
Single Family Homes	1.85	1.87	+.02
Condo Townhouse	1.52	1.37	-.15
Condo Apartment	2.03	2.25	+.22
Total Calgary	1.83	1.86	+.03

**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 please contact us.

If you have any questions about this summary 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

Tags: Calgary, calgary real estate, calgary real estate prices, Calgary Real Estate Stats, Condominium, moving to calgary
Posted in Blog, calgary realtor, Real Estate Board's Statistics | Comments Closed

How to make your home appear larger

May 22nd, 2013

When selling your home or condo in Calgary you want to show off the space your have. Most of us accumulate stuff and our living spaces get full. Make any room bigger by simply taking things out of the room,however finding storage space in the home can be challenging.

These days, we all just seem to have more stuff!

Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need to rent a storage locker or add a new room to your home to fit everything. One of the things I do annually is look around and if I have not used the item in the last year then I ask myself “Do I really still need this?”

There are many innovative ways to increase the capacity of the storage space you’re already using. For example, there are storage bins you can buy that are designed to fit neatly under a bed. Some have wheels, making the bins easy to pull out and access.

You’ve probably seen closet organizers at your local home improvement centre. These can easily double the storage capacity of a closet, while making the space look neater and more organized.

Finally, there are storage units available that are camouflaged as something else, such as an ottoman.

Visit your local Home Depot. There are many more innovative storage solutions available for your home.

If all else fails, renting a storage pod can be an excellent investment when selling your home.

Posted in Blog, Home Staging | Comments Closed

How to Discourage Buyers from Buying Your Home

May 16th, 2013

Selling a home in Calgary is very competitive. If you’re listing your home

for sale, then of course you’ll want to make the best impression possible

for potential home buyers. But, just to have a little fun, say you don’t want

to sell your property. What could you do to discourage those who view

your home?

Well, you could have your pets in the home during showings. That will

certainly make it uncomfortable for some buyers – especially those

with pet allergies.

You could also leave personal items around, such as family pictures

and trophies. That will make it more difficult for a buyer to imagine

himself and his family living there. It might even make him feel a bit

like an intruder!

Clutter in bedrooms, closets and other areas of the home will make

those spaces feel less spacious than they really are, as well as make

visitors feel uncomfortable.

If you really want to turn off a buyer, then put off doing any minor

repairs. A dripping tap, torn carpet, flickering lights, dent in the wall,

or other maintenance issues are certain to gain a buyer’s attention.

If all that doesn’t shoo away a buyer from your home, then stick

around during a viewing and follow him and his family from room to

room telling them everything you can about your home. That will

certainly make him feel uneasy.

Of course, we’re just having a bit of fun here. When you put your

home on the market, you want to sell it!

It’s easy to avoid all the pitfalls described above and ensure potential

buyers appreciate the full value of your home.

So when you’re preparing for showings, think of ways you can make

your property appear its best, and make the buyer feel welcomed and

comfortable viewing it.

Tags: Before you sell, Calgary, Home staging, sell my home calgary
Posted in Blog, Home Staging | Comments Closed

April’s Calgary Real Estate Market Snapshot

April 30th, 2013

Want to know what is really happening in Calgary’s Real Estate Market. Bottom line Real Estate is all about supply and demand so that is our focus here. Below you will find a summary of some key Factors with a few short comments. In summary the Calgary housing market is very strong. Sales are strong and our inventory is on the low side making it a Seller’s market. All numbers below are taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards Stats Package for Realtors.

Calgary Listing Inventory: Inventory levels for all categories increased throughout April. Seeing our inventory increase is very normal at this time of year as many people wait until spring to list their homes. This trend of increasing inventory should continue for the next few months.

Inventory	March 2013	April 2013	Change
Single Family Home	2727	2977	+250
Condo Townhouse	484	518	+34
Condo Apartment	796	871	+75
Total	4007	4366	+359

Calgary Sales:

Sales increased in all categories this month. What is important here is that our sales increased at a higher rate than our inventory putting us into an even stronger sellers market than last month. What I am seeing is that good single family homes in the lower price ranges are harder to find and therefore we are seeing more buyers moving into the townhouse market, the condominium market and surrounding towns.

