The following is an old video I made about Lethbridge Manufactured Homes. Most of the information on this old video is still current.  The only thing that is really changed much is that they are now more difficult to finance than they were in the past.  It is still possible, but not nearly as simple or easy as financing a traditional single family home.  As a result, the starter home market in Lethbridge is much stronger than the mobile home market. Still, manufactured homes in manufactured home communities are popular with seniors and those looking for the park lifestyle. Here is my old video from 6 years ago 03/07/2016

Lethbridge Seniors Condos This is a hot and growing segment of the real estate market in Lethbridge and southern Alberta.  There are more and more developments being built and designed specifically for the aging market.  These customers have been the driving force in the real estate marketplace for their entire lives, and as these baby boomers are all now retiring they are looking for a lifestyle that suits their needs.   There are several residential developments in Lethbridge which cater to seniors by providing lower maintenance lifestyle.  Seniors condos seem to be the most popular at the moment.  Here is an old video I made about 6 years ago in front of one of the seniors complex here in Fairmont area of South Lethbridge.  02/28/2016

Leap for Lethbridge Real EstateLeap year is here and that means that this month of February there is 29th day.  Apart from my brother in law who was born 44 years ago on Feb 29th and is celebrating his 11th birthday, does anyone else really care that there is an extra day this month? What will you do with that extra day?  Spend time with your family?  Use it to work in your business?  Use it to work on your business?  There is really no wrong answer, as long as you don't waste this precious gift of 1 more day! For me, I am taking the day out of my regular schedule and using the day to clear up all of the old projects and to-do list items which I have procrastinated about or pushed to the back of my desk.  For me it is a clean up day and prepare for a fresh start for the month of March 2... 02/28/2016

*all images on this bog are created and owned exclusively by Robert W May.  No unauthorized use or reproduction is authorized without written consent.  This includes internet usage and editorial content.  Please contact the creator for any licensing or reproduction requests.   "The above photo is of a friend and client's fireplace sitting room.  The house is a heritage house and this bright room is in a backyard addition.  The old woodburning fireplace has been replaced with a gas model, and the room is tastefully decorated in a modern style ." -  Robert May   02/24/2016

*all images on this bog are created and owned exclusively by Robert W May.  No unauthorized use or reproduction is authorized without written consent.  This includes internet usage and editorial content.  Please contact the creator for any licensing or reproduction requests. "The above photo is of a friend and client's livingroom.  The image is unique in that it is a full color photograph, yet has a starkly black and white feel to it.  If it wasn't for the child's toy poking its head over the furniture you would almost think this image was filtered in some way.  It is not." -  Robert May 02/24/2016

lethbridge lawyersLethbridge real estate buying or selling will require the services of a good real estate lawyer.  There are so many law offices in our city, but not all of them a skilled and experienced with this type of legal service, and not all of the law office in Lethbridge want to do these. Representung your interests in the buying or selling of property is not a difficult job in the majority of cases, however in the rare instance that there is a problem with your land title, difficulty with your new mortgage or paying out an old one, problems with right of ways or easements, or other problems which can arise and either delay or derail your escrow, then you will be happy that you have selected a good lawyer. I personally recommend the services of http://lethbridgelaywer.ca to m... 02/23/2016

October 12, 2010 Lethbridge Real Estate - Where are Prices Headed?   I get asked at least once a week from a curious friend or past client to predict where prices are going in this crazy market.  Most often they are simply curious and not actually interested in buying real estate or selling real estate, but they are interest in making conversation about the issue.   Quite frankly, the economy in Lethbridge is strong.  Our unemployment rate is low, our vacancy rate is low, and most consumers are optimistic.  However, the same cannot be said of the rest of the world or our neighbors an hour south in the USA.   As the US market continues to crash, and I believe that it is only about half done so far, the Canadian Dollar will continue to rise.  I expect to see the Canadian Dollar reach $1.2... 02/20/2016

