I attended a Coldwell Banker International Business Conference in March of 2007 in Las Vegas, NV and I remember the speaker in one of the presentations talking about the "soft market" and the "hard times" that many parts of the US real estate market were facing. I remember thinking "What is this guy talking about? This is one of our best years ever in real estate in Southern Alberta!" I also remember thinking back to when I was a teenager and in comparison to the US, we were always slow to get new music, technology, economic changes, etc... Well, the real estate market has definitely changed here in Southern Alberta, but we have yet to see the devastating effects of sub-prime lending and I personally don't think that we will see them to that extent. The latest stats published by my real... 04/22/2008

Does the US mortgage crisis have you nervous about entering the Canadian housing market? There are major differences between the Canadian and US markets and here are key points to highlight:Canada's mortgage default rates are much healthier (6.78% in the US vs. 2.09% in Canada). Much of the pain being felt in the US is a result of very aggressive mortgage products like interest only and negative amortization mortgages (which, for example, make up more than 2/3rds of California's residential mortgage market!). By comparison, negative amortization products are not offered in Canada and interest only mortgages have had a very limited take-up. Canada's mortgage industry has maintained a much higher level of standards and regulation than the US.Canada's debt-recovery laws are generally more ... 02/11/2008

Hello everyone!West Lethbridge has seen some very significant changes and expansion projects over the last 6 months to a year.  The Copperwood subdivision is off and running at a booming rate with many great amazing starter homes still available at affordable rates, the University of Lethbridge is continuing to expand which is drawing in a number of new students and helping the rental pool grow and of course the newer subdivisions of West Highlands, Riverstone and Sunridge continue to expand.I am finding that west Lethbridge is beginning to be more desirable of an area to start a family with the ever increasing amount of amenities starting up.  Rumors of a new major grocery store in the southern portion of the west side, many new schools, parks, a new library, etc. all add to the appeal... 01/04/2008

Hello all.This is an introduction to South Alberta, Canada.  Today is a sunny crisp morning with fresh snow covering the ground.  The snow won't last for long tho. Before long, a chinook (a warm wind) will lift the temperature by several degrees, the snow will melt, and it will feel like spring!  This happens several times in the winter months.  It makes me feel like there are several pairings of winter and spring, winter and spring.For those of you who like the snow, we are situated approximately 1 hr away from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, a haven for skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers. Lethbridge, the small city that I live in, is 2 hrs south of Calgary, home of the greatest Rodeo on earth, and just over an hour north of the Canada/ USA border.  Lethbridge is surrounded by... 11/28/2007

Another of the training programs that RE/MAX offers is the 100 Days to Greatness with Brian Buffini. I am on day 5 of this program and it has a very interesting and potentially very successful approach to my business. It teaches us to work by referral alone. This gives us more time with each client rather than spending all our time advertising and trying to find the next client. It's a very useful course. Like I said I am just starting on it, I have 95 days left to go! It has motivated me in a lot of ways, the most being use my resources I have! I'm excited to see what day 100 has done to my career.I will definately keep you posted on my progress in this course. Oh, By the way... I'm never too busy for any of your referrals :) 10/26/2007

Well after all the hype of my first sale has died down a little, I have to come to realize that it's not easy to be in this business. My first client, lucky enough for me, kind of fell into my lap. Now I find myself wondering where my next sale will come from. As I said in my profile, anyone can be a sales person and convince someone to buy a tv, but this is different for me. I don't want to convince anyone to do anything. So I am having a hard time finding business because on one hand I don't want to be pushy and 'convince' someone to buy from me, but on the other hand I know I could do a wonderful job and want to be able to help. So now Im working my angles finding different ways to promote myself. I have a few good ideas that I'm about to put into play soon. Just getting the details ... 10/03/2007

Well, I have been in the industry going on almost 3 weeks and I have made my first sale! The conditions were removed and it went final on Monday! How exciting. the best part is my client LOVES the house and is very pleased with the whole experience.  I can't wait for my second, third, and so on... 09/26/2007