Sales	March 2013	April 2013	Change	% Change
Single Family Home	1480	1611	+131	+8.8%
Condo Townhouse	283	341	+58	+20.4%
Condo Apartment	347	429	+82	+23.6%
Total	2110	2381	+271	+12.84

Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices: Please note that we are now using the Benchmark price for this comparison.

In April the benchmark price increased slightly for all categories. This is simply a reflection demand outpacing supply and may continue until the inventory starts to increase faster than sales.

Sales Prices	March 2013 Benchmark Price	April, 2013 Benchmark Price	Change
Single Family Homes	446,500	452,900	+$6,400
Condo Townhouse	286,800	288,900	+$2,100
Condo Apartment	257,700	261,300	+$3,600

Sales Prices “Year to Date”

Once again we saw increases in all categories.

Sales Prices	Dec 31 2012 Benchmark Price	April 2013 Benchmark Price	Change	% Change
Single Family Homes	434,800	452,900	+18,100	+4.2%
Condo Townhouse	284,100	288,900	+4,800	+1.7%
Condo Apartment	248,700	261,300	+12,600	+5.1%

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
Balanced Market	Between 2.8 to 4.0
Seller’s Market	<2.8

Absorption Rate	March 2013	April 2013	Change
Single Family Homes	1.84	1.85	+.01
Condo Townhouse	1.71	1.52	– .19
Condo Apartment	2.29	2.03	– .26
Total Calgary	1.90	1.83	– .07

Yes, we are in a Sellers Market

As you can see above we are in a Seller’s market for all categories and it is getting stronger in favour of sellers. 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 share.

Gord, Eric & Brent

Tags: Business/Finance, Calgary, Calgary Home Prices, calgary real estate, calgary real estate prices, Calgary Real Estate Stats, Condominium, Inventory, Real Estate Absorption Rate
Posted in Blog, Real Estate Board's Statistics | Comments Closed

1340 Lake Michigan Crescent SE Calgary

April 4th, 2013

We are pleased to present 1340 Lake Michigan Crescent SE. Totally renovated 2 story home in Lake Bonavista Downs.

Check out the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vmc95XH7lw

We are going to do an open house Saturday April 6 from 2 to 5

Stop by and say hi!

Gord

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Closed

Calgary’s March Real Estate Market Snapshot

April 1st, 2013

Below is a short summary of what is really happening in the Calgary Real Estate Market. It cuts through all the extra and provides key information on supply and demand which is what drives prices. For each area I have also included a few comments. All numbers are taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards Stats package for Realtors. In summary the Calgary housing market is starting off 2013 with very strong sales and our inventory is on the low side putting us in a Seller’s market.

Calgary Listing Inventory: Inventory levels for all categories increased throughout March. Seeing our inventory increase is very normal at this time of year as many people wait until spring to list their homes. This trend of increasing inventory should continue for the next few months.

Inventory	February 2013	March 2013	Change
Single Family Home	2408	2727	+13.2%
Condo Townhouse	427	484	+13.3%
Condo Apartment	704	796	+13.1%
Total	3539	4007	+13.2%

Calgary Sales:

Sales increased in all categories this month. The trend seems that buyers are coming to the market a little earlier every year. I am also finding that good single family homes in the lower price ranges are harder to find and therefore we are seeing more buyers moving into the condominium market.

Sales	Feb 2013	March 2013	Change	% Change
Single Family Home	1209	1480	+271	+22.4%
Condo Townhouse	223	283	+60	+25.6%
Condo Apartment	279	347	+60	+24.4%
Total	1711	2110	+399	+23.3%

Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices: Please note that we are now using the Benchmark price for this comparison.

In March the benchmark price increased slightly for all categories. This is simply a reflection of demand outpacing supply and may continue until the inventory starts to increase faster than sales.

Sales Prices	Feb 2013 Benchmark Price	March, 2013 Benchmark Price	Change
Single Family Homes	442,500	446,500	+4,000
Condo Townhouse	283,000	286,800	+3,800
Condo Apartment	252,900	257,700	+4,800

Sales Prices “Year to Date”

Once again we saw increases in all categories.

