Calgary Is one of the World’s Cleanest Cities

February 2nd, 2022 by Susanita de Diego

At Complete Real Estate Coldwell Banker, we think Calgary is the best city in Canada!

This is the first of a series of articles about, “Why Calgary is the best city in Canada.” Today’s article brings together news reports and studies about how clean our city is compared to all the other cities in the world. If you want to live in one of the cleanest cities in the world, Calgary is the top choice.

Calgary may be Cowtown and Canada’s city of oil Tycoons, but it’s been consistently ranked as one of the cleanest cities in the world. Depending on the study, Calgary has ranked in the top ten repeatedly. In 2007, Forbes magazine ranked Calgary as the world’s cleanest city. it is also known for being one of the top five most liveable cities in the world. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Liveability Index has consistently ranked Calgary in the top five from 2009 to 2019.

In 2014 Mercer Global Financial awarded Calgary top marks on their cleanest city in the World ranking.

In 2015, the Travel Team listed Calgary as the number 1 cleanest city in the world, “The cleanest city in the world is situated between Rocky Mountains and Prairies in Canada. It also has two rivers flowing across it, adding to the beauty of the city. Its prime area of concern is energy production which explains its excellent conditions and organized community and services.

Also in 2015, The Guardian wrote about Calgary, “Calgary can also boast litter-free streets. Thousand-dollar fines for dropping cigarette butts or throwing rubbish out of a car window have had a positive impact on the city. But for Mercer, Calgary ranks top of the list due to its green initiatives. As well as following Alberta’s Waste programme, which aims to decrease how much waste is sent to landfill, environmental charity Green Calgary also promotes a greener lifestyle for Calgarians by offering tips on everything from improving your composting to how to pack a litter-less lunch. The organisation, which has been in operation since 1978, also “seeks to empower Calgarians to create healthy homes and communities through environmental education, products and services”.

In August of 2020, the World Atlas gave top honours to Calgary on its list of cleanest cities in the world. “Calgary, a city in the Canadian province of Alberta that is the country’s oil capital, is also consistently ranked as one of the world’s cleanest cities. The city was ranked number one overall on the 2014 Mercer list for clean cities. Calgary has fines in place for people who drop cigarette butts or throw trash out of car windows. Alberta’s green initiative, Too Good to Waste, started in 2007, is a program that aims to decrease how much waste goes to landfills. Calgary itself has an environmental charity called Green Calgary that promotes a greener lifestyle. For example, the organization offers tips on how to pack a litterless lunch. By 2025, Calgary intends to reduce its landfill waste by 70%.

In 2020, the Zulu Land Observer put Calgary on top of its Cleanest City list, “Calgary, Canada – Has a population of more than a million people and is currently the world’s cleanest city. The government battles to maintain the cleanliness, but achieve it by focusing on five main things, namely – water cleanliness and availability, sewage systems, traffic congestion, waste removal and recycling and air pollution.

In 2021, the EcoMastery Project put Calgary on their cleanest cities in the world list at #8, and the only Canadian city on the list. “Calgary, Canada, is considered to be the cleanest city in the world. It ranked first on Keep America Beautiful’s list of “America’s Cleanest Cities” for two consecutive years (2004, 2005). This award-winning status is a result of the fact that it has a recycling rate of over 75%, which makes Calgary Canada’s most eco-friendly city. In addition to its natural beauty and climate appeal, there are many other reasons why people consider Calgary as one of North America’s best places to live: from being close enough to ski resorts but still warm enough for year-round golfing; having jobs available in both oil fields.”

Here at Complete Real Estate Coldwell Banker, we love Calgary! It has grown and spread out over the decades we have been here, however it still retains its small big city charm. Unlike Vancouver and Toronto, where people are priced out of the real estate market, first time home buyers can find an affordable home in our city and still afford to have a decent quality of life.

Thinking of moving to Calgary and want to know more about this wonderful city? Contact Susanita de Diego at susanita@cbcalgary.ca or call 403-686-1455 with your questions and she will be happy to help you make your destination decision.

 

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Should I list my home for sale before I start looking for something new?

January 20th, 2022 by Susanita de Diego

The answer is – it depends on why you are making the move, it depends on the market, and it depends on your financial position.

Remember when you bought your first home? Maybe you were renting or maybe even still living in your family home… either way you did not have to consider the risks – how do you buy when you need the equity you have in the house you currently own? How do you reliably know how much equity you have when you haven’t yet sold the house you currently own?