Today I wrote my first offer! How exciting/scary. This felt really good because this is the client I showed houses to all afternoon on Tuesday and we randomly came across a house on the opposite side of town that he absolutely loves! Go figure. This has taught me that even though a client might say they want a particular side of town it probably wouldn't hurt to show them a house or two that matches exactly what they want, even if it's not exactly where they wanted it, but close. We are lucky here in Lethbridge because one side of town to another only means a 5 minute drive. My client is way more pleased with this house because turns out it is close to so many ammenities that he never even realized would be a convenience. What a stab in the dark that managed to connect.So, now we wait f... 09/14/2007

So another first to tick off... I have two open houses I am hosting this weekend. It will be a great way to meet buyers and see how different people think about houses. They are both amazing houses so I am looking forward to it. I think everyone secretly likes being nosy and seeing what other peoples houses look like so this will be fun! If anyone is interested in coming down to be nosy or just to say hi, please do! My first open house will be at 218 Coachwood Point W in Lethbridge. This is a gorgeous home listed by my broker Darrel Borbely and I will be there from 1:30pm-3:00pm. The second one will be at 201 Lynx Cove N, this is a beautiful townhouse listed by Anthony Dececco, both of RE/MAX Bridge City Realty. I am pretty excited for these and will be sure to blog again after to say h... 09/13/2007

Yesterday afternoon was my first time showing homes to a client. If any of you are familiar with the westside of Lethbridge, it is full of beautiful homes. It is was very difficult I found though to pay attention to my clients reactions and try to gage what he likes and doesn't like without being told. The lesson I learnt: tell my clients to communicate everything they think and feel about the homes we are viewing. The reason for this is it will help me pick the choose the homes that better suit his needs. Another bit of useful information I learnt of the sellers end is, always keep your home tidy for showings. Don't overcrowd, wash those 2 cups in the sink and spray a little air freshener. Even though we viewed some amazing homes, the ones that were cluttered I noticed my client went t... 09/12/2007

Wow, what a day. Today I officially became licensed with RE/MAX Bridge City Realty here in Lethbridge! How exciting. I almost can't sit still in my chair, I just want to get out there and help people find their home!This is sure to be a huge learning experince for me, and it will be interesting to see how I grow into a Realtor with every passing day. Lucky for me I had/have the best teachers and Im positive I will learn something new from each person I come into contact with. I am looking forward to this!If you have any questions, comments, concerns or just want to say hi, I would love to hear from you.   09/06/2007

If you are or have been in the market to buy or sell a home then you know that Lethbridge has a very strong market. With the help of my brokerage, RE/MAX Bridge City Realty, I came across an article that I found very interesting and you might too. http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/article_7918.php Check it out :)I also spoke with Lindsay Kendall from CHMC via email and she was kind enough to pass on the following information. Its pretty interesting when you take into consideration what a booming little economy we have here in Lethbridge. Thought I would share some of the information she gave me:Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are expected to establish a new record of existing home sales in 2007, driving the Canadian total to new heights.   Despite the decline in single-detached constru... 08/24/2007

Wow, August is supposed to be a month where things in the  real estate industry start to slow down a bit. Not for this guy! Half way through August and I am busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest :) Right now I have four purchase offers on the go, two listings, and numerous clients looking. I am trying my best though to give everyone 110% - and so far so good.Even though it is a "sellers market" still right now it sure doesn't hurt to add appeal in the smallest places in your home to attract more buyers. Here's a tip that is so minor, yet can have a huge impact: Keep your closets well organized and the floors clear. This shows buyers of the potential storage space and now a days it seems storage is a very important issue to buyers. Hope you're enjoying this lovely weathe... 08/16/2007

I am new to Active Rain and Iam loving it! I plan to keep a very current update on the real estate market here in Lethbridge. Please check back with me often or email me any questions you may have! 08/10/2007