Sales Prices	Dec 31 2012 Benchmark Price	March 2013 Benchmark Price	Change	% Change
Single Family Homes	434,800	446,500	+11,700	+2.7%
Condo Townhouse	284,100	286,800	+2,700	+.95%
Condo Apartment	248,700	257,700	+9,000	+3.62%

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

Below 3.0 indicates a Seller’s Market

Between 2.8 to 4.0 indicates a Balanced Market

Above 4.0 indicates a Buyer’s Market.

Absorption Rate	Feb 2013	March 2013	Change
Single Family Homes	1.99	1.84	-.15
Condo Townhouse	1.91	1.71	-.2
Condo Apartment	2.52	2.29	-.23
Total Calgary	2.07	1.90	-.17

= “ Seller’s Market”

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

Tags: Calgary Condos, calgary real estate, calgary real estate prices, Calgary Real Estate Stats, Condominium, Housing, Northwest Calgary Real Estate Prices
Posted in Blog, Real Estate Board's Statistics | Comments Closed

Calgary’s February Real Estate Market Snapshot

March 4th, 2013

Here is a summary of some key areas with a few short comments. In summary the Calgary housing market is starting off 2013 with very strong sales and our inventory is on the low side making it a Seller’s market. All numbers are taken from the Calgary Real Estate Boards stats package for Realtors.

Calgary Listing Inventory: Inventory levels for all categories increased throughout February. Seeing our inventory increase is very normal at this time of year as many people wait until spring to list their homes. This trend of increasing inventory should continue for the next few months.

Inventory	January 2013	February 2013	Change
Single Family Home	2075	2408	+333
Condo Townhouse	369	427	+58
Condo Apartment	640	704	+64
Total	3084	3539	+455

Calgary Sales:

Sales increased in all categories this month. Although the increase seems extremely high it is comparable to what happened last year. The trend seems that buyers are coming to the market a little earlier every year. It also seems to me that as good single family homes in the lower price ranges are harder to find we are seeing more buyers moving into the condominium market.

Sales	Jan 2013	Feb 2013	Change	% Change
Single Family Home	879	1209	+330	38%
Condo Townhouse	147	223	+76	52%
Condo Apartment	204	279	+75	37%
Total	1230	1711	+481	39%

Calgary Real Estate Sales Prices: Please note that we are now using the Benchmark price for this comparison.

In February the benchmark price increased slightly for single family homes and apartment condos and decreased slightly for townhouses.

Sales Prices	Jan 2013 Benchmark Price	Feb 28, 2013 Benchmark Price	Change
Single Family Homes	436,900	442,500	+1%
Condo Townhouse	283,400	283,000	–
Condo Apartment	251,300	252,900	+1%

Sales Prices “Year to Date” Same as above for this month

Once again we saw increases in Single Family homes and Apartment Condos and a slight decrease in Townhouses.

Sales Prices	Dec 31 2012 Benchmark Price	Feb 2013 Benchmark Price	Change	% Change
Single Family Homes	434,800	442500	+7,700	+2%
Condo Townhouse	284,100	283,000	(1,100)	–
Condo Apartment	248,700	252,900	+4,200	+2%

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

Below 3.0 indicates a Seller’s Market

Between 3.0 to 4.0 indicates a Balanced Market

Above 4.0 indicates a Buyer’s Market.

Absorption Rate	Jan 2013	Feb 2013	Change
Single Family Homes	2.36	1.99	-.37
Condo Townhouse	2.51	1.91	-.60
Condo Apartment	3.14	2.52	-.72
Total Calgary	2.51	2.07	-.44

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 it on.

Gord, Eric & Brent

Posted in Blog, calgary realtor, Real Estate Board's Statistics | Comments Closed

The Gord Piper & Associates Real Estate Blog

1907 Ramsay Street SE Calgary T2G 4H6

How to tell if a neighbourhood is improving?

Outstanding starter home in Hidden Valley. 25 Hidden Hills Way NW

May’s Calgary Real Estate Market Snapshot

How to make your home appear larger

How to Discourage Buyers from Buying Your Home

April’s Calgary Real Estate Market Snapshot

1340 Lake Michigan Crescent SE Calgary

Calgary’s March Real Estate Market Snapshot

Calgary’s February Real Estate Market Snapshot

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