This is where being prepared and knowing market conditions can help you save money and make the most of your equity.Should I Sell My Home First or Buy?

When it comes to buying and selling when you are relying on the equity from your current home to buy your next home, generally speaking, you should always do the most difficult part first. If the market favours the seller – buy first. If the market favours the buyer – sell first. But it still depends on your financial position and your tolerance for risk.

  • The first step is to know your market. Engage a trusted real estate professional to provide you with a thorough market review which includes not only the current market value of your home but all of the costs involved in selling your home, the typical number of days or months it should take to sell and whether the market favours sellers or buyers. They will also be able to let you know what to do to prepare your home for sale so that it will sell for the highest possible price.

Pro Tip: Focus on the data – what have buyers paid for similar homes? How do those homes compare to yours in size, location and finish?

By this point you will likely have already been dreaming online so you will know how much you will need to pay for your next perfect home.

  • The second step is to know your financial position. This step is crucial to allow you to know your negotiating position. Check with your lender to see if you would qualify to keep and rent your current home and how you would structure the financing of your new home. For this part of the process, you will need to know how much rent homes like yours are achieving in the rental market. This doesn’t mean you are obligated to keep your current home. If you are pre-approved to carry both properties you will be able to make a more competitive offer on your next home without a “subject to the sale” condition. More on this later.

Pro Tip: If you want to be sure that you find and purchase the perfect next home first do whatever you need to do to get pre-qualified to carry both homes including having a co-signer.

  • The third step is to decide what to do first – buy or sell. For this step you need to know yourself and the market. If you want to find the perfect home first and the market favours the seller you could take the chance that if you buy first, your home will likely sell easily.

If you have been pre-approved to carry both properties – but don’t really want to – the worst possible scenario is that the market shifts before you sell your current home and you will need to sell your current home for less or keep and rent it.

If you have not been pre-approved to carry both, and you need to write your offer subject to the sale of your current home, and the market favours the seller – prepare yourself for disappointment. You could lose the perfect home if your offer is competing with other offers if those buyers do not have a “subject to the sale” condition either because they don’t have a home to sell or they are pre-approved to carry both homes.

If you are not in competition the seller will almost always add a “sellers condition” which allows the seller to accept another offer and require you to remove all of your condition within 24 or 48 hours. In a market which favours the seller this will be a likely occurrence.

If the market favours the buyer both of the above scenarios could still occur but you may have a little more time.

If you just want to be absolutely sure of the sale of your home and your equity position before you buy it is still important to check with your lender about the financing terms of your purchase. Has anything changed since you purchased your current home? Has your income or the terms of your employment changed? Have you increased your debt by purchasing a vehicle? It is not a given that you will qualify for the same or an increased or decreased mortgage amount.

In this scenario you would ideally negotiate a long closing date to allow you enough time to find your next perfect home. The risks in selling first are that you run out of time and have not found a home within the time allotted and you have to rent while you continue your search or that the market shifts and you have to pay more than you anticipated for your next perfect home.

During the time your home is listed for sale your trusted real estate advisor will likely have created a customized online search so that you see how often homes with your specific criteria are listed and sold so that you have a good idea of the likelihood of finding that perfect home. Just don’t fall in love until you have received an offer on your current home.

Pro Tip: Beware of guaranteed sale offerings. The terms can sometimes be expensive and eat into your equity.

A trusted real estate professional will help you choose the best path based on your financial position and level of risk tolerance.

We would love to work with you to achieve the best outcome for you!

Please call us at 403-686-1455 or book an online appointment – we look forward to speaking with you!

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2021 Record Year for Home Sales – December 2021 Real Estate Statistics Report

January 8th, 2022 by Susanita de Diego

2021 Record Year for Home Sales

 

City of Calgary, January 2022

 

Thanks to exceptionally high sales in December, 2021 was a record year for home sales. Calgary sales reached 27,686 units this year, nearly 72 per cent higher than last year and over 44 percent higher than the 10-year average.
 

“Concerns over inflation and rising lending rates likely created more urgency with buyers over the past few months. However, as is the case in many other cities, the supply has not kept pace with the demand, causing strong price growth,” said CREB® Chief Economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

 

As of December, the unadjusted benchmark price rose by nearly one per cent over last month and was sitting over 10 per cent higher than last year’s figures. Overall, the 2021 benchmark price rose by more than eight per cent compared to last year for a total of $451,567, just shy of the annual record high set back in 2015.