Home buyers in Canada now face bigger down payment requirements for real estate above $500,000. The changes are intended to slow some of Canada’s heated realty markets. Here are 5 things to know about the new real estate financing rules: Put up more cash: Home buyers now have to put at least a downpayment of 10 per cent on the portion of the purchase price of a house over $500,000. For anyone buying a house for $700,000 — a common average list price in the cities of Vancouver and Toronto — that means the minimum down payment will increase to $45,000 from $35,000. Any home under $500,000 still requires only a down payment of five per cent. Homes that are priced for more than $1 million still require a 20 per cent downpayment for mortgage financing. Who is affected: Primarily those buyin... 02/17/2016

Dave Mabell @The Lethbridge Herald wrote the following this morning.  It is interesting to compare how the Lethbridge real estate market has weathered the economic downturn better than many other regions. "Despite distress in Alberta’s energy industry, homes remain a hot commodity in Lethbridge.Local real estate officials report 2015 turned out to be their strongest year since 2007. And the average sale price across the region reached $266,738 by December – up 14.6 per cent in one year.December was a particularly busy month, according to figures released by the Lethbridge and District Association of Realtors. The 132 homes sold through the association’s Multiple Listing Service that month went for a total of $35.2 million – up more than 20 per cent from the year previous, and the highes... 02/17/2016

Are you looking to buy Lethbridge real estate? Lots of buyers have the long weekends off from work and make use of this time to go shopping for a house in Lethbridge.  This means that as a real estate professional, I anticipate that I will receive more calls and inquiries on listed homes than I do on the average weekend.  In addition, the buyers who show up on long weekends also includes the out of town buyer who comes to town on Friday or Saturday and buys a house before leaving for where ever they are from on Sunday or Monday.  These are often the best buyers of all, so being available to assist them is very important. Likewise, if you have a home that is listed for sale, you should expect that there might be an increase in buyers who are requesting for a showing of the home.  This is... 02/12/2016

Separating the Lookers from the Buyers      As a Lethbridge real estate professional who has helped move thousands of people and completed hundreds of successful transactions over 23 year, I have developed some particular tools and techniques that make the way I do business much more efficient.  One of the things I do extremely different than most agents is that I do not waste my time or my clients time with unqualified buyers.       What I mean by this is that every single buyer that I put in the car and take to view a home has been qualified.  I know their situation, I know their finances, and I know they are in a position to buy that home that day.  Many real estate agents are uncomfortable asking qualifying questions of their potential clients, many of them do not even know what que... 02/08/2016

 Recently I changed to logo for my Lethbridge real estate brokerage.  I know that it is a fairly trivial thing and for small brokerages such as mine it is even less important than the large brokerages who do their best to try to build brand recognition.  My little brokerage relies completely upon a repeat client list and word of mouth referrals, but I still wanted to rebrand my website with something nice and modern. This simple red roofed logo was what I decided upon.  It is pretty basic and a I have seen several others using somewhat similar designs.  The only thing which I add to it in some instances now is the url for my website and sometimes my phone number, depending upon where I am displaying it. 01/23/2016

Here in Lethbidge Alberta we have become a popular destination for real estate investors looking to purchase rental properties.  Due to the fact that we have 2 post secondary educational institutions here, the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College, we have a large number of students who take up residence here in the city.The rental market in Lethbridge has remained solid and stable.  Our prices on these investment properties have also remained fairly low and solid.  With the mortgage interest rates being at historically record lows, this makes owning rental properties in Lethbridge a great opportunity to make positive cash flow.Here is a picture of a typical rental property.  This is a half duplex property located in the Uplands subdivision in North Lethbridge.  This property ... 01/22/2016

Let me start by saying that I am gettinng old and out of shape.  Sitting at a desk and spending most of my day behind a computer monitor has really caught up to me. However, my wife's travel bucket list included going to Peru and seeing Machu Picchu.  So this past November we hopped on a couple of airplanes and made our long journey from Canada to Cusco, Peru. In preperation for our trip I got myself on a better diet and started walking the stairs at a local outdoor location in my city.  It sucked.  It was hard.  But it paid off.  We made it to Peru and we climbed and we climbed and we climbed.   Every day of our trip was spent hiking and climbing up one hill or another.  We visited several cities in Peru and seen a ton of ancient sites.  It was an awesome adventure and I have some abso... 01/22/2016

