Newsletter

JANUARY 2020 – Market Update

January is typically a month where we have lower supply and lower activity on the market compared to the rest of the year. That said, we had fair bit of activity with 863 sales in Calgary and 28 sales in Okotoks. Our months of supply is still hovering around 6 months right now, but this may change as we head into spring market. Year over year price drop is about half percent, so once again the rate of fall has significantly decreased which is great news for all.

If you would like specific data related to your neighbourhood, just give me a shout 403-383-5706!

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Complimentary Staging

As a realtor, I am a firm believer in the value of staging.  In fact, my seller clients receive a complimentary light staging package (8 hours of onsite work + use of dozens of staging items) at no extra charge.  If sellers feel that it would help them, then I absorb the cost.  This entails the hiring of a stager and working with your own furniture as well as dozens of temporary staging items brought into your home to prepare it for sale.  Why offer this as a realtor?  Because I’ve seen it work time and time again.  Staged homes tend to sell faster and for more money than their unstaged counterparts.  If you are interested in the details of the light staging package I include with every listing, just give me a shout!  403-383-5706

What is Home Staging?

Home staging is the act of preparing a home for sale. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers as possible.  A friend recently commented “Andrea, I don’t understand … it didn’t used to be this way, but selling a home these days is like a beauty contest!”.  This made me chuckle, but nodded in agreement as there was definitely some truth to it.   Indeed, it is a bit of a beauty contest.

In the buyer’s market that we currently have in Calgary area, there are more houses for sale than buyers looking to buy.  Simply put, this means that not all homes will sell. The ones that will sell are the ones that are the most appealing to buyers in terms of  looks, location, and price.

Does Staging Really Make a Difference?

 

Click for before/after photos here

NEW YEAR … NEW APP!

 
Have you ever walked or driven by a house with a for sale sign in front of it and wondered what it was listed for?  Well we now have an App that you can download on your phone and it will tell you just this information.  You can simply click on it, and the app will show you where you are and what houses are right by you that are on MLS with all the details you will need.  Literally these listings will be at your fingertips!

Click below to download.

NEW YEAR … NEW FORMAT

 

As most of you know I have hosted a dozen or so workshops in the last two years on various topics in real estate.  The topics included renovations, new home vs resale home, rental homes, first homes, staging homes, luxury homes, etc.  This year I will be moving towards online webinars, as I feel this will better suit all involved and I will be able to cater to people’s schedules.  First topic is on rental homes … just give me a shout if you are interested.  As always, these are no-obligation information sessions in a fun and easy format.  And this time around you will be able to do them from the comfort of your own home!  403-383-5706 or wilton-clark@shaw.ca

DECEMBER 2019 – Market Update

As a realtor, I look at numbers for a living. Prices, trends, statistics & all that fun stuff. For those of you who like to reflect on market trends in our local real estate market (in both Calgary and Okotoks), see table below which outlines how our numbers churned out for last month. The good news is that rate of decrease has slowed down and we are moving towards a stable market. Bad news is that our prices have fallen by 3% last year … and a whopping 10% since the 2014 slow-down in our economy. Exact numbers vary by location and product type. If you are curious to know how your neighbourhood has fared, just give me a shout! 403-383-5706 or wilton-clark@shaw.ca

Looking ahead into 2020

The first few months of each year is typically when many people start calling with questions. Perhaps you are wondering what the value of your home might be or you’re questioning how to best prepare your home to maximize your profit in our market. Perhaps you are wondering how to buy your first home or you are wondering how to get a rental home (or your second or third rental home). Give me a call, as this is the best time of the year to ask those questions … and I am happy to sit for coffee and flush out your questions. 403-383-5706

SEPTEMBER 2019 Market Update

Increased sales combined with easing listings last month have resulted in reduced housing inventories and better market dynamics overall.  While sales were primarily driven by homes priced below $500,000, this is a step in the right direction for our local housing markets.  Our prices are still below last year’s levels by 2.5%, but the rate of decrease has slowed.  So yes, it is still a buyer’s market but things are starting to turn.

In reviewing stats from last month, we can see that Calgary had 7044 active listings on the market, and 1584 sold … which means that at the rate buyers are buying it will take 4.5 months to sell what currently is listed.  In Okotoks, there were 227 active listings on the market with 52 sold … which means that at the rate buyers are buying in Okotoks it will take just 4.4 months to sell what currently is listed.  For three consecutive months now we have seen improved sales activity!  Our year over year prices are still down, but the months of supply in both Calgary and Okotoks have improved substantially.

See the exact breakdown of stats below.  And, for more information about your specific neighbourhood please connect with Andrea directly!