 

We are entering 2022 with some of the tightest conditions seen in over a decade. As of December, inventory levels are nearly 25 per cent lower than long-term averages for the month. This will have an impact on our housing market as we move through 2022. More details on the housing market forecast for 2022 will be released on Jan. 25.

 

View the full report here: December 2021 Statistics Report
 

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Persistent sellers’ market conditions drive up prices – November 2021 Real Estate Statistics Report

December 6th, 2021 by Susanita de Diego

Persistent sellers’ market conditions drive up prices

 

City of Calgary, December 2021

 

Driven by growth in demand for all property types, there were 2,110 sales in November, just shy of the record for the month set in 2005.

 

“Lending rates are expected to increase next year, which has created a sense of urgency among purchasers who want to get into the housing market before rates rise,” said CREB® Chief Economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

 

“At the same time, supply levels have struggled to keep pace, causing tight conditions and additional price gains.”

 

New listings in November totaled 1,989 units, which was fewer than the number of sales this month. With a sales-to-new-listings ratio of over 100 per cent, inventory levels dropped to 3,922 units and the months of supply dipped below two months.

 

It is not unusual to see new listings and inventories trend down at this time of year, but slower sales are also typical. Instead, sales have remained at roughly the same levels seen since August.

 

Persistent demand and slow supply reaction caused the benchmark price to trend up this month to $461,000, an increase compared with last month and nearly nine per cent higher than levels recorded last year.
View the full report here: November 2021 Statistics Report

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Is My Assessment Lower or Higher Than Market Value?

November 19th, 2021 by Susanita de Diego

Is my assessment lower or higher than market value? The answer is… yes.

Because it could be either!

The other answer is…your assessed value is very rarely a reflection of current market value, because it is already old information by the time you receive your notice.

In Alberta, the Municipal Government Act and the Regulations under the Act which are called Matters Relating to Assessment & Taxation (MRAT) set out how and when properties are assessed.

MRAT sets the “Valuation Date” in Alberta which is July 1st. You receive your assessment sometime during the month of January so the assessment is already six months old, and as we have seen in the City of Calgary, the real estate market stats can change a lot in six months, one way or the other!

The best way to get an idea of the current market value of a property is to ask your favourite REALTOR® to provide you with recent sales through the MLS® of homes which have features similar to the features of your home.

This shows the range of how much buyers have been willing to pay.

I hope this answers your question – if you have further questions or if you would like to know the current market value of your home I would be happy to help!

Send us your questions here: https://www.cbcompleterealestate.com/contact

Susanita

 

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TRANSITIONS Magazine – November 2021

November 19th, 2021 by Susanita de Diego

Welcome to the third edition of TRANSITIONS Magazine!

This publication is all about the COLOURS OF 2022! We take a deep dive into what’s hot and exciting like “Glidden’s Guacamole’ and “Bear’s Breezeway”.

Find colour pallets that will inspire you and tools to virtually “decorate” rooms in your home.

Of course you will also find links to trending real estate news and our popular “Ask Susanita” column!

Enjoy!

Transitions Magazine Coldwell Banker Complete Real Estate Summer 2021

Featured Articles:

The Colour For 2022

2022 Design – Living Spaces

SCROLL THROUGH THE NOVEMBER 2021 TRANSITIONS ONLINE MAGAZINE

Holiday Decorating When Trying To Sell Your Home – Featured Blog Article!

Most Recent Real Estate Market Reports:

Market Continues to Favour the Seller in October – October 2021 Real Estate Statistics Report

Sales remain strong in September – September 2021 Real Estate Statistics Report

Market continues shift toward more balanced conditions after torrid start to the year – August 2021 Real Estate Statistics Report

Ask Susanita!

Is My Assessment Lower or Higher Than Market Value?

If you or someone you know has any real estate questions, we’d love to help!

Contact us here: https://www.cbcompleterealestate.com/contact

OR

Phone: 403-686-1455

Email: info@cbcalgary.ca

Thanks for reading!

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Holiday Decorating When Trying To Sell Your Home

November 19th, 2021 by Marietta Maier

Summer’s over, the kids are back in school and now it’s November and you’ve finally made the decision to sell your home. You have been waiting for just the right time but now you realize that there will most likely be showings around the holidays and you’re wondering how far to go with decorating. No matter what holiday you are celebrating, it is family time and you should continue to celebrate with your traditions.