There are quite a few adult condos available in Lethbridge AB.   Unfortunately, most of them are not Pet Friendly.  Many of them have special rules written right in the condo documents, that say no pets allowed.  Many of them also have signs right on the entrace to the premises that say "NO PETS ALLOWED".   Luckily, there is a great condo available on the west side, very close to the University.  This condo also has a double attached garage, two fireplaces, a library area, ac, and tons of space.  It's hard to find a condo with a double attached garage as well.   This condo is 29 plus and is also located in WEST LETHBRIDGE, the price is much lower than a similar condo in South Lethbridge would be.  Call Jennifer Brodoway today at 403-795-8783 for a private viewing. 89 Columbia Blvd W MLS... 11/17/2015

Every year the Lethbridge Home Builders' Association hosts a 2 week event to feature the home builders in our community. From September 12 - 27, 2015 the public will be able to blitz Lethbridge neighborhoods and scope out the talents of many of Lethbridge's finest builders as well as suppliers. Neighborhoods on the list include:North Lethbridge - Blackwolf and Legacy RidgeSouth Lethbridge - M&K Showhome village, Prairie Arbour Estates, and SouthgateWest Lethbridge - Cabot Landing at Garry Station, Canyon Estates, Copperwood, Country Meadows, Crossings, Garry Station, Riverstone, and West HighlandsCoaldale - Westgate LandingFor a map of the 37 homes click here. For more information on the Lethbridge Parade of Homes vist their website. While touring the areas be sure to stop in and see Da... 09/10/2015

One of the most important aspects of staging your home to sell is decluttering.  When you are ready to move, there are likely several items that you do not want to take with you to your new home.  The 2015 Lethbridge Reuse Rendezvous, which runs Friday September 11  through Sunday September 13, is now in its fourth year. Put out your unwanted items on Friday night, and make sure that they are labelled free. http://lethbridgeherald.com/news/local-news/2015/09/09/weekend-rendezvous/http://environmentlethbridge.ca/Items should be picked up by 7pm on Sunday evening.   Check out the links to the Lethbridge Herald for more information.  If you miss the reuse rendezvous, you can take unwanted items to the Salvation Army 403-328-2860, Catholic Charities 403-327-5758, or Harbour House 403-320-18... 09/09/2015

Are you looking to take it easy? Do you want to enjoy a lawn, but without the hassle? Perhaps live in an adult community?      There are many options for senior condos in Lethbridge, or adult communities in Lethbridge and area.  Currently I have 3 great options. 1) 89 Columbia Blvd West:  University Garden Estates:  This adult condo is very spacious, and has a wide open concept.  It comes with an attached double garage.  The age range here is 29 plus.  It is within walking distance to the University, and a great option for a professor, or a mature student.  View - 89 Columbia Blvd W - now                 2)  2933 - 29 Ave S: Parkbridge Estates:  You can enjoy living in a well maintained adult community for less than $100,000.  This home has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, and is conveniently lo... 08/31/2015

Every Year the Lethbridge Sun Times highlights businesses accross many different Categories and awards them  "Best of the Best."    In 2012, and 2013, I was honoured to have placed 1st, and 2nd respectively for “Best Realtor.” I also won the category in 2014.    For the service category, please go to the following link....  http://mybestofthebest.ca/?page_id=33   You can vote for your favorite businesses here,  http://mybestofthebest.ca/   Your vote is greatly appreciated...     01/08/2015

If you are buying a house in Lethbridge and area, your insurance company will have many questions about the house, and the condition.  It is very difficult/ impossible/expensive to get insurance on a home with knob and tube wiring, a 60 amp panel, gravity furnace, and lead pipes. So those are things that you need to consider carefully when you are buying.  When you are getting your insurance, here are a few questions the insurance company might ask you. 1.  ROOF: How old is the roof? 2.  HOT WATER TANK:  How old is it? Is it a standard tank or hot water on demand? 3.  FURNACE: How old is it? Is it natural gas?  4.  WIRING/ ELECTRICAL:  Is is copper wiring?  Is it 100amps? 5.  SUMP PUMP:  Is there a sump pump?  How old is it?  Is there a battery back up or alarm? 6.  BACK FLOW VALVE: Is ... 11/10/2014