Here are a few tips on how to keep the spirit alive, but not to appear like you are months away from packing up and moving out:Holiday Decorating Whem Trying to Sell Your Home

  • Keep the decorating to a minimum. You can go crazy next year in your new home!
  • If your space is small, and you put up a tree, try to find a smaller one this year. Some trees can take over the whole room. You want to show how spacious the room is. You may consider moving out a piece of furniture to make room.
  • If you do like to put up decorations around the house, replace your everyday ones with holiday ones. Don’t add more!
  • Cooking smells. Only if they are good ones! Otherwise, try to make those cabbage rolls on days where there aren’t any scheduled showings. (I think they smell great, but not every- one does!)
  • Always remember to keep your home tidy and as clutter free as possible. Buyers are not looking at your furniture or decorations, but if they can’t picture their own possessions in there because of clutter, they will have a hard time falling in love with your home.
  • Keep it warm! You want Buyers to feel cozy during these colder months.
  • You may want to consider hiring a Stager to help with decorating ideas (our business directory has some staging company recommendations)

Selling, buying and moving can be very stressful at any time of year. Hiring professional help can take some of the stress off and we recommend that if you can, you should consider it.

The most important thing to remember, is to keep as much of your routine as possible to make it a pleasant final holiday in this home and look forward to a new one in your new home next year!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Marietta Maier

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Market Continues to Favour the Seller in October – October 2021 Real Estate Statistics Report

November 8th, 2021 by Susanita de Diego

Market Continues to Favour the Seller in October

 

City of Calgary, November 2021

 

There were 2,186 sales in October, a record high for the month and over 35 per cent higher than longer-term averages. Year-to-date sales are on pace to hit new record highs and are currently 61 per cent higher than average activity recorded over the past five years and 42 per cent higher than 10-year averages.
“Moving into the fourth quarter, the pace of housing demand continues to exceed expectations in the city,” said CREB® Chief Economist Ann-Marie Lurie.
“Much of the persistent strength is likely related to improving confidence in future economic prospects, as well as a sense of urgency among consumers to take advantage of the low-lending-rate environment.”
New listings have improved relative to last year, but stronger sales caused further easing in inventory levels, which remain 16 per cent lower than last year and longer-term averages for the month. Supply levels have struggled to keep pace with demand, but much of the decline in the months of supply has been related to the strong sales levels. As of October, the months of supply dipped to just over two months.
Persistently tight market conditions did cause some benchmark price gains this month. The benchmark price in October reached $460,100, slightly higher than last month and nearly nine per cent higher than the $422,600 recorded last October.
View the full report here: October 2020 Report

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Coldwell Banker Real Estate operation in Canada acquired by Edmonton based business partnership

October 26th, 2021 by Susanita de Diego

I am so excited that Coldwell Banker Canada is back to being Canadian owned! I look forward to working with the new leadership, who are from Alberta, to build an even stronger presence in theSusanita de Diego - Calgary REALTOR - Book an Appointment West!

This also means we are part of the Coldwell Banker International Franchise group which allows us more networking opportunities with Coldwell Banker Affiliates from all over the world!

Hooray!

Susanita de Diego

Read on for the full press release:

Coldwell Banker Real Estate operation in Canada acquired by Edmonton-based business partnership

Coldwell Banker brokerage owner Steve Houle and business partner Karim Kennedy take ownership of Coldwell Banker Canadian operations with franchised offices from coast to coast

BURLINGTON, ON, CANADA (October 20, 2021) – Award-winning Coldwell Banker brokerage owner Steve Houle and business partner Karim Kennedy have acquired the master franchise rights for the iconic Coldwell Banker® global brand in Canada. The two Edmonton-based entrepreneurs take ownership of Coldwell Banker Canada Operations ULC (doing business as Coldwell Banker Canada) effective immediately. They will apply a unique blend of knowledge and experience as they continue to provide support to a coast-to-coast network of independent affiliates and their sales representatives and seek to grow the brand’s presence in Canada.

Steve Houle has been a part of the Coldwell Banker network for over four years, as owner of the independent franchise Coldwell Banker Island Properties, operating 18 offices throughout Hawaii. Under his leadership, the company has grown to nearly 500 agents and has qualified as a Chairman’s Circle brokerage, a distinction reserved for the top 9% of companies in the Coldwell Banker global system. Under his leadership, Houle and his team grew Coldwell Banker Island Properties’ transaction volume by almost 500%. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Steve has a proven track record for establishing and building successful businesses.

Business partner Karim Kennedy is also born and raised in Edmonton and continues to reside in the city. He has an extensive 25-year background in the financial sector working with major institutions such as The Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank. An avid supporter of entrepreneurship, he has a strong track record of assisting companies with execution of their growth plans particularly through mergers and acquisitions, and he will take on the role of CEO of Coldwell Banker Canada.

Andy Puthon, the current president of the Coldwell Banker Canadian operations and his Canadian team remain with the company based in the Burlington national office.

“This ownership change marks a new day for the Coldwell Banker brand in the Canadian marketplace,” said Liz Gehringer, chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate. “This 100% Canadian ownership structure will provide the organization both flexibility and autonomy, while continuing to be a part of a global network. Steve and Karim have demonstrated the leadership and entrepreneurial expertise to grow the renowned Coldwell Banker brand in Canada. The Canadian team is looking forward to working with Steve and Karim as they explore new opportunities.”

“As the owner of a successful Coldwell Banker franchise operation, I understand the value that the brand offers its affiliates,” said Houle. “As a proud Canadian, I also know the tremendous
potential that is present in the Canadian real estate market, so I am very excited by the opportunities that the future holds.”

“The affiliates now have the access to leverage this team’s deep insight and expertise to exceed their business goals. Combined with our collective strength across a viable Canadian real estate
landscape, many advantageous opportunities abound to help affiliates take their businesses to greater heights,” continues Coldwell Banker Canada CEO Karim Kennedy. “We additionally value their input and will be engaging with brokers across the country as we build our vision for the future for Coldwell Banker in Canada, and its affiliates from coast to coast and provide a compelling destination for prospective franchisees.”

The Coldwell Banker brand first came to Canada with its first international franchises in 1989 and achieved dramatic growth through a joint venture with Canada Trust in 1992. The parent company of Madison New Jersey based Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, acquired ownership of Coldwell Banker Canada in May 2007. The Coldwell Banker Canada network has independently owned residential and commercial franchised offices across Canada from coast to coast and also in the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Globally, Coldwell Banker has a network of over 96,000 sales professionals operating in 2,900 offices in 40 countries and territories worldwide.

About the Coldwell Banker® Organization
Powered by its network of over 96,000 affiliated sales professionals in approximately 2,900 offices across 40 countries and territories, the Coldwell Banker® organization is a leading provider of full-service residential and commercial real estate brokerage services. The Coldwell Banker brand prides itself on its history of expertise, honesty and an empowering culture of excellence since its beginnings in 1906.

In Canada, Coldwell Banker has a national network of independently owned residential and commercial offices that spans from coast to coast. Each office is independently owned and operated. For further information on Coldwell Banker Affiliates of Canada or to search for individual offices, sales representatives, or property listings across Canada, visit www.coldwellbanker.ca
Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, a global provider of real estate and relocation services.

For Media enquiries, please contact:
susanita@cbcalgary.ca +1.403.686.1455

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Sales remain strong in September – September 2021 Real Estate Statistics Report

October 6th, 2021 by Susanita de Diego

Sales remain strong in September

 

City of Calgary, October 2021

 

Residential sales totalled 2,162 in September, nearing the record high for the month recorded in 2005. Further gains in new listings likely supported some of the sales growth that occurred this month.
 
“While sales activity in the fall tends to be slower than in the spring months, the continued strong sales are likely being driven by consumers who were unable to transact earlier in the year when supply levels had not yet adjusted to demand,” said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie. “The market continues to favour the seller, but conditions are not as tight as they were earlier this year.”
 
Inventory levels in September eased to 5,607 units, keeping the months of supply below three months. However, there is significant variation depending on property type and the tightest conditions continue to be in the detached market, with under two months of supply. At the same time, the apartment condominium sector is not facing the same level of supply challenges, with nearly five months of inventory available based on current demand levels.
 
Supply adjustments have helped ease the upward pressure on home prices. Prices have eased slightly relative to a few months ago, but they remain well above levels recorded earlier in the year. As of September, the total residential benchmark price in Calgary was $457,900, over eight per cent higher than levels recorded last year.

 
View the full report here: September 2021 Real Estate Statistics Report
 

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